CARSON, Calif. --
Chivas USA midfielder Sasha Victorine is expected to be sidelined for two to four weeks after suffering a left knee sprain during Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids. An MRI late Monday revealed the extent of injury, which forced Victorine to be subbed out of Sunday's game in the 25th minute.
Acquired in a deadline-day trade with the Kansas City Wizards on Sept. 15, Victorine has made an immediate impact with Chivas USA. In five games (four starts) for the Red-and-White, Victorine has registered two goals and an assist; prior to joining Chivas USA he had recorded one goal, no assists in 16 matches with the Wizards. A nine-year veteran of Major League Soccer, Victorine was drafted in 2000 by the Los Angeles Galaxy as a first-round pick out of UCLA, where he won the Hermann Trophy in his senior year (1999).
In other team news, defender Lawson Vaughn underwent successful surgery on his left ankle on Tuesday morning at the Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Md. The procedure, a deltoid ligament reconstruction and osteophyte (bone spur) removal, was performed by Dr. Mark Myerson, and will likely keep Vaughn out of action for up to six months. The Marietta, Ga. native was placed Chivas USA's Season-Ending Injury list on Sept. 15.
In all, Vaughn played seven matches (all as a starter) for Chivas USA in 2008 while dealing with several injuries after a breakout 2007 season. In a match against Houston on May 3, Vaughn was struck in the face by an attempted bicycle kick from Dynamo forward Dwayne De Rosario, breaking several bones and requiring two surgeries. Left ankle tendonitis kept the third-year player out for the middle of the season, and a right knee MCL sprain also sidelined Vaughn in August.
Chivas USA will play its final regular-season match against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday, Oct. 25, at 7:30 p.m. at The Home Depot Center, before heading to the MLS Cup Playoffs for the third straight season. The Oct. 25 game is Fan Appreciation Night for the Red-and-White, with prize drawings, raffles, and giveaways held throughout the night. The first 7,500 fans will also receive a regulation-size Chivas USA soccer ball. The Red-and-While will start the playoffs on the road on Nov. 1, and will host a playoff game on Saturday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center. For more information, or to purchase tickets to either game, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit www.cdchivasusa.com.
