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Eduardo Lillingston Joins Club Tijuana On Loan

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

Eduardo Lillingston will be taking his 8 goals (tops for Chivas USA in 2009) to Tijuana of the Mexican League on loan from Chivas USA and because of the move will be unavailable to Chivas USA until international transfer window opens on July 15.

Eduardo Lillingston will be joined on Club Tijuana, which currently resides in the second division of Mexican Soccer by former Chivas USA mid-fielder Panchito Mendoza who is on loan from Chivas de Guadalajara.

While Lillingston was the top scorer for Chivas USA in 2009 he lost some playing time due to his inability to play any semblance of defense. Lillingston is a pretty good scorer and a good guy to have come off the bench should you need a scoring punch late in the match but he’s not the legitimate consistent scoring threat that Chivas USA desperately needs. He proved that last year.

And while Maykel Galindo did start to look like his former self towards the end of the season, Chivas USA still needs to go out and get a top striker if the team ever hopes to become a post-season threat.

Tags: chivas usa, Eduardo Lillingston, MLS Soccer
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Five Big Questions For Chivas USA

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

From: MLS Net

With the 2009 season completed, here are the answers to some of the biggest questions surrounding Chivas USA as the club prepares for 2010.

WHAT DO CHIVAS USA NEED TO DO TO GO FARTHER IN THE MLS CUP PLAYOFFS?

While often a solid contender in the Western Conference, Chivas USA struggle to win big games. The team is 1-4-3 in playoff contests over the course of the last four years. If they are going to advance past the first round of the postseason in 2010, the Red-and-White must find a way to hit their best form for important matches.

WHAT WAS THE TEAM'S BEST MOMENT IN '09?

Chivas USA revealed their true character in the team's first playoff match with the LA Galaxy. Down 2-1 to their in-stadium rivals at halftime, the Red-and-White scored early in the second half and then proceeded to dominate the run of play for the next 40 minutes. The playoff series ultimately didn't go their way, but the first match really demonstrated that Chivas USA could match up with anybody in the league.

WHO SHOWED THE BIGGEST IMPROVEMENT OVER THE COURSE OF THE SEASON?

When Michael Lahoud arrived in Los Angeles in January, it was obvious that he was a rookie. He seemed timid in the attack and generally overwhelmed by the pace of the game. Eight months later, he was helping Chivas USA into the playoffs during a closing run that saw the team lose just two of its last eight games. He capped off his first pro season by earning a staring nod in both the Red-and-White's playoff matches against the Galaxy.

WHAT RESERVES ARE MOST READY TO CRACK THE STARTING LINEUP?

At just 20 years old, Chivas USA youth system product Gerson Mayén is still a young player, but after notching four assists in just 12 appearances this season, he is poised to become an important member of the squad next year. Numerous stints with the U-20 national team in 2009 will help his confidence as he continues to improve.

WHAT AREA OF THE TEAM NEEDS THE MOST IMPROVEMENT?

Without a doubt, Chivas USA must improve their attack. The team scored the lowest number of goals in the Western Conference this season, and hasn't netted more than twice in one game since Oct. 4, 2008. The defense has been solid, but the Red-and-White must get better at finding the back of the net.

Tags: chivas usa, MLS, MLS Soccer
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Chivas USA Lacking Punch And A Playmaker

Monday, July 13th, 2009

Chivas USA is mired in a nasty slump going 1-4-2 in their last 7 league games and losing 7 of their last 9 matches in all competition.

They're still scrappy up the middle with Paulo Nagamura and Jesse Marsch typically defending the mid-field and their defense was better against the Galaxy most recently with the return of Jonathan Bornstein and Zach Thornton has been stellar in goal all season so what's been the problem?

Scoring.

Maykel Galindo has to shoulder some of the blame at some point. He has 2 goals in 11 games he's played in and he doesn't seem to be creating any seperation on the pitch this season which was a trademark of his a few seasons ago in his breakout year.

Sacha Kljestan is another player who has been largely ineffective this year and his ineffectiveness has been particularly hard because there was such high hopes for him this year. Hea was to supposed to break out this season and instead he has 0 goals and 1 assist.

Ante Razov hasn't played all season but he's in his mid-thirties and Chivas USA would be foolish to depend on this guy as a consistent scorer this late in his career. He's been injury plaqued the past few seasons...

Eduardo Lillingston is the guy who started off really hot for the red and white and who has also really cooled off as of late. He currently has 6 goals but lately really seems to have a problem holding onto the ball.

Attiba Harris has been nice at times scoring 2 goals and dishing out 2 assists... Michael Lahoud has shown flashes... but Chivas USA lacks a play maker up front and they desparately need one.

Chivas USA lacks a guy that can both finish off crisp passes and create his own shots on the perimeter. Maykel Galindo was that guy a couple of years ago but it seems like we haven't seen that Galindo in ages. You can't count on Razov anymore and Kljestan has been a disappointment.

It almost seems like Lillingston and Paulo Nagamura, who has already scored un uncharacteristic 4 goals this season, hid this big gaping hole in the Chivas USA team early in the season by carrying the team offensively.

They're having all kinds of trouble scoring goals right now and at times they're just looking out of sorts offensively. They need a playmaker that can pull everything together because there is some talent on this team.

They need to acquire a playmaker and somebody needs to wake Sacha Kljestan the hell up because that's guy's been sleep walking for I don't know how long now...

Tags: Chivas USA Soccer, MLS Soccer
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Chivas USA 2009 Soccer Preview

Monday, April 20th, 2009

In the past few seasons Chivas USA Soccer has cemented their place as one of the more dominant teams in MLS soccer but for all of the success they've experienced in the regular season that same success has evaded them in tthe playoffs. 2009 has to be a year where Chivas USA Soccer ( Get your discount Chivas USA jersey here) takes it up a notch and finally has some success in the playoffs. With the veteran leadership of mid fielder Jesse Marsch, the outstanding play of mid fielder Sacha Kljestan and the return from injury plagued seasons of stand out forwards Ante Razov and Maykel Galindo should hopefully put Chivas bacvk into the playoffs to make a run.

The big question marks facing Chivas USA this season is whether or not their top players can stay healthy. Already they are starting the season out with forwards Maykel Galindo, Ante Razov and Attiba Harris either injured or recovering from an injury. One more injury marred season from Maykel Galindo and I think yuo just have to label this guy as injury plaqued and unfortunately Ante Razov is just getting older and Chivas should probably consider reducing his playting time during the regular season to preserve him for the playoffs. While they do boast some of the more dynamic forwards in MLS it's no secret that Chivas USA could use a couple of more talented forwards to relieve Razov and Galindo should they go down to injury.

The other big question mark is the future of mid fielder Sacha Kljestan... will he stay or will he follow in the footsteps of former Chivas Goalie Brad Guzan and leave to play in Europe? Kljestan clearly has the skillls to play in Europe the obvious questions are does he want to play iun Europe and will a European team pay enough to pry him away from Chivas USA. It would be sad to see Kljestan go and it would send a bad message to the fans.

As it stands this team is still in dire need of a big name marketable player and it would be great if he were also a dynamic goal scorer. Chivas USA is already one of the best teams in the league so I'm not sure what type of motivation there is for any big spending on big names players for the sake of marketing though. It'd be great to see some team step up and be the New York Yankees of Major League Soccer though...

The Chivas USA defense is anchored by standout Jonathan Bornstein in the back, Goalie Zach Thornton in net and defensive mid fielders Jesse Marsch and Paulo Nagamura. Marsch and Nagamura don't receive much fanfare but those two guys help Chivas USA win soccer matches by winning the battles for the ball that take place at mid field.

The Chivas USA roster is also filled with a number of quality veteran role players that make this one of the best teams in the league. Players such as forwards Alecko Eskandarian who is a steady and consistent performer but not flashy and Eduardo Lilingston who was brought in this year to add a scoring punch. Defensively Chivas USA has a number of qulaity veterans in Claudio Suarez, Shavar Thomas and Carey Talley. In Goal they also have the luxury of experience with Zach Thornton.

Chivas USA has a great opportunity to become an elite team in this league and on winning their first MLS Cup this season and then maybe the SuperLiga. I hope they have what it takes to sign a big name forward and scorer who can take them to the next level of teams in MLS.

Tags: chivas usa, Chivas USA Soccer, MLS major league soccer, MLS Soccer
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Chivas USA Soccer Begins Playoffs Today

Saturday, November 1st, 2008

Chivas USA Soccer begins their first match of a two game playoff with Real Salt Lake today. The main story going into the match today is the red card suspension to starting goalie Dan Kennedy. Well at least Kennedy has been the starter recently...

The Chivas USA Soccer season began with probably the best goalie in MLS in net for the Chivas with Brad Guzan tending goal but all the rumors of Guzan leaving to play in Europe finally materialized about mid way through the season and Guzan was traded to Aston Villa in July.

Zack Thornton was acquired from the New York Red Bulls and we was to bring Chivas a veteran goal tender with playoff experience. Thornton was in goal for the Chicago Fire when they won the MLS Title in 1998. So yea he's experienced meaning he's a little older and sometime in September Thornton went down with a hamstring pull and Dan Kennedy has been Chivas USA starting goalie since then compiling a string of six starts and four wins.

Unfortunately for goalie Dan Kennedy he was issued a red card in the last match of the Chivas USA Soccer season and that brings us to today where Zach Thornton, who was originally brought in to replace Brad Guzan and was then replaced by Dan Kennedy, will be again starting in net for Chiavs USA. Zach Thornton definitely has the experience and playoff experience to boot that you're looking for in your goal tender this time of the year but at this stage of his career can he be the same tender he's been in the past?

The spotlight on goal tender Zach Thornton will be even brighter since Chivas USA is missing it's biggest scoring threat in Maykel Galindo and offensive mid fielder Raphael Wicky. Figure on a low scoring game so goalie Zach Thornton should be instrumental today.