In their quest for a fan base, Chivas USA has never met a promotion club officials didn't like (the Mexican-oriented club even had an Armenian night earlier this season) and tonight is Manhattan Beach Night.

Given the city's connections with soccer this makes a modicum of sense (former Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid, Galaxy playmaker Landon Donovan, U.

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The end of Chivas USA's participation in the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League effectively came in the 62nd minute when Luis Moreno equalized to tie this game 1-1.

But that put the score 3-1 on aggregate meaning Chivas USA needed not two goals (because away goals count double in the event of a tie), but three more goals within a half hour to move on.

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Okay, I'm here at Home Depot Center for the Chivas USA-Tauro FC match and I feel like I'm in an empty stadium. Well, actually, it pretty much is an empty stadium. With classes back in session at Cal State Dominguez Hills, the attendance has been capped at 2,000.

As a colleague told me, some prestigious tournament. Click to continue reading...

This is more dinner party than soccer game. There's so few people here, you get the feeling people should introduce themselves to each other.

Attendance tonight has been capped at all of 2,000 - not that there are dozens, yet alone hundreds clamoring to get in, you understand. (The reason: something about lots of parking complaints at the sold-out Galaxy-Pachuca SuperLiga final).

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First off, the Galaxy has just drawn 2-2 with the New England Revolution, Landon Donovan getting both goals.

Sean Franklin and Troy Roberts started in the center of defense with Eddie Lewis on the left wing, by the way.

More on that game later, but for now....

Chivas USA has Zach Thornton in goal as usual, Lawson Vaughn is at right back, Jonathan Bornstein on the left and Bobby Burling and Jim Curtin in the middle.

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Five changes for Chivas USA tonight with a Tuesday CONCACAF preliminary round game looming Tuesday in Panama as Coach Preki tries to rest some starters, while defender Cary Talley is the latest to join a long injury list with a thigh strain. Six players are still out including striker Maykel Galindo

Zach Thornton is in goal, while Jim Curtin replaces Claudio Suarez as the long defensive change.

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3 points is 3 points, but that came should have been much easier then it was. Up 3-0, the Wizards allowed Chivas USA back into the game, and if not for some stellar keeping by Kevin Hartman, we'd be talking about Chivas coming back to earn a point being down 3-0. Thankfully it didn't, and we're talking about 3 points and the Wizards currently in a playoff spot. Click to continue reading...

It's a beautiful day here in Milwaukee. i'm heading to Toyota Park soon for a Red Stars Advisory Board Meeting followed by the Fire vs. Chivas USA game. The meeting agenda follows:

Chicago Red Stars Advisory Board
August 2, 2008

1. Team Update (Peter Wilt)

a.

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Apologies, busy with a big project and not much time to blog.

A few things to pass along:

*Pacific Palisades-based W-League team Pali Blues defeated reigning champion Washington Freedom 2-0 earlier tonight earning a berth in Saturday's final against FC Indiana. Game reports here.

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The charity events MLS teams do (like golf tournaments) are hosted by sponsors, so players have to show up, but it's also a time for teammates to bond outside of the regular grind of practice.

Lance Parker poses on the course with the energy drink models.

Bobby Burling gets in the buffet line. Click to continue reading...

Green and white versus red and white! Let's go to it. The stadium isn't full by far, but the crowd is lively.
Chivas USA: Dan Kennedy, Jim Curtin, Carey Tallye, Shavar Thomas, Jonathan Bornstein, Francisco Mendoza, Sacha Kljestan, Paulo Nagamura, Kraig Chiles, Roberto Nurse, Atiba Harris
Santos: Oswaldo Sanchez, Jorge Estrada, Rafael Figueroa, Osmar Mares, Fernando Ortiz, Edgar Castillo, Johnnie Garcia, Fernando Arce, Francisco Torres, Vicente Vuoso, Christian Benitez
Kickoff! Click to continue reading...

All sorts of changes tonight for Chivas USA including Dan Kennedy in goal, Claudio Suarez on the bench, Mexican Roberto Nurse making his debut up front and young Kraig Chiles getting a rare start (likely as a withdrawn forward).

The Chivas USA lineup: Kennedy, Jim Curtin, Carey Talley, Shavar Thomas, Jonathan Bornstein, Francisco Mendoza, Sacha Kljestan, Paulo Nagamura, Chiles, Nurse and Atiba Harris.

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Thursday's game against the LA Galaxy is just one of a string of big games Chivas USA will have in the coming days. On Sunday, Chivas USA will play Pachuca in the SuperLiga opener for both teams. Then, Santos will visit on Wednesday followed by a match against New England on July 20.

That's four games in 11 days. Click to continue reading...

Chivas USA (5-6-3) can jump from sixth to tied for first in the Western Conference with the Galaxy if they manage to beat the worst team in MLS, the San Jose Earthquakes (3-8-3), who have one goal in the last four games while going 0-2-2.

Coach Preki makes three changes to the team that drew 1-1 last week with the Red Bulls.

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Chivas USA:
*Lost yet again Tuesday in the U.S. Open Cup (and for the second successive year) against the USL Seattle Sounders, falling 2-0 in the Pacific Northwest.

*Had the experienced likes of Claudio Suárez, Jesse Marsch, Carey Talley and Francisco Mendoza on the bench. Striker Ante Razov and defender Bobby Burling (Loyola Marymount) remained in Southern California after picking up minor knocks over the weekend.

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This was a game that never seemed to get up to full speed, ending with the two teams still tied at one apiece.

Chivas USA Coach Preki took central defender Jim Curtin out at half time, pushed Bobby Burling into the middle of defense, moved Cary Talley to right back and inserted sub Atiba Harris into midfield.

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Sorry this is late. I couldn't find the TV channel for this at first.
"Andrea, why aren't you at the game?"
1. Gas is expensive.
2. I have no assignment to cover this match.
So TV running blog it is.
NY - Jon Conway, Kevin Goldthwaite, Hunter Freeman, Carlos Mendes, Seth Stammler, Sinisa Ubiparipovic, Dave van den Bergh, John Wolyniec, Dane Richards, Andrew Boyens, Jeff Parke
Chivas USA: Brad Guzan (GK), Claudio Suarez, Jim Curtin, Francisco Mendoza, Ante Razov, Carey Talley, Jonathan Bornstein, Bobby Burling, Jesse Marsch, Sacha Kljestan, Justin Braun
15 - I love the matches in Spanish - the announcers usually sound much more serious about the game. Click to continue reading...

It's the ( 5-4-4) Red Bulls against (5-6-2) Chivas USA on a lovely night for soccer at Victoria Street.

Chivas USA Coach Preki has named a 3-4-3 formation, although indications are we'll see a 4-4-2 with Jonathan Bornstein (who is listed as a forward) actually playing at left back.

Brad Guzan is in goal as usual, while Jim Curtin is presumably drafted into the middle of defense alongside Claudio Suarez, leaving Bobby Burling at right back.

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A list of all penalties can be found on the league stats page (scroll to the bottom). However, on that page they don't list who earned and conceded the penalties like they used to a few years back. I've always missed that, so by looking through match reports I keep track of it myself.

With only 23 penalties given so far this season, there's not too much to notice on these lists. Click to continue reading...

Nothing like a healthy hatred for Cuauhtemoc Blanco to bring out the Chivas USA fans.

A crowd in the low 20,000 range is expected tonight, which would be the biggest crowd for Chivas USA so far this year.

Brad Guzan has returned in goal for Chivas USA (4-6-2) from international duty, relegating backup Dan Kennedy to the bench.

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A curious line-up this evening for Chivas USA Coach Preki.

Dan Kennedy makes his MLS debut in goal, while Sacha Kljestan also starts.

Does that mean Brad Guzan starts in goal Sunday for the U.S. against Barbados instead of Tim Howard? Does it also mean Kljestan won't even dress tomorrow for the World Cup qualifier?

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I've been a bit slow on the trigger on this one but an LA story brought me back to my senses! In a story talking about the roster moves Major Soccer League teams needed to make in advance of yesterday's deadline for naming their 18 man rosters, DailyBreeze.com highlights the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA:

In contrast, Chivas USA had no such problems, naming 17 senior players to their roster without having to make any cuts.

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MLSRumors, god bless 'em - and do note the title, people - posted the coolest damn rumor today about a delicious mega-deal in the works between DC United and the Colorado Rapids. Here are the details and, so far as I've seen, they're posted only on MLSRumors: "The buzz now is that there may be [...] Click to continue reading...