CHIVAS USA HOSTS REAL SALT LAKE IN MUST-WIN PLAYOFF MATCH THIS SATURDAY AT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER:
Chivas USA returns to The Home Depot Center for a crucial, must-win matchup against Real Salt Lake in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinal this Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. PT. RSL captured a 1-0 victory in Utah on Nov. 1 thanks to a 90th-minute goal from Armenian striker Yura Movsisyan, a product of Pasadena High School and Pasadena City College. To advance to the Western Conference Final, Chivas USA will have to win by at least one goal, as the team with more total goals at the end of the home-and-home series will progress. Overtime and penalty kicks will decide the winner if the score is tied at the end of Saturday's match. The first 10,000 fans in attendance for this exciting playoff game in Carson will receive a free, limited-edition Chivas USA 2008 playoffs t-shirt, and the match will be Bonus Game 'C' for media parking passes and Chivas USA Season Ticket Holders. Tickets can be purchased by calling 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visiting cdchivasusa.com.
MEDIA AVAILABILITY FOR CHIVAS USA TUESDAY-FRIDAY, RSL TO PRACTICE FRIDAY IN CARSON: As Chivas USA prepares for Saturday's must-win playoff game, the team will be training Tuesday through Friday on Field 6 at The Home Depot Center. The practice sessions on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday will begin at 10:00 a.m. and are open to the press, while Thursday's session will open to media at around 11:30 a.m. Media members will be given access to players and coaches for interviews and photos after each practice session. Real Salt Lake, which arrives in Los Angeles on Thursday afternoon, is also scheduled to train on Friday at The Home Depot Center with the time and media availability details to be announced later in the week.
ALECKO ESKANDARIAN ON FOX FOOTBALL FONE-IN TONIGHT: Chivas USA striker Alecko Eskandarian will be a guest on tonight's 'Fox Football Fone-in' on Fox Soccer Channel, starting at 5:00 p.m. PT (8:00 p.m. ET). With hosts Steven Cohen and Nick Webster, Eskandarian will speak on Chivas USA's path through the MLS Cup playoffs, his prior experience in the postseason, the injury that kept him out of the first game of the Western Conference Semifinal, and his tendency to score goals against his former clubs. The show begins at 5:00 p.m. PT on Wednesday, and Alecko will appear for the second hour of the program. Don't miss it!
CHIVAS USA AND REAL SALT LAKE SERIES HISTORY: Real Salt Lake took an important victory last Saturday night with a 1-0 win over Chivas USA, heightening a rivalry that began when both teams joined Major League Soccer in 2005. Since then, the Red-and-White hold the all-time advantage with an 8-4-3 record (W-L-T) against RSL, including playoffs, and will need another win on Saturday to advance in the postseason. This season, as Chivas USA is in the playoffs for the third consecutive year, RSL qualified the playoffs for the first time in team history. So far in 2008, the two teams have squared off four times (including last Saturday), with each team winning twice. The first game was a 3-1 win for the Red-and-White in their home opener on April 5, followed by a 1-0 Real Salt Lake victory on June 14 at The Home Depot Center. The final match of the regular season was played in Salt Lake, and Chivas USA came away with a 1-0 win, before RSL's 1-0 victory last weekend.
INJURY UPDATE: At last Saturday night's 1-0 loss at Real Salt Lake, Chivas USA was missing nine players due to injury and suspension: DF Eric Ebert (R knee lateral meniscus surgery); FW Alecko Eskandarian (L knee); FW Maykel Galindo (sports hernia surgery); MF Atiba Harris (L thigh); DF Claudio Suárez (L calf strain); DF Lawson Vaughn (L ankle surgery); MF Sasha Victorine (L knee sprain); and MF Raphael Wicky (R ankle surgery), as well as GK Dan Kennedy, serving a one-game red-card suspension. Eskandarian began training last week and could return for this Saturday's game. For a full copy of the latest Chivas USA Injury Report, please visit MLSnet.com.
YOUTH UPDATE: CHIVAS USA U-18 ON SEVEN-MATCH WINNING STREAK: The Chivas USA Development Academy teams traveled to Washington state this weekend, and both the U-18 and U-16 Teams earned good results on the road. The Chivas USA U-18 Team extended its winning streak to seven games with a pair of victories, starting with a dramatic 2-1 win over Crossfire Premier at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, Wash. on Saturday. Victor Sanchez scored the game's first goal, and after a late equalizer from Crossfire, Hector Molina headed in Cesar Zamora's cross deep into injury time to earn the victory. The next day, the Red-and-White U-18's blanked Washington Premier FC 2-0, with goals from Anders Perez and Polo Morales. The wins kept the Red-and-White in first place in the SoCal Division of the Development Academy's Western Conference, and improved the team's record to 7-1-0 (W-L-T). The U-16's enjoyed almost as much success on the weekend, capturing a 0-0 draw against Crossfire on Saturday before beating Washington Premier 3-1 on Sunday. The U-16's now sit third in their division with a 3-3-2 record (W-L-T). More information on the Chivas USA's U-18 and U-16 Teams can be found in the latest Chivas USA Youth Soccer Update at www.cdchivasusa.com, or by visiting the Development Academy website.
'KICK-IT' THIS SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8 AT PENMAR RECREATION CENTER IN VENICE: 'Kick-it at the Park L.A. with Chivas USA' continues this Saturday, Nov. 8, with a clinic at the Penmar Recreation Center, located at 1341 Lake Street, Venice, 90291. A series of four, 90-minute clinics kicks off at 9:00 a.m., followed by clinics at 10:45 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. Run in conjunction with the City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, 'Kick-it' is a series of clinics that emphasize physical fitness, sports, and education for as many as 400 children at each of 40 locations throughout the year. A five-dollar fee gets participants 90 minutes of instruction, a voucher for a free ticket to a Chivas USA game, a t-shirt, soccer ball, and Certificate of Completion. Most recently, Chivas USA held a clinic at the Sun Valley Recreation Center at 8133 Vineland Ave, Sun Valley, CA 91352 on Nov. 1. For more information on the program, or to register for a clinic, visit www.kickitatthepark.com.
LISTEN TO 'PASIÓN CHIVAS USA' EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT ON W RADIO 690 AM: Join Hipólito Gamboa and Rigoberto Cervantez for a special Playoff edition of 'Pasión Chivas USA', Chivas USA's weekly show on W Radio 690 AM, airing this Thursday, Oct. 30 at 6:00 p.m. PT. One of the most powerful AM radio signals in all of the western United States, XEWW 690 AM can be heard from Tijuana in the south, all the way to the San Joaquin Valley in the north. Don't miss the chance to learn more about your Chivas USA - as well as the chance to win tickets to the Red-and-White's next game, Sunday, Oct. 19, against the Colorado Rapids at The Home Depot Center.
WATCH 'SOMOS CHIVAS USA' ON KAZA AZTECA 54 THIS SATURDAY AT 1:30 P.M. PT: Fans, don't miss as special playoff edition Chivas USA's official weekly TV show, "Somos Chivas USA'. Featuring renowned co-hosts Mara Almada and Antonio Rosique, with reporting by renowned Chiva-expert Ramón Diaz, 'Somos Chivas USA' gives viewers an inside look at the Red-and-White, including player features, match analysis, highlights, and much more. This week's 'Somos Chivas USA' is scheduled to air on KAZA Azteca 54 in Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 1:30 p.m. PT. Tune in this Saturday for your 'Somos Chivas USA!'
VISIT 'DENTRO DEL REBAÑO', CHIVAS USA'S OFFICIAL BLOG: Chivas USA's official blog, 'Dentro del Rebaño' (or 'Inside the Flock') is online with updated content from the team, including video previews of upcoming games, as well as post-match videos. Check http://chivas-usa.blogspot.com today for the latest information on Chivas USA!
CHIVAS USA BIRTHDAYS: A pair of Chivas USA players, goalkeeper Zach Thornton and defender Bobby Burling, celebrated birthdays in October. Thornton turned 35 on Oct. 10, while Burling celebrated his 24th birthday on Oct. 15. Three more players have upcoming November birthdays; Jonathan Bornstein turns 24 on Nov. 7, Jesse Marsch will be 35 the next day, and on Nov. 11, Daniel Paladini also turns 24.
CHIVAS USA SCHEDULE: NOVEMBER 4 - 8*
Tuesday, Nov. 4: Chivas USA Training, 10:00 a.m., Track & Field Stadium
Wednesday, Nov. 5: Chivas USA Training, 10:00 a.m., Track & Field Stadium
Thursday, Nov. 6: Chivas USA Training, 10:00 a.m., Track & Field Stadium; Chivas USA 2008 Media Game (time TBA)
Friday, Nov. 7: Chivas USA Training, 10:00 a.m., Track & Field Stadium; Real Salt Lake Training, TBA
Saturday, Nov. 8: Chivas USA vs. Real Salt Lake, Western Conference Semifinal, Game 2 (of 2); The Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif., 7:30 p.m. PT
(TV: Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports en Español; Radio: W Radio 690 AM)
*Subject to change. Unless otherwise noted, all times Pacific, all events scheduled for The Home Depot Center, with media access provided after games and training sessions. For latest information, or if you plan on attending a training session, please contact Chivas USA's Communications Department.
