Welcome to this week's Chivas USA Youth Development Update, a roundup of Chivas USA's pioneering youth development program, including the Chivas USA Under-18, U-16, and U-15 Teams - where the region's best talent compete, funded fully by the club and free of cost to the players, in the prestigious U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy - and the Chivas and Chivas USA Soccer Academies. For more information on Chivas USA's youth development program, please visit www.cdchivasusa.com.
CHIVAS USA U-16 TEAM AND SUEÑO MLS PLAY AT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER:
In a match played in the main stadium of The Home Depot Center, the Chivas USA U-16 Team topped the Sueño MLS 'Final 18' by a score of 2-1. Carlo Chueca scored the first goal for Chivas USA a few minutes into the match, hammering home a bouncing ball from 25 yards out. Yohel Martinez scored the second for the Red-and-White before John Lopez pulled one back for the Sueño squad in the 90th minute, rewarding the team's hard work all game. The Sueño MLS finalists, a group of 4-6 players selected to continue trying out for a spot in the Chivas USA system, will be announced on Saturday at the ChivaFest, to be held at The Home Depot Center from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. PT. The winner of Sueño MLS will be announced live on Univision's television show 'Republica Deportiva' immediately prior to Chivas USA's season-opening match on March 30 in Dallas.
DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY MATCHES THIS SATURDAY FOR CHIVAS USA:
The Chivas USA U-18 and U-16 teams will both play matches in U.S. Soccer Development Academy this Saturday, with both teams facing off against the Irvine Strikers at Concordia University in Irvine. The U-16s will play their game first, at 12:00 noon PT, and the U-18s will play immediately afterward at 2:00 p.m. PT. Both teams are coming off successful results in their last games, played the weekend of March 1-2, where each earned a tie and a win. The Chivas USA youth teams play in the U.S Soccer Development Academy, a nationwide youth development initiative, organized by the U.S. Soccer Federation, featuring 63 of the top youth teams in the country competing in a league system.
CHIVAS USA YOUTH TEAMS PARTNER WITH ACTIVE REHABILITATION:
The Chivas USA U-18 and U-16 Teams are bringing an added level of professionalism to the teams by joining together with Andre van Commenee and Active Rehabilitation of Pasadena. Active Rehabilitation, which operates under Congress Medical Group, is an outpatient orthopedic clinic which will provide diagonostics and treatment for members of the youth teams, and has experience in physical therapy ranging from the Olympic Games, the World Cup, the Track and Field World Championships, and many other teams and events from the highest levels of sports in the United States and the world. More information on Active Rehabilitation can be found at Congress Medical Group's official website at http://www.congressmedical.com/ .
JOSE DIAZ OF CHIVAS USA U-18 CALLED INTO UNITED STATES U-18 CAMP:
Chivas USA U-18 Team defender Jose Diaz has been called into the United States U-18 National Team's current training camp, which began on Sunday, March 9 and finishes tomorrow, Saturday, March 15. Diaz was one of 24 players called in by U.S. U-18 Head Coach Bob Jenkins in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and with no matches to play, the U-18 squad will use the week-long camp for training and evaluation purposes.
HUGO PEREZ, CHIVAS NORTH BAY COACHING DIRECTOR, NAMED TO HALL OF FAME:
Hugo Perez, one of the United States National Team's all-time great players and current Coaching Director of the Chivas Soccer Academy of North Bay , was elected to the United States Soccer Hall of Fame last week. Originally from El Salvador, Perez played professionally in the United States, France, Sweden, Saudi Arabia and El Salvador, and was a member of the United States National Team from 1984-1994. Perez finished his career with the U.S. National Team playing at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame on the Veteran Player ballot.
For media information about Chivas USA's Youth Development program, or any other Chivas USA activities, please contact Chivas USA Communications: Keegan Pierce, kpierce@cdchivasusa.com, +1 (310) 595-5264; Eduard Cauich, ecauich@cdchivasusa.com, +1 (310) 982-3656; David Lindholm, dlindholm@cdchivasusa.com, +1 (310) 974-2987.
Club Deportivo Chivas USA kicks off its 2008 MLS season on March 30 at FC Dallas before playing its 2008 Home Opener against Real Salt Lake on Saturday, April 5 at The Home Depot Center. For tickets, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit www.cdchivasusa.com.
