Commentary

Three for Thursday: Chivas USA's Chelis is gone, but he leaves a host of priceless lines

Chelis (Three for Thursday)

Just like that, the Chelís era in MLS is over.


No matter the reasons that may have triggered his departure, we can all agree that in his short time in MLS, the outspoken manager was a veritable quote machine, delighting fans across the league with his colorful language — he has compared his players to fruit salad and frogs — and boisterous demeanor. And while his unorthodox methods weren't enough to save his job, they did leave us with these gems:


On the search for Mexican-American players:

“I could name 15 Mexican-American players off the top of my head who have played for other teams but have never played for Chivas USA. This is a real tragedy. It is like having daughters, not knowing where they sleep and when you find them, they have each had three children and you think to yourself, ‘How did this happen?’"


On the tough life of coaches:

"As coaches we love the cherries in life. But believe me, 80 percent or 90 percent of the time we eat [expletive]. We eat [expletive] and wait for the cherries. When the cherries do come, they have a flavor that substitutes all that 90 percent of manure that you already ate."


More waxing poetic on feces:

"Football rewards you. If you go into a match and you grind and grind and grind for the good of the team, at the end, it rewards you. In a barrel of feces, you're grinding and grinding, you finally poke your head up to get the fresh air."