Chivas USA learned Tuesday they will play their third group game in SuperLiga against the New England Revolution at 5 p.m. Sunday July 20 at Cal State Fullerton’s Titan Stadium.
If I recall correctly, Cal State Dominguez Hills, upon whose land Home Depot Center sits, restricts the number of games on “week nights” on campus and Chivas USA came up against a number game.
Of course, the Chivas USA SuperLiga game against an American opponent will draw fewer fans than those against Mexican teams.
Chivas USA probably could play the game at the HDC’s Track & Field Stadium and comfortably accommodate all fans. But then the lights would bug the neighbors and that’s a no-no, too.
From the (edited) Chivas USA press release:
Chivas USA opens its participation in the 2008 SuperLiga on Sunday, July 13, facing Santos Laguna, the current champions of the Mexican First Division, at Home Depot Center. The Red-and-White will then face 2008 CONCACAF Champions Cup winner Pachuca, also at Home Depot Center, on July 16.
Chivas USA hosts Cuauhtmoc Blanco and Chicago live at 7:30 p.m. Thursday on ESPN2.
Meanwhile, the Deseret News caught up with former Real Salt Lake defender Cary Talley (presumably before he was nailed for the lone and winning goal his old team scored against Chivas USA last weekend) here.
After demolishing Barbados 8-0 Sunday in Carson, U.S. Soccer apparently decided not to continue to piss off some MLS teams and released 10 players from the squad ahead of Sunday’s return World Cup qualifying leg against Barbados.
From the (edited) U.S. Soccer press release:
The 10 departed players are Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Steve Cherundulo (Hannover 96), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids) and Matt Reis (New England Revolution).
Six out of the 10 players started in Sunday’s first leg match against Barbados and three players notched five of the eight U.S. goals. Dempsey’s goal put his name in the record books, scoring the fastest goal for the U.S. in FIFA World Cup qualifying history, just 53 seconds into the match.
Answer to Monday’s trivia question from the (edited) U.S. Soccer press release:
Former president of the U.S. Soccer Federation Werner Fricker was honored during a ceremony on Sunday before the U.S. Men’s National Team’s World Cup qualifying match against Barbados.
A memorial located at the northeast corner of Mooch Myernick Field at Home Depot Center was unveiled during the ceremony. U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati unveiled the bronze bust and presented a commemorative plaque to Werner Fricker’s children: Werner Fricker Jr., Marlene Fricker and Janet Malofiy (nee Fricker).
Werner Fricker, who passed away in 2001, served as President of the U.S. Soccer Federation from 1984 to 1990, during which time he led the successful bid to obtain the 1994 World Cup for the United States.
Fricker was born in Yugoslavia and raised in Austria, but emigrated to the United States with his family in 1952. He lived his adult life in Pennsylvania, where he was a star midfielder and captain for the United German Hungarians of Philadelphia soccer club from 1954 to 1969, leading the team to the National Amateur Cup in 1965.
He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta, N.Y., in 1992.