Weekly Update: California Clásico

FIREWORKS THIS SATURDAY, JULY 5, AS CHIVAS USA FACES THE SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES:

Chivas USA will extend 4th of July celebrations an extra day this Saturday, when the Red-and-White host the San Jose Earthquakes at 7:30 p.m. PT on July 5 at The Home Depot Center. The match, presented by Sierra Mist, will feature a post-game "Fireworks Fiesta," with all fans in attendance having a perfect view of the show. The game will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español, with coverage starting at 7:00 p.m. for the pregame show on FSC, and culminating after the fireworks display. It will be the first meeting since 2005 between Chivas USA and San Jose, and the Earthquakes lead the series with two wins and two ties in four matches between the teams. So far in 2008, San Jose has struggled offensively, and is at the bottom of the Western Conference with a record of 3-8-3 (W-L-T), with 12 points. Chivas USA is carrying a two-match unbeaten run into the game, and owns a 5-6-3 record (18 points), sitting fourth in the division. For more information on this weekend's "California Clásico," or to purchase tickets, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit
www.cdchivasusa.com
.

RED-AND-WHITE HEAD TO SEATTLE FOR U.S. OPEN CUP MATCH ON TUESDAY:

Chivas USA departed Los Angeles early Monday afternoon in advance of Tuesday night's Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup match against the Seattle Sounders, which will be played at 7:00 p.m. on July 1 at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash. The Third Round match will pit the Red-and-White against the reigning United Soccer Leagues First Division champions, with the winner advancing to the Quarterfinals of the tournament, and all the action can be seen live online at
USL Live
. Seattle beat Chivas USA at the same stage in the tournament in 2007 by a 3-1 score, and Tuesday night's game will be the fourth meeting all-time between the two clubs, who also played friendly matches in 2006 and 2007. The winner of the match will advance to face either the Kansas City Wizards (MLS) or the Carolina Railhawks (USL-1), who also play on Tuesday night. The match summary from last year's Open Cup match between Chivas USA and Seattle is below.
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Third Round - CHIVAS USA @ SEATTLE SOUNDERS - July 18, 2007 - Qwest Field

Goals by Period 1 2 Tot
Chivas USA 1 0 1
Seattle Sounders 1 2 3

Scoring Summary:
CHV--Merlin (Hernandez) 16; SEA--Le Toux (Levesque) 44; SEA--Le Toux (Levesque) 51; SEA--Levesque (Gardner) 82

CHIVAS USA: Preston Burpo, Lawson Vaughn, Claudio Suarez, Jason Hernandez, Orlando Perez (John Cunliffe 59), Jesse Marsch, Sacha Kljestan, Alex Zotinca (Rodrigo Lopez 68), Francisco Mendoza, Laurent Merlin, Maykel Galindo (Anthony Hamilton 83)

SEATTLE SOUNDERS: Chris Eylander, Danny Jackson (Zach Scott 26), Noah Merl, Taylor Graham, Kevin Sakuda, Kenji Treschuk, Josh Gardner, Leighton O'Brien (Jake Besagno 72), Hugo Alcaraz-Cueller (Greg Howes 64), Sebastien Le Toux (Santa Maria Rivera 84), Roger Levesque

CHIVAS USA KICKS OFF SUPERLIGA ON JULY 13 AT THE HOME DEPOT CENTER:

In the middle of the busiest stretch of the season, Chivas USA will soon start its participation in the 2008 SuperLiga, the second annual tournament between clubs from the United States and Mexico, whose winner will be awarded a million-dollar purse. Chivas USA will first face Pachuca CF, the 2008 CONCACAF Champions Cup winner, on Sunday, July 13 at The Home Depot Center. The Red-and-White will then face Santos Laguna, the current champions of the Mexican First Division, at The Home Depot Center on Wednesday, July 16, before facing the New England Revolution on July 20 in Chivas USA's first ever official match in Orange County, to be played at Titan Stadium on the campus of Cal State Fullerton. Tickets for any of the three group stage SuperLiga matches can be purchased by calling 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visiting
www.cdchivasusa.com
.

EARTHQUAKES UPDATE:

Chivas USA's Saturday night match against the San Jose Earthquakes will be the first time the franchises have met since the Red-and-White's inaugural season in 2005, and the Earthquakes are undergoing some of the same growing pains this season that plagued Chivas USA in its first season. San Jose has a 3-8-3 record (W-L-T) and is in last place in the Western Conference, but trails sixth-place Colorado by just four points. The Earthquakes have scored a league-low 10 goals, and have given up 20, the same number as Chivas USA. Four players, including former Chivas USA forward John Cunliffe, have two goals for San Jose, while goalkeeper Joe Cannon has been impressive in 2008, posting five shutouts already this season, with a goals-against-average of 1.43.

SERIES HISTORY AND CONNECTIONS:

The two franchises met four times in 2005, with Chivas USA earning ties in the first two encounters, and the Earthquakes winning the next two. Chivas USA is 0-1-1 both at The Home Depot Center and on the road against San Jose, and after the Red-and-White's win against D.C. United earlier this season, the Earthquakes are the only MLS team that Chivas USA has never defeated. Brad Guzan has been in net during all four games against San Jose, though he entered one match as a late substitute. San Jose's roster features a pair of former Chivas USA players filling important roles for their new team. Defender Jason Hernandez, who played in 50 games for the Red-and-White in 2006 and 2007 and was selected by San Jose in the expansion draft before the season, has started all but one game for the Earthquakes this year, missing that match due to suspension. Forward John Cunliffe, who arrived in San Jose just before the start of the season in a trade, has played in nine games (four as a starter) and scored two goals.

'KICK-IT' ON SATURDAY, JULY 12 AT GREEN MEADOWS RECREATION CENTER IN LOS ANGELES:

'Kick-it at the Park L.A. with Chivas USA' continues on Saturday, July 12, with a clinic at the Green Meadows Recreation Center at 431 East 89th St. in Los Angeles. 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 Ritchie Valens Recreation Center at 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd. in Pacoima on June 28. For more information on the program, or to register for a clinic, visit
www.kickitatthepark.com
.

CHIVAS USA GOALKEEPER COACH LEO PERCOVICH NOW A FATHER:

One member of the Chivas USA club that will not make the trip to Seattle for Tuesday night's game is Leo Percovich, whose wife gave birth to the couple's first child, a daughter named Valentina, on Sunday morning. Percovich was warming up the goalkeepers at Saturday night's game when he received the call, and left The Home Depot Center and spent the night in the hospital with his wife, who gave birth around 8:30 a.m. "It's a huge joy," said Percovich. "It's the first time in my life that I have experienced this, and it's one of the greatest things that has happened in my life."

CLAUDIO SUÁREZ AND JONATHAN BORNSTEIN NOMINATED FOR "TECATE PREMIOS DEPORTES":

Chivas USA defenders Claudio Suárez and Jonathan Bornstein have been nominated for awards in the first annual "Tecate Premios Deportes" (Tecate Sports Awards), announced yesterday by Univision, the most-watched Spanish-language television network in America. The nominees have been selected for their talent, character and perseverance, as well as their contributions to and impact on the Hispanic community. The awards take place on Monday, July 14, at the historic Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California, and will be broadcast on the Univision Network on Sunday, July 20th. Suárez and Bornstein were each nominated by fans, online at Univision.com, to be part of the All-Star Soccer Team of the Year; Suárez at center back and Bornstein at left back.

CHIVAS USA SOCCER CAMPS AND TRYOUTS NOW UNDERWAY:

Chivas USA's Soccer Camps, which also double as tryouts for the Chivas USA Youth Teams, are taking place throughout the summer at the Bell Gardens Sports Center in Bell Gardens, Calif. These camps will give players a chance to receive professional instruction from Chivas USA coaches, and could potentially lead to an invitation to join the Chivas USA U-18 or U-16 Teams, which participate in the United States Soccer Development Academy, or the highly competitive U-15 Team.

Schedule of 2008 Chivas USA Soccer Camps

CHIVAS USA IN THE COMMUNITY ON THIS WEEK'S 'PASIÓN CHIVAS USA':

Join Hipólito Gamboa and Rigoberto Cervantez this Thursday on W Radio 690 AM, from 6:00-7:00 p.m. PT for 'Pasión Chivas USA', the team's official weekly radio program. This week, Cervantez and Gamboa will look at all of Chivas USA's various projects in the community, from "Kick-it at the Park," a series of clinics in the Los Angeles area throughout the entire year, to the team's Practice in the Community initiative, where the team brings training sessions to various parts of Southern California. Also, information on the team's mini-camps and Youth Team tryouts to join the Chivas USA Academy in Bell Gardens. All this, opportunities to win tickets to Chivas USA matches, and much more on 'Pasión Chivas USA.'

FINAL DAYS TO VOTE CHIVAS USA PLAYERS TO THE ALL-STAR TEAM:

Voting closes on July 2 for All-Star voting, with twelve Chivas USA stars eligible for selection to the 2008 MLS All-Star Team. The match will feature the All Stars against English Premier League side West Ham United on July 24 in Toronto, and fans can vote online by visiting
www.MLSnet.com
before July 2. The All-Star 'First XI' will be announced on July 10. Chivas USA players that are eligible are goalkeeper Brad Guzan, defenders Jonathan Bornstein, Claudio Suárez, Shavar Thomas and Lawson Vaughn, midfielders Sacha Kljestan, Jesse Marsch, Francisco Mendoza, Paulo Nagamura and Raphaël Wicky, and forwards Maykel Galindo and Ante Razov.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS ON 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 soon for preview videos (one in English, one in Spanish) for the match against the San Jose Earthquakes. Check
http://chivas-usa.blogspot.com
today for the latest information on Chivas USA!

TEAM INJURY UPDATE:

Chivas USA was without several players for Saturday night's game against the Red Bulls, including foward Alecko Eskandarian (sports hernia surgery), forward Maykel Galindo (sports hernia surgery), defender Lawson Vaughn (L ankle tendonitis), midfielder Raphaël Wicky (R calf strain), and defender Alex Zotinca (R knee ACL surgery). An up-to-date injury report is available
here
.

PACHUCA AND SANTOS IN CHIVAS USA'S INCREDIBLE $50 FIVE-GAME PACK:

Fans looking to see Chivas USA in 2008 have an opportunity to watch the five biggest games of the season with the Chivas USA Five-Game Pack, Southern California's best sports entertainment value, with packages starting at just $50. A recent addition to the pack are a pair of highly anticipated SuperLiga matches against Pachuca CF and Santos, both of Mexico's First Division, in games to be played on July 13 and 16 at The Home Depot Center. Also included in the set are July 5 versus the San Jose Earthquakes, Aug. 14 against the Los Angeles Galaxy, and the closing game of the season, which doubles as Fan Appreciation night, Oct. 25 against the Houston Dynamo. For more information please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit
www.cdchivasusa.com
.

CHIVAS USA BIRTHDAYS:

The Red-and-White have a pair of players celebrating birthdays in July, with both Alecko Eskandarian (July 9) and Dan Kennedy (July 22) turning 26 years old. Chivas USA defender Jim Curtin, an offseason acquisition from Chicago who has played eleven games (starting ten) as a center back this season, celebrated his 29th birthday on Monday, June 23rd, and Head Coach Preki celebrated his 45th birthday a day later on June 24.

CHIVAS USA SCHEDULE: JULY 1 - 13*

Following is Chivas USA's latest schedule of travel, events, matches and practice sessions:

Tuesday, July 1: Chivas USA @ Seattle Sounders, 7:00 p.m. PT, Starfire Sports Complex, Tukwila, Wash.
(Live video: at USL Live)
• Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Third Round match • Chivas USA looks to avenge last year's Open Cup Third Round loss to Seattle

Wednesday, July 2: Travel to Los Angeles

Thursday, July 3: Training, 10:00 a.m. PT, Field 4

Friday, July 4: Training, 10:00 a.m. PT, Field 4

Saturday, July 5: Chivas USA vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 7:30 p.m. PT, The Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.
(TV: Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports en Español; Radio: W Radio 690 AM; Pregame shows start at 7:00 p.m. PT on FSC, and W Radio)
• Chivas USA faces San Jose in 'California Clásico' for the first time since 2005 • Special "Fireworks Fiesta" to follow game

Sunday, July 6 - Wednesday, July 9: TBD

Thursday, July 10: Chivas USA "@" Los Angeles Galaxy, 7:30 p.m. PT, The Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.
(TV: ESPN2, ESPN Deportes; Radio: W Radio 690 AM; Pregame shows start at 7:00 p.m. PT on ESPN2 and W Radio)
• Red-and-White look for revenge in second Super Clásico of the season

Friday, July 11 - Saturday, July 12: TBD

Sunday, July 13: Chivas USA vs. Pachuca CF (MEX), 7:00 p.m. PT, The Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.
(TV: TeleFutura; Radio: W Radio 690 AM; Pregame show starts at 6:30 p.m. PT on W Radio)
• Chivas USA plays its first ever match in an international tournament, facing the 2008 CONCACAF Champions Cup winner

*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.