CARSON, Calif. — Chivas USA have confirmed to MLSsoccer.com that club owners are in active conversations with multiple communities in Los Angeles regarding a potential new home for the Goats, who currently share the Home Depot Center with the LA Galaxy.
“There are a lot of cities asking for us to move and we're evaluating that, but it's going to take some time and right now, we're focusing on playing here this year,” co-owner Antonio Cué told MLSsoccer.com from the HDC. “We will study all the locations and when we are ready to make a move then we'll let everyone know. We're not ready now though because all of [the cities] seem to be pretty good.
“But we're obviously talking to a lot of cities that are all within LA and there is nothing outside of LA County,” he added.
According to the 2000 census, Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the United States, comprising 4,083 square miles and a population of roughly 9.8 million. It is a soccer-loving community that features the largest Latino population in the United States, a key demographic for Chivas USA.
Throughout Chivas USA’s six years of existence, the team has made no secret that it is in search for a home of its own. Although the club has indicated its desire to remain a Los Angeles team, it has not stopped speculation of potential interest from San Diego, a city with similar demographics to Los Angeles.
Chivas USA vice president of marketing Rodrigo Morales — the architect of Chivas USA’s first outdoor marketing campaign that displays the LA skyline as a backdrop — indicated that the team will take its time to evaluate its options because the next move to a new stadium will be permanent.
"We have three or four other options and we are making a thorough analysis of each,” said Morales. “These options are not public right now, but we can move only once. If we move to one place, it’ll be because it’s the perfect place for us. You can’t move from one place to another. If you move twice, you’re dead. So we have to be intelligent and take our time to make a correct decision.”
Chivas USA want it to be clear that they consider the Home Depot Center a world-class facility. But a move to a new stadium is necessary to allow the club to better cater to its fan base.
“I believe that moving from this stadium will only help things improve in many ways,” Morales said. “This stadium is fantastic, but it’s not perfect for our demographics so we are trying to find something that is better to really fit for our fans, but also our sponsors and partners.”
Adam Serrano covers Chivas USA for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached at adam.m.serrano@gmail.com and on Twitter: @adamserrano
