Frank Myrland
Major League Soccer is in competition with a very powerful and older football league to the south. Primera Division de Mexico, the top flight in Mexican soccer was founded in 1943, a full 50 years before the MLS was created, and the popularity of the game in the United States pales in comparison to the Mexican league. The large Hispanic population in the south and east of the United States went unrepresented in the first decade of the MLS's existence, and that supporter base may very well have been lost forever were it not for the timely arrival of Club Deportivo Chivas USA.
The Los Angeles based club owes its existence to Jorge Vergara, owner of the immensely popular and successful Mexican club Chivas de Guadalajara. CD Guadalajara has captured the top prize in Mexican soccer 11 times in their glorious history and Vergara had a dream that both the success and culture of the club could be brought to Major League Soccer.
Vergara’s request for a franchise in the MLS was granted and CD Chivas USA took to the field for the first time on 2nd April, 2005. They became the 11th franchise in the MLS, debuting during the same season as Real Salt Lake.
Despite a poor showing in their first season, during which the side's only win in the first ten matches came against fellow expansion squad Real Salt Lake, Vergara's vision began to bear fruit. Chivas became a source for Hispanic enthusiasm and culture, a vibrance that the American league had been missing. With their shirts matching the familiar red and white of CD Guadalajara, many Mexican football fans began to cheer for Chivas with the same vigour shown for their Mexican counterparts.
The club's matches were broadcast in Spanish too, making the team accessible to large part of the Hispanic population and allowing Chivas to gain a sizeable following quicker than they otherwise might have. Today, members of Legion 1908, one of the largest fan clubs in the MLS, regularly dominate the seats behind the goal during home matches dressed in red and white and waving gigantic Chivas flags.
As the club gained support, they also gained on-field talent. Chivas built a powerful squad made up predominately of players with Hispanic ancestry. They managed to attract the services of Bob Bradley, the most successful manager in MLS history, in 2005, and after two unsuccessful seasons, qualified for the playoffs in 2006 for the first time. Bradley earned Coach of the Year honours, and defender Jonathon Bornstein created a name for himself by being named Top Rookie. Born of Mexican descent, Bornstein has since become one of the faces of the franchise as well as a regular on the United States international scene.
Chivas saw their most successful season come in 2007, when they took the top spot in the Western Conference but eventually fell to the Kansas City Wizards in the playoff semi-final. Keeper Brad Guzan and manager Predrag Radosavljevic took the top MLS awards for their efforts during the season.
Perhaps the most admirable fact about Chivas USA is that the team and ownership has never compromised on the values that brought the club into existence. Employees of the organisation are required to learn at least a little bit of Spanish and Chivas give back to the community in many ways, from holding practices on community fields in Hispanic districts, letting youngsters dream football dreams while watching their idols play, to building pitches in those same communities for the general public. The non-profit foundation Fundacion Chivas de Corazon US is heavily involved in this sort of community work.
Chivas also regularly celebrate Hispanic holidays and achievements by sister squad CD Guadalajara. On 12th August, 2006, Chivas played a 100-hour game in celebration of the Mexican squad's 100th anniversary.
This past season saw Chivas advance to the playoffs once again. They bowed out in the conference semi-final to their rivals Los Angeles Galaxy however, after a Landon Donovan penalty in the second match gave the Galaxy a 3-2 victory on aggregate. Manager Predrag Radosavljevic has since left the team, leaving the position vacant. Though the squad has regularly appeared in the playoffs during their short existence, the ownership will be looking for a manager who will be able to carry the team all the way to the top prize in Major League Soccer.
As Chivas continues to perform admirably on the pitch as well as in the community, they deserve recognition for carving out a sense of self in the middle of Major League Soccer.
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