CARSON, Calif. - Carson Mayor Jim Dear and Los Angeles' new Mayor-Elect Antonio Villaraigosa will be present this Saturday, May 28 at 6:00 p.m. PT, prior to kickoff of the Major League Soccer showdown between Chivas USA and the Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home Depot Center, for the unveiling of the latest addition to 'ChivaTown': a replica of the statue of the Roman goddess Minerva that stands at the hub of Guadalajara, Mexico.
Villaraigosa will also perform the first kick of the match - the second in the four-game series between the two Los Angeles soccer foes, and the first where Chivas USA is the home team. Dubbed the 'Honda Súper Clásico', Chivas USA vs. Galaxy is the first intra-city rivalry in modern U.S. professional soccer. The highly anticipated match kicks off at 7:00 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California and will also be broadcast live on Radiovisa 830 AM (Spanish) and on Fox Sports Net West (English).
The Minerva statue - a replica of the gigantic sculpture that stands at the intersections of Avenida López Mateos and Avenida Vallarta in the hub of Guadalajara - is the latest addition to 'ChivaTown', the Guadalajara-themed fan zone that brings the sights, sounds and flavors of Mexico to each and every one of Chivas USA's home games. The Minerva statue has special meaning to Chivas fans, as it is the place of celebration for all of Chivas Guadalajara's triumphs, including its record ten Mexican league championships.
The original statue in Guadalajara is inscribed, in Spanish, with the words "Justice, Wisdom and Strength Guard this Loyal City" and "To the Glory of Guadalajara". The replica in ChivaTown is inscribed, in Spanish, with the words "Celebrating the Friendship Between the Peoples of Mexico and the United States".
The statue will be set up Friday, the day before the game, and will be officially unveiled on Saturday. Both ChivaTown and the Minerva replica are the work of the Primetime Group of Los Angeles, California.
Club Deportivo Guadalajara, nicknamed "Chivas", is Mexico's most successful and popular soccer club, with an estimated 30 million fans in Mexico and the United States and a proud tradition, for nearly 100 years, of fielding Mexican-born players in its legendary red-and-white jerseys.
Chivas USA, one of two new expansion teams in Major League Soccer for the 2005 season, is the bearer of Club Guadalajara's proud tradition in the United States. Founded in August 2004 by Club Guadalajara owner Jorge Vergara and Chivas USA President Antonio Cué, the team is led, off the field, by CEO Javier León and Senior Vice President and General Manager Whit Haskel and, on the field, by Head Coach Thomas Rongen, assistants Javier 'Zully' Ledesma and Martín Vásquez as well as Captain and former Mexican national team star Ramón Ramírez.
For more information on Chivas USA, visit www.CDCHIVASUSA.com, the team's official web site. For advance tickets to the match - and to take advantage of the special offer of $10 off all tickets for fans who sport their Chivas jersey - call 1-877-CHIVAS-1.
WHAT: Unveiling of Minerva Statue in ChivaTown
WHO: Antonio Cué, President and Co-Owner of Chivas USA
Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor-Elect of Los Angeles
Jim Dear, Mayor of Carson
WHERE: The Home Depot Center - South Plaza
18400 Avalon Boulevard
Carson, California 90746
WHEN: Saturday, May 28, 2005 at 6:00 p.m.
