Chivas USA

Chivas USA
Full name Club Deportivo Chivas USA
Nickname(s) The Goats, Los Rojiblancos (The Red-and-Whites)
Founded 2004
Dissolved 2014
Stadium StubHub Center
Carson, California
Capacity 27,000 (2004–11)
18,800 (2011–14)[1]
League Major League Soccer
Website Club home page

Club Deportivo Chivas USA was an American professional soccer club that was located in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California while competing in Major League Soccer (MLS). It was originally a subsidiary of the Mexican club C.D. Guadalajara.[2]

The club was the eleventh MLS team upon its entry into the league in 2004. Chivas USA was intended to be seen as a "little brother" to its parent club C.D. Guadalajara, one of the most widely supported and successful teams in Mexico. In Spanish, chivas means "goats", and is the nickname of C.D. Guadalajara.

Chivas USA played its home games at the StubHub Center in Carson, which it shared with its rival, the LA Galaxy, during their existence. The club was originally owned by Antonio Cue and Jorge Vergara, who also owns C.D. Guadalajara; in 2014, MLS purchased the club from Vergara with plans to sell to new owners.[3]

The club ceased operations after the 2014 regular season,[4] and is effectively being replaced by a new expansion franchise in Los Angeles that will begin play in 2017.

History

Founded on August 2, 2004, as Major League Soccer's then-eleventh team, Los Angeles-based Club Deportivo Chivas USA achieved some success in MLS. In 2007, the Mexican-owned club finished first in the Western Conference, qualifying for the playoffs for the second year in a row.

The Beginning and early success (2005–2009)

In 2005, Chivas USA kicked off its inaugural season in Major League Soccer at The Home Depot Center with a 2–0 loss to then MLS Cup Champions D.C. United on April 2, 2005, under the guidance of Chivas USA's first head coach Thomas Rongen. After a 1–8–1 start (their sole win coming against fellow expansion club Real Salt Lake), Thomas Rongen was named Chivas USA's sporting director and assistant coach Javier Ledesma became the club's interim head coach. On June 3, 2005, Hans Westerhof was named Chivas USA's second head coach. After a disappointing season, Westerhof did not return to coach the team in 2006.

On November 23, 2005, former MLS Coach of the Year Bob Bradley became Chivas USA's third head coach, replacing Hans Westerhof. Under Bradley, the 2006 season saw a major turnaround for Chivas USA. The team finished the 2006 season with a 10–9–13 record and earned a spot in the Western Conference playoffs. Bradley was named MLS Coach of the Year, becoming the first two-time winner of the award and Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein was named 2006 Gatorade Rookie of the Year. After the season ended, Coach Bradley was named interim head coach of the US men's national soccer team and head coach of the U.S. men's Olympic soccer team by the U.S. Soccer Federation, and was replaced by Chivas USA's fourth head coach, Predrag "Preki" Radosavljevic.

Sacha Kljestan played a major role for Chivas USA from 2006–2010

The team's third season, under Preki, was the most successful to date. Chivas USA goalkeeper Brad Guzan was named MLS's Goalkeeper of the Year for the 2007 season. On November 7, 2007, Preki was named MLS Coach of the Year for 2007 after the first-year manager led the Red-and-White to a 15–7–8 record and first place in Major League Soccer's Western Conference. In January 2008, Preki signed a multi-year contract with Chivas USA securing his position as head coach for the 2008 season. Chivas finished the 2007 MLS season atop of the Western Conference. However, they lost in the Conference Semifinals of the MLS Cup 2007 playoffs to the Kansas City Wizards, who were the conference's No. 4 seed under new MLS seeding rules despite being in the Eastern Conference.

In 2008 Chivas USA competed in their first official international tournament, playing Pachuca in the 2008 SuperLiga. Jonathan Bornstein and Sacha Kljestan were named to the MLS All-Star team. Goalie Brad Guzan became the first Goat to transfer to a European first division club. The Red-and-White clinched a playoff berth for the third consecutive season, losing to Real Salt Lake in the first round. Kljestan scored the U.S. Soccer Goal of the Year while playing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He was also named to the MLS Best XI, and was selected as U.S. Soccer's Young Male Athlete of the Year.

Jonathan Bornstein and Sacha Kljestan competed with the U.S. National Team in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton was named to the 2009 MLS All-Star Team. Chivas USA announced the Team Award Winners, naming Thornton the team's Most Valuable Player. Thornton was also named the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year and MLS Comeback Player of the Year, and he was nominated to the MLS Best 11.

Club struggles 2010–2013

Martín Vásquez was named the team's head coach after serving as an assistant coach from 2005–2007. Kljestan and Bornstein were named co-captains for the 2010 season. During the World Cup break Kljestan signed a deal with Belgian club Anderlecht, leaving Chivas USA after parts of five seasons. Bornstein played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, starting in two matches for the United States as they made it to the Round of 16. On October 27, the team released head coach Martín Vásquez from his contract. On November 2, president and CEO Shawn Hunter announced he was stepping down. On December 14 the club's vice president of soccer operations, Stephen Hamilton revealed he too, was leaving his post. Both he and Hunter will continue to serve in advisory roles for the club. After Hamilton stepped down, Jose L Domene was named Interim General Manager. On January 4, 2011, Robin Fraser became Head coach of Chivas USA.

On August 29, 2012, Vergara and his wife, Angélica Fuentes, became sole owners of the club, buying out former partners Antonio and Lorenzo Cué.[5] On May 29, 2013 two Chivas USA youth coaches, Dan Calichman and Ted Chronopoulos, filed a discrimination lawsuit against the club, on the grounds they had been dismissed because they were not Latino. Shortly after the acquisition of the club, Vergara is alleged to have told his staff that those who did not speak Spanish would be fired. Chronopoulos claimed that Jose David, the team's new president and chief business officer, asked Chronopoulos for a list of youth players and coaches who were Mexican or Mexican American and of those that weren't.[6]

Since the release of Preki, Chivas USA failed to stay consistent on and off the pitch, just like its parent club, CD Guadalajara, Chivas USA had four coaches since the start of the 2010 season; all four coaches failed to impress Jorge Vergara, and were let go. Their last coach was Colombian-born Wilmer Cabrera.

Final season (2014)

On February 20, 2014, Major League Soccer purchased Chivas USA from Vergara. They announced plans to sell to a buyer dedicated to keeping the club in Los Angeles, as well as a plan to rebrand the club in time for the 2015 MLS season.[7] ESPN reported on September 29, 2014 that the club would suspend operations at the end of the MLS regular season, according to multiple sources.[8]

On September 30, 2014, Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated reported that a group of investors headed by Henry Nguyen, Los Angeles Dodgers investor Peter Guber and Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan agreed to purchase the club for a fee over $100 million. The sale would mean that Chivas USA would fold, with the second Los Angeles team to take the field as an expansion team in 2017 with a new stadium in Downtown Los Angeles.[9]

Chivas USA ceased operations on October 27, 2014, with its player development academy continuing to be operated by MLS until June 2015.[4] The new tentatively-named Los Angeles Football Club will begin play in 2017. A dispersal draft took place after the 2014 season, having the remaining players from the club dispersed to other teams in the league.

Colors and badge

Chivas USA's home uniform mirrored that of their parent club, Guadalajara, with a red-and-white striped shirt, blue shorts and blue socks. Chivas USA wore variations throughout its existence (with slight variations in trim, stripe width, number of stripes, and other minor details), and usually complemented this with a dark blue away uniform.

The club badge was also virtually identical to that of Guadalajara, featuring the shield of the city of Guadalajara, but omitting the eleven stars (representing the eleven league titles won by Guadalajara) around the outside of the logo.

Ownership

Stadium

StubHub Center, Chivas USA's home stadium

Chivas USA played its home games at StubHub Center, on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills in Carson, California, approximately 10 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. The venue's title sponsor is online ticket retailer StubHub. Built in 2003 as the home stadium for LA Galaxy, the "SHC" is a 27,000-seat soccer-specific stadium, the second of its kind in MLS,[10] but has hosted other sports such as rugby and football. For its entire existence, Los Rojiblancos shared the stadium with the Galaxy, with whom they competed for the Honda SuperClasico. During their tenure, this arrangement and those of the NFL's New York Giants and New York Jets in MetLife Stadium and NBA's Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers in the Staples Center were the only cases in the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada of two teams of the same league sharing a venue.

Chivas USA occasionally held home games at Titan Stadium on the campus of California State University, Fullerton, and at Harder Stadium on the campus of UC Santa Barbara, such as in the US Open Cup when both they and the Galaxy have been drawn to play at home on the same day, but this is generally a rare occurrence.

Sponsorship

On May 16, 2007, Comex, Mexico's leading paint company, became Chivas USA's first presenting sponsor, with their name on the front of the jerseys. At the opening of the 2010 season, the team's jerseys were blank. On April 1, 2010, the new presenting sponsor, Extra,[11] was finally unveiled prior to the match against rivals LA Galaxy; Extra is a Mexican convenience store chain owned by Grupo Modelo, the makers of Corona beer.[11][12] The chain's logo appeared on the front of Chivas USA jerseys and training jerseys for the rest of that year. On February 16, 2011 Corona became the presenting sponsor for Chivas USA.[13]

Broadcasting

For the 2014 season, Chivas USA non nationally televised matches were televised by KDOC in English and Time Warner Cable Deportes in Spanish. KDOC agreed to televise 10 matches while Time Warner Cable Deportes agreed to televise 16 matches. Matches not televised in Spanish on Time Warner Cable Deportes will air on the Univision family of networks (UniMas, Galavision, Univision Deportes Network).[14]

Until 2012, FS West/Prime Ticket and KDOC televised all Chivas USA matches that were not nationally televised. In 2013, Chivas began the year with no local television partner; however, in August a deal was reached with KDOC (English) and MundoFOX22 KWHY-TV (Spanish) for the remainder of the 2013 season.[15]

KWKW-AM (ESPN Deportes Radio) provided Spanish-language radio broadcasts.

Players and staff

Notable former players

Footballers who received international caps whilst playing for Chivas.

Head coaches

Honors

MLS Supporters' Shield
MLS Western Conference
Minor Trophies

Record

Year-by-year

Year Regular Season Playoffs US Open Cup CONCACAF
Champions' League
2005 6th, West (4–22–6) Did not qualify Fourth Round Did not qualify
2006 3rd, West (10–9–13) Lost Conference Semifinals (Houston Dynamo 2–3) Round of 16 Did not qualify
2007 1st, West (15–7–8) Lost Conference Semifinals (Kansas City Wizards 0–1) Round of 16 Did not qualify
2008 2nd, West (12–11–7) Lost Conference Semifinals (Real Salt Lake 2–3) Round of 16 Did not qualify
2009 4th, West (13–11–6) Lost Conference Semifinals (LA Galaxy 2–3) Round of 16 Preliminary Round
2010 8th, West (8–18–4) Did not qualify Semifinals Did not qualify
2011 8th, West (8–14–12) Did not qualify Did not qualify Did not qualify
2012 9th, West (7–18–9) Did not qualify Semifinals Did not qualify
2013 9th, West (6–20–8) Did Not qualify Fourth Round Did Not qualify
2014 7th, West (9–19–6) Did Not qualify Fourth Round Did Not qualify

Year-by-year stats

Year League Record Top Scorer
P W L D F A Pts Name G
2005 32 4 22 6 31 67 18 Mexico Héctor Cuadros 4
2006 32 10 9 13 45 42 43 United States Ante Razov 14
2007 30 15 7 8 46 28 53 Cuba Maykel Galindo 12
2008 30 12 11 7 40 41 43 United States Alecko Eskandarian
United States Ante Razov
United States Sacha Kljestan		 5
2009 30 13 11 6 34 31 45 Mexico Eduardo Lillingston 8
2010 30 8 18 4 31 45 28 United States Justin Braun 9
2011 34 8 14 12 41 43 36 United States Justin Braun
United States Nick LaBrocca		 9
2012 34 7 18 9 24 58 30 Colombia Juan Pablo Angel
 4
2013 34 6 20 8 30 67 26 Mexico Erick Torres
 7
2014 34 9 19 6 29 61 33 Mexico Erick Torres
 15
Total 320 92 149 79 351 483 355 United States Ante Razov 30

International tournaments

Group Stage v. Mexico Pachuca – 1:2
Group Stage v. Mexico Santos Laguna – 1:0
Group Stage v. United States New England Revolution – 1:1
Preliminary Round v. Panama Tauro – 1:3 aggregate over 2 legs
Group Stage v. Mexico UANL – 1:2
Group Stage v. United States Chicago Fire – 0:1
Group Stage v. Mexico San Luis – 1:1
Group Stage v. Mexico Puebla – 1:2
Group Stage v. United States Houston Dynamo – 1:1
Group Stage v. Mexico Pachuca – 1:0

Team records

MLS regular season only, through 2014 season

Average attendance

regular season / playoffs

See also

References

  1. ↑ French, Scott. "CHIVAS USA: A more intimate HDC – Soccer Blog – ESPN Los Angeles". Espn.go.com. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  2. ↑ El noveno proyecto de Chivas USA (Spanish)
  3. ↑ "Chivas USA to suspend operations after MLS season, sources say". ESPNFC.com. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "MLS announces new strategy for Los Angeles market, 2015 conference alignment". mlssoccer.com. October 27, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Vergara, Fuentes become sole owners of Chivas USA". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
  6. ↑ Baxter, Kevin (May 30, 2013). "When will MLS save Chivas USA from itself?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  7. ↑ MLS Communications. "Major League Soccer purchases Chivas USA". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Chivas USA to suspend operations after MLS season, sources say". ESPN.com. September 29, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
  9. ↑ "Vincent Tan, Peter Guber, Henry Nguyen, Tom Penn included in front-running group to buy Chivas USA - SI.com". SI.com. September 30, 2014. Retrieved October 1, 2014.
  10. ↑ "HomeDepot Center | About Us". The Home Depot Center. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 http://www2.eluniversal.com.mx/pls/impreso/noticia.html?id_nota=23023&tabla=miami
  12. ↑ Chivas USA Public Relations (April 2, 2010). "Notes from April 1 vs. Galaxy | Chivas USA". Cdchivasusa.com. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
  13. ↑ Chivas USA Communications (February 22, 2011). "Crossing cultures | Chivas USA". Cdchivasusa.com. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
  14. ↑ "Time Warner Cable Deportes Added as Official Broadcast Partner of Chivas USA Time Warner Cable Deportes se agrega como socio de emisión de Chivas USA". cdchivasusa.com. May 27, 2014. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  15. ↑ Kennedy, Paul (August 29, 2013). "Chivas USA, finally, signs TV deal 08/29/2013". SoccerAmerica. Retrieved February 20, 2014.

External links