Chivas vs América

Lore & Background

The club was the eleventh MLS team upon its entry into the league, beginning play in 2005. Chivas USA was intended to be seen as a 'little brother' to its parent club C.D. Guadalajara, one of the most widely supported and successful teams in Mexico. Chiva is Latin American Spanish for 'goat', seen as a tough and resilient animal in Mexico, and is the nickname of C.D. Guadalajara. The club was originally owned by Antonio Cue and Jorge Vergara, who also owned C.D. Guadalajara. In 2014, MLS purchased the club from Vergara with plans to sell to new owners. The club ceased operations after the 2014 regular season and played their final match on October 26, 2014.

Reader's Guide

Chivas USA played its home games at StubHub Center in Carson, California. The team's colors and badge included trademarks filed in January 2014 for 'Los Angeles SC' and 'Los Angeles F.C.' The club's presenting sponsors included Comex (2007), Extra (2010), and Corona (2011). Broadcasting partners varied by season; in 2014, non-nationally televised matches aired on KDOC (English) and Time Warner Cable Deportes (Spanish).

Did You Know?

• Chivas USA ceased operations after the 2014 season, and Los Angeles FC began play in 2018 as a new expansion team.
• The club's all-time leading goalscorer in MLS regular season is Ante Razov with 30 goals.

Founding Vision and International Ambition

Chivas USA emerged from a bold strategy by Mexican businessman Jorge Vergara to expand his rejuvenated C.D. Guadalajara brand into the United States. The concept was for Chivas USA to serve as a "little brother" to its parent club, leveraging the deep cultural resonance of the name "Chiva," which translates to "goat" and symbolizes resilience in Latin America. After considering bids from Houston and San Diego, the league confirmed Los Angeles as the home base on August 2, 2004.

The team officially began play in 2005 as the eleventh franchise in Major League Soccer history. Initially sharing a stadium with the LA Galaxy at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California, the club was co-owned by Antonio Cué and Vergara. This unique structure aimed to bridge Mexican football traditions with American professional soccer, establishing a distinct identity rooted in shared ownership and branding between the two nations.

Operational Turmoil and Internal Conflicts

The period between 2010 and 2013 marked a turbulent era for Chivas USA, characterized by significant leadership instability and serious legal controversies. Following the departure of key figures like Sacha Kljestan to Belgium and Jonathan Bornstein's World Cup success, head coach Martín Vásquez was released in late 2010. This triggered a chain reaction where president Shawn Hunter and vice president Stephen Hamilton also stepped down, leaving the club with four different coaches who failed to satisfy owner Jorge Vergara.

The situation deteriorated further after Vergara became the sole owner in August 2012 by buying out his partners. In May 2013, two youth coaches filed a discrimination lawsuit alleging they were fired for not being Latino. Allegations surfaced that management demanded lists of non-Mexican staff and threatened to fire anyone who did not speak Spanish. This toxic environment, coupled with the dismissal of veteran player Preki, created an atmosphere where consistency on and off the field became impossible to maintain.

Corporate Transition and Final Closure

The final chapter of Chivas USA began in February 2014 when Major League Soccer purchased the club directly from Jorge Vergara. The league initially intended to sell the franchise to a new owner who would keep it in Los Angeles, even filing trademark applications for "Los Angeles SC" and "Los Angeles F.C." However, plans shifted dramatically by September of that year. Reports confirmed that the club would cease operations after the regular season concluded on October 26, 2014.

Instead of a rebranding, a new ownership group led by Henry Nguyen, Peter Guber, and Vincent Tan agreed to purchase the assets for over $100 million with the specific condition that Chivas USA fold completely. This transaction paved the way for a brand-new expansion team in downtown Los Angeles, which would eventually debut as Los Angeles FC in 2018. While the professional team dissolved, MLS continued to operate the player development academy until June 2015.

Home Grounds and Commercial Identity

Throughout its decade-long existence, Chivas USA maintained a primary home at The Home Depot Center (later known as StubHub Center) in Carson, California, from 2005 through 2014. While this stadium hosted the majority of their matches, the team occasionally utilized other venues for specific competitions; they played a U.S. Open Cup match at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara and used Titan Stadium in Fullerton for SuperLiga and cup games. Commercially, the club navigated various sponsorship deals that reflected its Mexican heritage.

Comex became the first presenting sponsor in 2007, followed by Extra, a convenience store chain owned by Corona's parent company, in 2010. By February 2011, Corona itself took over as the primary jersey sponsor. Media coverage also evolved, with local broadcasts shifting from FS West and KDOC to partnerships involving Time Warner Cable Deportes and Univision networks, ensuring both English and Spanish audiences could follow the team's journey until its final season.