Chivas USA travels to Guadalajara

Just a few hours after defeating Shandong Luneng Taishan F.C. of China in a scrimmage on Sunday morning, Chivas USA departed Los Angeles for a 10-day training stint in Guadalajara.

Here's a photo of the players waiting for their flight out of Los Angeles:

Another of Maykel Galindo and Shavar Thomas passing the time:

A group of 20 players made the trip, with two more to join midweek. Below is the travel roster for the trip to Guadalajara:

• Jonathan Bornstein (joining the team after Wednesday's U.S.-Mexico match in Columbus)
• Justin Braun
• Kyle Christensen
• Chris Cortez
• Jim Curtin
• Alecko Eskandarian
• Jamie Franks
• Maykel Galindo
• Dan Gargan
• Ante Jazic
• Dan Kennedy
• Sacha Kljestan (joining the team after Wednesday's U.S.-Mexico match in Columbus)
• Michael Lahoud
• Jesse Marsch
• Gerson Mayen
• Paulo Nagamura
• Lance Parker
• Carey Talley
• Shavar Thomas
• Zach Thornton
• Gilson Tussi
• Raphael Wicky

The team catches a bus to the hotel in Guadalajara late last night:

Chivas USA starts preseason with win

In their first scrimmage of the 2009 preseason, Chivas USA downed Shandong Luneng Taishan F.C., the current Chinese Superleague Champions, by a score of 5-1. The match took place on University Field 2 at The Home Depot Center in Carson on Sunday morning.

Chivas USA 5:1 Shandong Luneng Taishan F.C.
Preseason Scrimmage - Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009
University Field 2, The Home Depot Center - Carson, Calif.
Goals
CHV - Marsch (Mayen), 37
CHV - Own goal, 53SLTFC - Miljan Mrdaković 59
CHV - Tussi (Franks), 61
CHV - Talley, 79CHV - Christensen (Mayen), 90

You can watch all the goals and game highlights, including a spectacular free kick from veteran Carey Talley, on our Official YouTube Channel here:





You can also watch rookies and fellow Wake Forest Demon Deacons Michael Lahoud and Jamie Franks discuss their first game action in a Chivas USA uniform and talk about the first two weeks of training camp on our Official YouTube Channel here:

Preseason Roster Update: Players in and out

A couple brief preseason roster updates:

• Brazilian midfielder Gilson Tussi arrives in Los Angeles today and will join Chivas USA on the field tomorrow. The team has the day off today.

Yesterday was the final practice for the following six players, who have left camp:

• Reiner Alcántara
• Nelson Akwari
• Tony McManus
• Milos Pejovic
• Fernando Screpis
• Doug Warren
  

Sacha Kljestan returns to Chivas USA in 2009

Chivas USA officially announced that midfielder Sacha Kljestan, U.S. Soccers 2008 Young Male Athlete of the Year and Chivas USAs reigning team MVP, will return to the Red-and-White for the 2009 MLS season, which kicks off on March 21. The 23-year-old U.S. international and product of Huntington Beach, Calif., has been training with the U.S. National Team in Carson since last month. On Jan. 24 Kljestan scored a hat-trick for the U.S. against Sweden at The Home Depot Center, just two days after returning from a weeklong training stint in Glasgow with Scottish champions Celtic FC.

You can watch an interview with Kljestan's about the upcoming 2009 season and the National Team at our Chivas USA YouTube Channel here:

Foto del Día

El fotógrafo de Chivas USA, Juan Miranda, enfoca el lente antes de tomar una foto, mientras que algunos elementos del Rebaño esperan su turno para tomarse sus respectivas fotografías. El miércoles fue el día en el que jugadores de Chivas USA se dieron una "manita de gato" para sus respectivos retratos y realizaron varios "promos" con las televisoras.

PHOTO: Chivas USA Communications

Chivas USA and LA Galaxy hold Bone Marrow Donor Drive (AUDIO)

Chivas USA, the LA Galaxy, and The Home Depot Center held a Bone Marrow Donor Drive today in Carson, with players, team staff, and fans all participating. The event was held in hopes of helping Marcia Williams, the wife of Real Salt Lake and Jamaican National Team midfielder Andy Williams. Marcia has been diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and has been unable to find a match through the national donor registry.

The drive took place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. today, and was helped by City of Hope, who was on site to facilitate the process - which entails completing a short questionnaire and then giving a swab of cheek cells.

Jesse Marsch, who played with Andy Williams in 2003 and 2004 for the Chicago Fire, was one of many Chivas USA and Galaxy players who were entered today into the National Bone Marrow Registry.

Below is a photo of Marsch finishing his paperwork; click here to listen to his thoughts on Andy, Marcia, and the event.

Preseason Roster Update: two players in, Esky with U.S.

A quick preseason roster to start the week - beginning training with Chivas USA today are two new players:

• Miloš Pejovic
• Fernando Screpis

Also, six members of the Red-and-White are training today with the Red-White-and-Blue:

• Jonathan Bornstein and Sacha Kljestan, who are in the group that is preparing for the match against Mexico in Columbus on Feb. 11
• Jim Curtin, Jesse Marsch, and Carey Talley, who have been filling out numbers as guest players in the group that is currently training at The Home Depot Center
• Alecko Eskandarian, who is also a guest player with the U.S. today. "Esky" has one cap with the National Team, from an appearance as a substitute in the United States' 2-0 win over Wales on May 26, 2003, in San Jose.