Because soccer isn't gay, but once in awhile it kinda is.
Chivas USA
Soccer Ally May: Chivas USA
05/18/12
Yesterday a hat trick of DC United players joined the Allies list, bringing the number of new list members just from our day-by-day efforts this month to 40.
Today we backtrack a bit, because through yesterday’s trades, Chivas USA dropped from three allies on the list to only one. As one of the most out front players as part of the team’s Equality Night last year, we’ve considered goalkeeper Dan Kennedy an ally since the list started:
So with Pearce off to New York and Lahoud off to Philadelphia, who will join Kennedy? Help us recruit the players below and ask each to become a #soccerally
A Whole Lot of Question Marks for Chivas USA
05/10/12
If you’ve been trying to follow my posts about Chivas USA on here this season, and are disappointed by the lack of updates, well, two things: 1) I apologize and 2) Looking at the results, can you blame me?
While Chivas USA got off to a decent start, their current form seems to have brought fans to an all too familiar place. Three straight losses has put the team in second to last place in the Western Conference with 9 points in 9 games played. They still have not won at home.
Small silver lining: they finally scored their first goal at home this season last weekend in a 2-1 loss to the Chicago Fire. Another interesting stat: the goal was off a penalty, the first one given to the team since August 2010. However, with a last-minute goal by Marco Pappa, many Chivas USA fans left the match with the “different game, same story” attitude. To be quite honest, it’s the same attitude that has been plaguing my mind for the past month.
What exactly is wrong? It is difficult to pinpoint. The team tends to be strong in defense. Relatively of course, considering the losses they’ve undergone. Most goals scored against them have not been until the waning moments of the game. So would that lead to lack of focus? Sure. The two paired together brings about the horrid defensive lapses that have led to all of the losses, a majority of which were games that ended 1-0. We could also discuss play at the other end. The team builds up well, yet continuously struggles in finishing. The play seems to tighten in the finishing third and the team loses their creativity that built up to the scoring opportunities.
Chivas USA: Unbeaten on the Road, and the Impressive and Magical Dan Kennedy
04/17/12
Chivas USA hit two records this weekend. First, with a 1-0 win against Toronto FC, the team went 3-0 in road matches, which equals their total road wins from the entire 2011 season.
Toronto FC v Chivas USA Highlights
A 31st minute header from Ecuadorian midfielder Oswaldo Minda was the difference, which is also striking considering their poor set piece performance last season. The team continued to press, and saw great chances from Ben Zemanski and Ryan Smith. One of the major players in this match for both sides was the wind: it seemed that whichever team played against the wind sat back more, and had very little control of the ball. Chivas USA controlled the game for the entire first half; yet they found themselves on the defensive for basically the entire second half.
The defense may not have always been composed, but they got the job done. From Heath Pearce’s stunning body block clearance on the line to Dan Kennedy’s repeated magical saves, they got another three points on the road. While the team is 3-0 on the road, they have yet to secure a win at home. They face the Philadelphia Union this weekend at the Home Depot Center, and hopefully, they can finally find their bearings and get three points. With this win, they sit at fifth in the Western conference.
The Most Handsome Team in MLS?
03/12/12
As the MLS season gets underway this weekend, fans everywhere are getting excited to get back into the swing of watching their favorite team battle it out for a spot in the playoffs. Looking at Chivas USA’s preseason record, I’m not sure that I am one of those people. With a 2-7-1 record and a horrid 5-0 loss in the final game to the San Jose Earthquakes just a week before kickoff, it’s pretty hard to really be excited for this season. The final week before the season had been pretty quiet, as it seems the coaching staff was keen to turn this team around in the short time before the season starts in the opener against 2011 MLS Cup Finalists Houston Dynamo.
Looking Back / Looking Forward with Rachna
03/07/12
by gay4soccer
in Chivas USA
I have two favorite soccer moments from 2011 – first, introducing MLS and Chivas USA to my friends and turning some of my closest friends into big fans. Second, being able to go to the France v USMNT match at the Stade de France, which was UNBELIEVABLE!!! I’mlooking forward to a better season for Chivas USA in 2012, and both of our teams bringing home gold from the Olympics!
Great Deal: Chivas USA Season Tix
02/11/12
LA-area MLS fans: Chivas USA has partnered with Groupon to offer the following deal:
Full-Season SIDELINE seats: $140!
Offer expires on February 13.
In addition, one of our favorite SGs, Black Army 1850, has season tix at $135. Tickets for the supporters’ group are available until sold out.
If you haven’t hopped on the MLS bandwagon, this is a great opportunity to do so on the cheap and I highly suggest you take advantage of it!
With Enemies Like These…
02/09/12
…you start to wonder if you’re supporting the wrong side.
You see, I am a Los Angeles Galaxy fan. Before Beckham. Before the Home Depot Center. Before our first championship star. At the beginning of Cobi, Cienfuegos and Hartman, the Rose Bowl, and multiple MLS Cup heartbreaks – I was there.
In short: I bleed teal/green/blue-and-gold.
So when a new tenant entered our hallowed soccer cathedral and set down stakes to claim a portion of its halls as their own, an instant rivalry was – no, not born – thrust upon us. The very presence of Chivas USA in “Our City, Our Home” was a call to arms.
And as an ardent Galaxy supporter, I am obligated to show our cross-town/same-stadium rivals, Chivas USA, and their fans as little love as possible. Very. Little. Love. Ever.
Because, Chivas. Because.
Yankees have Red Sox. Dodgers have Giants. Sounders have Timbers. And Galaxy has Chivas USA (and Steven Lenhart.)
And while the league standings in recent years has kept the gameday match-ups from reaching the contentious fever pitch it has in years past, the rivalry’s fires are kept stoked for the next time a meeting counts for more than just bragging rights. While they may be remiss to admit it, many Angelinos are secretely grateful to have an in-town rivalry, one that has the potential to polarize the City of Angels in the fashion seen in other cities and towns around the world; and thus regardless of the import of their matchups, both teams’ fans keep the antagonistic spirit alive for fear that it would otherwise die out.
And that is how this Galaxy fan has operated for years. For no matter how much (or how little) of a threat those Goats’ bleatings may actually pose, the fire it stirs in me is red-hot and my conviction to hurl bile in their direction is strengthened to no end.
But a series of observations from last year – and a realization from a week ago tying it all together – has me reconsidering my blind distaste for Chivas USA and at least one of their supporter groups. You see, I’ve come to the conclusion that both team and supporters are leading the league in one area very near and dear to me (and to many of our #g4s readers): the open invitation to, and inclusion of, their GLBT fans.
And this has me wondering: am I booing the wrong side?
Meet Rachna, our Chivas USA writer…
02/09/12
by rkk104
in Chivas USA
Hi all! My name is Rachna and I am a Chivas USA fan living in beautiful (roughly) San Diego, CA. I say roughly as I am here for school, and home is an hour north (still not in LA territory though). My road to becoming a Chivas USA fan is a bit long, so here it goes!
I first came to watch soccer seriously during the 2008 Euro Cup. I chose to support Spain as I was a bit of a Hispanophile in high school, and latched myself onto them. I continued this support, yet felt a tad bit bad for not liking the United States, as I’ve always been one to support the USA. That same year I followed both Olympic teams in Beijing, despite the men not doing so well. This was a bit of a turning point. I loved players like Stuart Holden and Sacha Kljestan (though my love for the latter has diminished greatly in recent times), and was SO happy for the women to get their gold. I followed both national teams on and off until the Confederations Cup the following summer. The phenomenal win against Spain that no US fan will ever forget solidified my love for US Soccer. However, I was still a bit of an MLS newb, for lack of a better word. Since the Gold Cup team that year was basically a B team, I followed them closely, reacquainted myself with one Stuart Holden, and got into MLS. I spent the rest of that season watching MLS for various players but not supporting any team in particular.
Chivas USA Update: How Many Midfielders Are on the Team Now?
01/27/12
While all the latest soccer hype in LA of late has been about the other team at the Home Depot Center, Chivas USA have quietly yet efficiently started on their 2012 campaign. With preseason beginning last week, the Goats began their preseason with a medical, two-a-days, and the dreaded beep test. The team is currently in Oxnard, California where they will continue training through the end of the week. How has the offseason treated the team, and what needs to happen for Chivas USA to have a better season that last (where they did not play up to standard)? Warning: this is extensive. This post is definitely a bit serious but no fear, I figure it’s best to get the serious stuff out of the way first. Let’s take a look read more…
