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Reserve League: Chivas USA Comes out on Top

May 20, 2013 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


CARSON, Calif. (Monday, May 20, 2013) - Chivas USA's Reserves (1-0-0) scored three first-half goals to defeat Real Salt Lake's Reserves, 3-2, Monday morning at The Home Depot Center's Track and Field Stadium. The Red-and-White took a commanding lead into the second half as result of three consecutive scores by Carlos Alvarez, Gabriel Farfan and Jose Manuel Rivera, but RSL nearly completed the comeback with two goals of their own in the second half to make the match a last minute nail-biter. David Viana and Abdoulie Mansally tallied the scores for the visiting side. Chivas USA's Reserves will play their second match on June 2 when they host Seattle's Reserves beginning at 11 a.m. (PT).

Chivas USA went up a goal in the eighth minute on Alvarez's run down the left seam after receiving a drop off pass from forward Adonis Amaya. Alvarez pushed the ball into the box and fired passed RSL goalkeeper Josh Saunders inside the right post.

The Red-and-White pushed the lead to 2-0 in the 23rd minute when Farfan got into the right side of the short area and beat Saunders to his right to find the left side netting for his first score with Rojiblancos. Saunders was able to deny a shot by Amaya from the left side of the box three minutes later. But the Goats found their third consecutive goal of the half in the 28th minute when Rivera was able to bring down a cross from the left seam by Laurent Courtois to battle for ball possession. With two defenders on him, Rivera was able to keep the ball and get off a shot that found the back of the net for the 3-0 advantage.

RSL was able to get their numbers forward and get into dangerous spots but were flagged for offsides on two promising runs deep in Chivas USA territory. RSL continued to get solid looks at goal throughout the half on multiple crosses from both wings. In the 37th minute Coco Navarro made his run down the middle of the box but could not bring down a cross sent in from the right side. Two minutes later, Viana found sub Ive Burnett with a cross of his own, but Burnett could not finish the play, as the match entered half time.

The visiting side got on the board in the 53rd minute after being awarded a penalty kick. Mansally looked to bring down a cross from the right side but was taken down near the penalty mark. Viana lined up shortly after and was initially denied by goalkeeper Patrick McLain, but Viana was able to follow up with a put-back to cut Chivas USA' lead to 3-1.

Midfielder Giovani Casillas entered the match for the Rojiblancos and had an opportunity to put his side back up by three in the 76th minute. Casillas was taken down on the left side of the box and was awarded a penalty kick, but could not convert, as Saunders anticipated correctly by diving to his left for the stop.

As the match entered stoppage time, RSL continued to push their numbers forward and found a second goal on Mansally's left-footed strike from inside the box. The defender unleashed a shot that hit the lower half of the crossbar and bounced inside the goal line after gathering an assist from Yordany Alvarez. But the comeback fell short as stoppage time ran out and the marker stood at 3-2.

Amaya Makes His Mark as the Youngest Goat

When Chivas USA Academy standout Adonis Amaya was told by his Coach Mike Muñoz that he was being called up for a Reserve League match programmed for Monday, the forward did not imagine he would be in the starting 11 against Real Salt Lake's Reserves.

The Southern California product was not only in Head Coach Jose Luis Sanchez Sola's starting lineup, but he also recorded an assist and got off a shot on frame in Monday's 3-2 Reserve League win at The Home Depot Center's Track and Field Stadium. The 16-year-old appeared to build confidence and get comfortable early in his 62 minutes of action, as he combined with midfielder Carlos Alvarez in the eighth minute on a give-and-go outside the box. Amaya received a pass with his back to the goal from Alvarez and dropped it off to his right as the midfielder prepared to make his run into the box for the finish.

As a member of Chivas USA's Under-16 squad, Amaya is known as one of the Academy's top scorers. But the young Goat says that recording an assist in Monday's victory feels just as good as if he had tallied the score himself.

"When [Sanchez Sola] told me I was starting I was excited," said Amaya. "I felt like for my first game I dealt with it well. The team was very supportive. He [ChelÃ-s] kept on insisting that I take risks. He said if you don't take risks you don't get noticed. I try to run off the ball, that's what I do best."

Among the people in attendance at Monday's match were Muñoz and Youth Academy Director of Soccer Sacha van der Most. And needless to say, Amaya made a very good impression as the youngest player on the pitch for the Red-and-White.

"In the first half he was able to link up for the first goal," said Van der Most. "He didn't show to be nervous. He was confident on the ball. When you play with quality players it will lift your level. He is definitely one of the players that we will continue to take a close look at and bring him in as much as possible."

For Amaya, the experience is just one more accomplishment in his young soccer career, having already participated with the U.S. Residency Program and Youth National Team. But for now, the Academy Goat will go back to his squad and as he says, become a leader.

"To take this experience back to my Academy team is great," Amaya added. "I know my teammates will ask me how everything went. For me as a 16-year-old to take it back and share it with the team is important, because at the end of the day we all want to reach this level."

Chivas USA returns to training with Reserves victory

Chivas USA returned to training Monday morning after Sunday's bitter 4-1 loss to Western Conference rival Real Salt Lake at The Home Depot Center. Monday's agenda had two different plans: a regenerative session for last night's starting 11, and a more competitive day for the remaining group as they would face Real Salt Lake again, this time in a 2013 Major League Soccer Reserve League game.

Under the instructions from Strength and Conditioning Coach Osvaldo Scansetti, and with the sole objective of recovering from yesterday's performance and effort, the starting 11 began with an aerobic run complemented with generic strength exercises. After 45 minutes of focusing on muscle regeneration, the starters ended the session with a ten minute stretching cycle.

While the starting 11 completed the assigned workout, the remaining group, accompanied by Chivas USA Academy players César Zamora, Ángel González, Omar Elmasri (all U23), Jake McGuire (U18) and Adonis Amaya (U16), prepared to face Real Salt Lake in their first Major League Soccer Reserve League game this season.

Anxious to take revenge, Chivas USA's reserves didn't waste the chance defeating Real Salt Lake 3-2 with goals from the recently debuted with the Rojiblancos Gabriel Farfán, Carlos Álvarez assisted by Adonis Amaya, and Jose Manuel Rivera.

The Goats will return to training on Tuesday, May 21st, at 9:30 a.m. (PT), to prepare for this upcoming weekend's visit to Colorado Rapids on Saturday at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.



Major League Soccer Stories from May 20, 2013


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