Chivas USA Weekly Update: July 26th, 2011
 
Goats Pack Their Bags for Month Long Road Trip – First Stop, Dallas; Pearce and LaBrocca Travel to NYC for MLS All-Star; “Panchito” Mendoza Ties Chivas USA Appearance Record. 
 
CHIVAS USA HIT THE ROAD AND SQUARE OFF WITH DALLAS THIS SUNDAY: Following the 3-0 crushing of the Houston Dynamo last Saturday night, the Goats go on the road for the first of 5 consecutive matches away from their home. Chivas USA will look to return the defeat it received from FC Dallas last June at The Home Depot Center and make it a clean sweep of Texas in the month of July. The match will kick off this Sunday July 31st at 4:00 p.m. PT live from Pizza Hut Park and will be broadcast on Galavision for TV and W Radio 690 AM for radio. The Red and White are on a hot streak they look to continue and finish off the month of July without any setbacks.  For information on the game, please visit cdchivasusa.com.
 
PEARCE AND LABROCCA TRAVEL TO NYC FOR ALL STAR GAME: The party has officially begun as MLS All Star Week continued this morning in New York City. After arriving in the Big Apple yesterday evening, Goats’ All Stars Nick LaBrocca and Heath Pearce had their first team MLS All-Stars’ workout on Monday morning. For LaBrocca it’s a homecoming growing up just a few miles from the Red Bull Arena; for Pierce, it’s his second consecutive trip to the All Star festivities. Chivas USA’s All-Stars join David Beckham and Thierry Henry among the 22 MLS All-Stars that will compete against Manchester United in the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game this Wednesday July 27 at Red Bull Arena at 5:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2, Galavisión.
 
CHIVAS USA SMASHES DYNAMO 3-0 WITH HAT-TRICK FROM BRAUN: Chivas USA defeated the Houston Dynamo 3-0 this Saturday evening before 11,013 fans at The Home Depot Center. Forward Justin Braun scored his second Hat-Trick of the season and extends the Goats’ unbeaten run to five. More importantly, giving the Red and White 3 very necessary and deserving points as they embark on a marathon-like five game road trip that will be crucial to playoff aspirations. For more information on this game, including highlights and reactions, please visit cdchivasusa.com. 
 
FRANCISCO “PANCHITO” MENDOZA TIES CHIVAS USA APPEARANCE RECORD:  Mendoza has now played in 123 games for Chivas USA, tying Jonathan Bornstein’s record and needing only one more game appearance to surpass and become the all time leader. “Panchito” Mendoza, the Mexican player with the most all-time Major League Soccer appearances, returned to Chivas USA this season after playing the past two years in Mexico.  The fan favorite and Chivas USA original has now appeared in 12 matches this season, and passed Sacha Kljestan’s 114 appearances earlier this year.
 
CHIVAS USA’S GERSON MAYÉN LOANED TO FT. LAUDERDALE STRIKERS: Chivas USA announced that midfielder Gerson Mayén will join Ft. Lauderdale Strikers (formally Miami FC) of the NASL Pro League on loan for a second occasion. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released. Mayén, a Los Angeles native and a Chivas USA Youth Academy product, signed with Red-and-White on March 27, 2008 and made his MLS debut in the second game of the 2009 season, a match in which he also earned his first assist. Mayén played 12 matches in 2009 and had played four games including two starts in 2010 for the Red-and-White. Was loaned to Ft. Lauderdale Strikers (formally Miami FC) once before at the end of 2010. Returned to the club and played a good deal of first team minutes throughout the 2011 preseason and additionally appeared in 4 games including one start accumulating a total of 106 minutes for this season.
CHIVAS USA CREATES “A BETTER LIFE” SECTION FOR LOWER INCOME FAMILIES: Mexican actor Demian Bichir, honorary captain for Chivas USA, is inviting you to send us your story – “HOW HAVE YOU OBTAINED A BETTER LIFE BY COMING TO THE UNITED STATES?” By submitting you’ll have the opportunity to win a family four-pack for Chivas USA games and sit in the “A Better Life” special section at Home Depot Center. Demian Bichir, invites you to visit your favorite movie theater and watch “A Better Life” in which the actor plays the role of a gardener residing in East Los Angeles who travels across town to work in the homes of the wealthy. At the same time he is attempting to keep his son away from street gangs and immigration agents. Send us your story with a minimum of 200 words to the following email address: communications@cdchivasusa.com
CHIVAS USA SUPPORTS STUDENTS AT UNIQUE SUMMER LEARNING CAMP: Dozens of summer writing camp participants interviewed Chivas USA players in a press-conference style event aimed at inspiring them to become better creative and expository writers.  826LA, a non-profit with bases in Venice and Echo Park (CA), hosts its “English Language Learner Writing Camp” on an annual basis and each year participating youth focus their writing on a variety of themes. On two occasions in less than a week Chivas USA teamed up with 826LA to offer camp participants a full week of writing focused on sport. Midfielder Ben Zemanski and Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy attended these camps where participating youth interviewed the players then wrote their reflections on the event. 
 
VENEZUELA FALLS TO PERU IN THIRD PLACE MATCH, MORENO TO RETURN: Alejandro Moreno forward with Venezuelan National Team likely to return back to Chivas USA as CONMEBOL’s Copa America drew to an end this Sunday. Moreno’s team played Saturday evening vs. Peru in the third place match and fell by a score of  4-1. He finishes his participation with his national team with a total of 32 career caps for Venezuela.
 
CHIVAS USA ANNOUNCES UNIQUE PARTNERSHIP WITH PADRES CONTRA EL CANCER: Chivas USA announced last month an in-depth partnership with PADRES Contra El Cancer, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for Latino families with children who suffer from cancer and blood disorders.  The mission-driven relationship will support PADRES and include fundraising and awareness campaigns that will engage Chivas USA team members, the team’s own non-profit Fundacion Chivas de Corazon USA, as well as link elements from Chivas USA’s sister-team Club Deportivo Chivas de Guadalajara.  Jimmy Conrad and Mariano Trujillo got things started by visiting a group of children undergoing cancer treatment at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles.  The players also taped public service announcements aimed at creating awareness about the need for more individuals to join the national bone marrow registry list. Over the course of this summer, Chivas USA will designate part of the proceeds from the ticket sales from a number of home matches to benefit PADRES, all of which will culminate with a unique night scheduled for September.  To learn more about this partnership, visit: www.cdchivasusa.com/community/padres.   
 
PEARCE PLAYS EVERY MINUTE: Defender Heath Pearce has played every minute so far this season, his first with Chivas USA.  He has now started all twenty one games for the Red-and-White, playing a total of 1,890 minutes.  Nick LaBrocca is the only other players to have started all twenty games, but he has been substituted, leaving the 26-year old Pearce as the only Goat to play every possible minute thus far.
 
‘CHIVAS AT THE PARK’ CONTINUES SATURDAY JULY 30th IN NORTH HOLLYWOOD: Chivas USA’s popular ‘Chivas at the Park’ program will continue with a session on Saturday, July 30 at North Hollywood’s Whitsett Fields Park, 12240 Archwood St., North Hollywood, CA 91605. The clinics offer participating boys and girls ages 5-15 the opportunity to learn soccer techniques and practice drills that highlight teamwork in an environment that promotes the importance of fitness for the entire family.  For only $5 each participant receives 90 minutes of soccer instruction, a Chivas at the Park t-shirt, and a certificate of completion. For more information, please visit the program’s website, or contact Nadia Gonzalez at ngonzalez@cdchivasusa.com.
 
FROM CDCHIVASUSA.COM :
 
All Star-LaBrocca, Unlikely Chivas Hero
Braun: Hat-Trick Hero
Share Your Story of “A Better Life”
 
CHIVAS USA SCHEDULE: JULY 26 – AUGUST 2*
 
Tuesday, July 26                   Training, 9:30 am, Field 6
Tuesday, July 26                   Reserve Game vs. San Jose, 11:00 a.m. Field TBD
Wednesday, July 27              Training, 10:00 am, Field 6
Thursday, July 28                 Training, 10:00 am, Field 6
Friday, July 29                      Travel To Dallas, TX
Saturday, July 30                  Training, 11:30 am, Pizza Hut Park – Field 17
Sunday, July 31                     Chivas USA @ Dallas FC, 4:00 p.m. PT, Pizza Hut Park (TV: Galavision; RADIO: W Radio 690 AM)
Monday, August 1                 Off.
Tuesday, August 2                Training, 10:00 a.m., Field 6.
 
*Subject to change. For latest information, or if you plan on attending a session, please contact Chivas USA’s Public Relations Department.
 
cdchivasusa.com