Major League Soccer Saturday: LA Galaxy Independence Day video highlights, Chivas USA hosts Montreal Impact in Carson

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World Cup Wednesday Kicks: Ban diving cheaters and more

Watch: Former EPL referee Graham poll suggest diver like the Netherlands’ Arjen Robben should be banned rather than escape punishment as it appears he will.

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World Cup help is on the way for Chivas USA, eventually

But will it get there fast enough?

Midfielder Oswaldo Minda played for Ecuador, which was eliminated in the groups stages of the World Cup. Midfielder Marvin Chavez played for Honduras, which suffered the same fate in Brazil.

They’re on their way back to Chivas USA, and if they arrived in time to play for in Wednesday’s game at San Jose, it would be not a moment too soon for a team that played Saturday night and plays again next Saturday.

For Chivas coach Wilmer Cabrera, you could almost see the pain of weighing what the duo just went through with their respective nations against what he needs with his own club after Saturday’s win over Real Salt Lake.

“We’re waiting for them,” Cabrera said. “We need to see what kind of condition they are mentally and physically because when you finish a competition like the World Cup, you need to have a little bit of a mental break. Because of the adrenaline you have spent in that tournament, you cannot recover in three or four days.

“We’re going to try to bring them in a very good way, we’re going to try to give them a little break but obviously we need them. We need to have them, because that’s why they’re World Cup players. It’s important for them to be with us.”

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Erick ‘Cubo’ Torres making history for Chivas USA

It was the type of goal you don’t often see in Major League Soccer.

Chivas USA left back Tony Lochhead had the ball along the left sideline, lifted his head, spotted his target and sent a long, curving pass to the opposite side of the field. It might have traveled 40 yards. The only player who could play the ball was rapidly timing his approach.

Erick “Cubo” Torres never let it hit the ground. He blasted his volley from about 15 yards away into the upper right hand corner of the net.

It might be time to really start to appreciate the talent of the 21-yeard-old Torres. Chivas USA did early in the month when it locked him down for the rest of the season lest he slip through their fingers and back to Guadalajara.

“He’s got a quality you can’t teach,” Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy said after the club’s 1-0 victory Saturday over Real Salt Lake. “His focus is just superb and for his age it’s hard to believe what he can come up with and pull off. The goal tonight reminded me of that bicycle kick in Vancouver last year where it’s just something out of nothing.”

In his second season with Chivas, the numbers are starting to add up for Torres, who scored seven goals in his 15 games in 2013.

This was his 15th game of 2014 and he already has 10 goals. His 17 goals all of a sudden brings him to within one of tying Maykel Galindo for No. 3 on the club’s all-time scoring list. Galindo scored his 18 in 67 games. Justin Braun scored 24 in 96 games. The leader, Ante Razov, had 30 goals in 76 games.

It was also a night when Torres became the top scorer in MLS history among players from Mexico. He passed the legendary El Tri warrior, Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

“I’m extremely happy and thrilled to have been able to score that goal,” Torres said. “I’m very happy to be able to make history in MLS. I grew up watching Cuauhtemoc play, he was one of my idols growing up. Being able to surpass him is something I cannot even imagine.”

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Watch: Two great goals from Hawthorne’s Gyasi Zardes and Cubo Torres give LA Galaxy and Chivas USA MLS shutout wins

“If Barcelona scored a goal like that, people would be talking about it for weeks,” said Galaxy playmaker Landon Donovan. “It was a good sequence: it was a great ball by Robbie, great run by Marcelo and Gyasi peeled off with a great run and a finish, so I think it was as good a team goal as you’ll seen in this league.”

Here’s the Chivas USA game story from Los Angeles News Group reporter Phil Collin
Reporter Elliott Almond from our sister newspaper the San Jose Mercury News has more on the Galaxy win over the Earthquakes

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Major League Soccer resumes today: LA Galaxy in San Jose, Chivas USA hosts Real Salt Lake

 

Reporter Phil Collin has the capsule previews for the Galaxy and Chivas USA games.

The Galaxy and Earthquakes have just four wins each.

A big crowd is expected at Stanford Stadium for tonight’s Galaxy-Earthquakes game.

Here’s the perspective from Salt Lake City via sister newspaper The Salt Lake City Tribune.

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Chivas USA signs Japanese defender Akira Kaji

akirachivasChivas USA shores up its defense with a former Japanese international with World Cup experience (Photo courtesy Chivas USA).

Chivas USA has signed former Japanese international Akira Kaji from J-League Division 1 club Gamba Osaka, the club announced today.

The 34-year-old right back played for his country at the 2006 World Cup.

“Akira is a very experienced player who is going to help us solidify our back four,” said Chivas USA coach Wilmer Cabrera. “He brings World Cup experience along with an impressive career in a league that is very strong, athletic, competitive and that has a very fast pace. He is a very technical and smart player capable of not only defending but also distributing and possessing the ball when going forward. We are very happy to have Akira join Chivas USA, as his addition will strengthen our team in all aspects.”

Kaji, who has made more than 225 J-League appearances, will be eligible to make his MLS debut after the international transfer window opens on July 8.

Chivas USA resumes action after the MLS World Cup break Saturday against Real Salt Lake in Carson.

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Chivas USA extends loan of top goalscorer Erick “Cubo’ Torres

A no-brainer when the 21-year-old Mexican striker has nine of the 13 goals Chivas USA has managed so far this season, the second-fewest in MLS.

Erick Torres scored against the Galaxy last weekend and will now remain with the team at least through the end of the season, although MLS could exercise an option to extend his contract still more.

The product of the CD Guadalajara youth system led Chivas USA with seven goals last year.

Notable: The forward has 16 goals in 29 appearances since joining Chivas USA last July and is tied with Cuauhtémoc Blanco as the league’s all-time leading scorer among Mexican-born players.

Check out his goal-scoring exploits in the above video.

Chivas USA travel to North Carolina to face the Carolina RailHawks Saturday in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup.

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