Chivas USA

History

In 2002, Mexican businessman Jorge Vergara bought the struggling CD Guadalajara and aimed to turn it into a global brand. By June 2003, Major League Soccer had announced that the 2003 All-Star Game would feature Chivas, and Vergara was looking into buying an expansion team. This new team, Chivas USA, would be linked to the Mexican club and was slated to start play in 2005, with Los Angeles or San Diego as possible homes; Houston also put in a bid. On August 2, 2004, MLS confirmed that Chivas USA would share the Home Depot Center in Carson with the LA Galaxy, becoming the league’s eleventh team for the 2005 season.

Club struggles (2010–2013)

Martín Vásquez, who had been an assistant coach from 2005 to 2007, was named head coach. For the 2010 season, Sacha Kljestan and Jonathan Bornstein were appointed co-captains. During the World Cup break, Kljestan left for Belgian club Anderlecht after parts of five seasons with Chivas USA. Bornstein appeared in two matches for the United States at the 2010 World Cup, helping the team reach the Round of 16.

On October 27, the team fired Vásquez. President and CEO Shawn Hunter resigned on November 2, and vice president of soccer operations Stephen Hamilton left his post on December 14. Jose L Domene took over as Interim General Manager. Robin Fraser became head coach on January 4, 2011.

On August 29, 2012, Vergara and his wife, Angélica Fuentes, bought out former partners Antonio and Lorenzo Cué to become the club’s sole owners. On May 29, 2013, youth coaches Dan Calichman and Ted Chronopoulos sued the club for discrimination, claiming they were fired because they were not Latino. Shortly after taking full control, Vergara allegedly said that staff who did not speak Spanish would be let go. Chronopoulos also stated that Jose David, the team’s new president and chief business officer, asked for a list of youth players and coaches who were Mexican or Mexican American, and those who were not.

After Preki was let go, Chivas USA struggled to find stability on and off the field, mirroring its parent club CD Guadalajara. From the start of the 2010 season onward, the team went through four head coaches, none of whom satisfied Vergara. The final coach was Colombian-born Wílmer Cabrera.

Sponsorship

Chivas USA's first jersey sponsor was Comex, a major Mexican paint company, announced on May 16, 2007. The team began the 2010 season with blank jerseys before unveiling Extra as its new sponsor on April 1, 2010, just before a match against the LA Galaxy. Extra, a Mexican convenience store chain owned by Grupo Modelo, appeared on the jerseys and training gear for the rest of that year. On February 16, 2011, Corona took over as the presenting sponsor.

Broadcasting

For the 2014 season, Chivas USA’s games that weren’t on national TV were broadcast in English on KDOC and in Spanish on Time Warner Cable Deportes. KDOC carried 10 of those matches, while Time Warner Cable Deportes showed 16.

Any Spanish-language games not on Time Warner Cable Deportes went to Univision channels like UniMas, Galavision, or Univision Deportes Network. Before 2012, FS West/Prime Ticket and KDOC handled all non-national Chivas USA broadcasts. In 2013, the team started the year without a local TV deal, but in August they struck an agreement with KDOC for English coverage and MundoFOX22 KWHY-TV for Spanish for the rest of that season.

Record

Here is a partial overview of Chivas USA’s final five seasons. For the complete season history, see the list of Chivas USA seasons. Average attendance figures are based solely on league matches. The top goalscorer tally includes goals from MLS regular season, MLS Cup Playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.

In the 2008 North American SuperLiga, the team lost 1-2 to Pachuca, beat Santos Laguna 1-0, and drew 1-1 with New England Revolution. During the 2008-09 CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round, they lost 1-3 on aggregate to Tauro over two legs. In the 2009 SuperLiga, they lost 1-2 to UANL and 0-1 to Chicago Fire, and drew 1-1 with San Luis. In the 2010 SuperLiga, they lost 1-2 to Puebla, drew 1-1 with Houston Dynamo, and beat Pachuca 1-0.

All-time club leaders include Ante Razov with 30 goals, 234 shots, 100 shots on goal, 10 game-winning goals, and five multi-goal games. Erick Torres holds the single-season goal record with 15, the longest consecutive league scoring streak at six matches, and six penalty kick goals.

Sacha Kljestan leads with 33 assists and a single-season best of 13. Dan Kennedy tops the list in games played (144), minutes (12,764), saves (451), and shutouts (28). The all-time MLS regular season record through October 27, 2014, is 92 wins, 149 losses, and 79 draws.

Did You Know?

• The club's name comes from 'Chiva,' Latin American Spanish for 'goat,' which is the nickname of parent club C.D. Guadalajara.
• MLS purchased Chivas USA from Jorge Vergara on February 20, 2014, and the club ceased operations on October 27, 2014.