On Sunday and Monday, the Chivas USA U-18's dropped a pair of close games in the difficult Copa Chivas 2008 tournament in Guadalajara. After falling 2-0 to Necaxa on Sunday at the Estadio Jalisco, Chivas lost 1-0 to Atletico Juventud of Uruguay on Monday morning on Field 1 at Chivas de Guadalajara's Verde Valle training complex.
Chivas USA continues play in six-team Group D tomorrow at 4 p.m. CT (2 p.m. PT) when it faces Caracas F.C. at P. San Javier. This will be the fourth of five group matches for the Red-and-White, who will wrap up group play on Wednesday after five games in five days against teams from three different countries.
In other Copa Chivas news, Chivas USA forward Jorge Flores started and played the full 70 minutes (two 35-minute halves) for the second straight game with the U.S. U-20 National Team in its 1-1 draw with Tecos UAG on Sunday. Flores then came in as a substitute at the beginning of the second half against Lokomotiv Moscow on Monday in a 1-0 loss. Flores and the U.S. U-20's face Estudiantes de la Plata on Tuesday and Santos on Wednesday as the team looks for a spot in the quarterfinals.
One of the most prestigious youth soccer tournaments in the Western Hemisphere, the 15th Annual Copa Chivas features U-18 teams from 13 different countries, including Real Madrid, Estudiantes de la Plata and Chivas de Guadalajara, as well as youth national teams of Japan and the United States.
Round-robin group play takes place from Jan. 26-30. The top two finishers each of the four, six-team groups advance to the Quarterfinals next Thursday, Jan. 31. Semifinals will be held Feb. 1, with the Final to be played at Guadalajara's Estadio Jalisco on Feb. 2.
For Chivas USA's roster for the tournament, please visit www.cdchivasusa.com.
For more information on the Copa Chivas 2008, including groups, results, competition guidelines and schedule, please visit: www.copachivas.com.
