On Aug. 6, Jesus Morales stepped onto the field at Estadio Nemesio Diez as a member of Chivas de Guadalajara.
On Aug. 26, Morales was on the field at The Home Depot Center, this time defending the colors of Chivas USA.
It's been a whirlwind month for the 20-year-old, the newest member of Chivas USA. The Red-and-White inked Morales on Friday, a week after welcoming him into training. A native of Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico, Morales said he was happy to join Major League Soccer.
"This team has a real good roster and this is a strong league," Morales said. "I hope things work out well."
So far, so good for Morales. One day after signing, Morales was thrust into the starting lineup in place of Francisco Palencia. Seven minutes in, Morales nearly scored but Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad made a stellar save.
One minute later, Morales sent a first-rate cross from the right flank into the penalty area and Jonathan Bornstein scored the first Chivas goal in a 3-2 win.
"I come here to contribute to this team," Morales said. "That's why I was brought here and I don't think I let them down (Saturday)."
With his play against Dynamo, Morales caught the attention of the Chivas USA coaches and officials.
"Having only been here a little while, I though Jesus showed confidence and was not afraid when he was on the field," head coach Bob Bradley said. "I was very pleased with his first game."
Chivas USA president and co-owner Antonio Cue said Morales reaffirms the club's commitment to its Mexican heritage.
"Jesus Morales is a perfect example of that. He's a young guy coming from Guadalajara, a young guy who had a good opportunity down in Mexico but saw MLS as an interesting opportunity," Cue said. "The guy proved that he wasn't afraid to jump onto the field last weekend. He had a short time to show everybody but the guy was fighting and did something good for us."
Morales joins Francisco Mendoza as Chivas USA's two youth internationals. Mendoza has established himself as a fixture in Chivas USA's midfield, having started every game of the season prior to his suspension on Saturday.
Morales will attempt to fight for playing time with other youngsters, including Rodrigo Lopez, Rene Corona and Carlos Borja. Bradley said he could not accurately tell how he compared with that particular trio.
"I probably need a little more time to tell," Bradley said. "By (Saturday's) performance you would think that he's further along than some of those guys. ... He's strong but he's not a big guy. You can that he has the ability to hold people off and has some explosiveness."
Morales will be presented to the media today along with Johnny Garcia, who will fill Ramon Ramirez's senior international spot.
"When you have that chance to pick up some players during the second transfer window, if you can add a player or two that can make a difference it's very important," Bradley said. "It's helped teams in the past."
Whether or not Morales stays beyond this season remains to be seen.
"After the season, depending on how it goes, I'll see if I remain in this league or go back to Mexico," Morales said. "That's an option as well."
Luis Bueno is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
