Ahead of tomorrow’s playoff opener vs. Real Salt Lake, Chivas USA arrived this evening in Utah after a quick two-hour flight from LAX to Salt Lake City International Airport.

Particularly excited to be back home was rookie standout and Salt Lake City native Justin Braun. The 21-year-old forward saw a few minutes of action in his old stomping grounds during the team’s last trip to Utah, coming on as an 85th-minute sub in Chivas USA’s 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake on Sept. 20.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” said Braun, who was profiled in today’s edition of the Deseret News. “It’s going to be nice to see the family and friends and I’m looking forward to hopefully playing in front of them.”

Having defeated RSL on their old turf at Rice-Eccles Stadium, Braun is anxious to check out the home team’s new digs.

“All my friends have been to Rio Tinto Stadium and they say it’s immaculate. They say it’s one of the best stadiums they’ve seen.”

And not only is Chivas USA expected to be cheered on by the traveling Union Ultras fan club (see below), plus assorted representatives from the Legión 1908 chapters of Utah, Colorado, Idaho and California; Braun is also expecting a contingent of his own.

“I’ll have a lot of friends and family there wearing the Chivas colors,” he said. “Last time here there were about 70 people, between my friends, family and friends of the family. So there should be a pretty good section for us.”

In addition, Chivas USA was accompanied on its mid-afternoon flight by a pair of journalists from Los Angeles: KMEX Univision 34 sports anchor Enrique Gutiérrez and cameraman Juan Paz. Gutiérrez will be reporting live from Salt Lake City before and after Game 1 of the Red-and-White’s Western Conference Semifinal Series. Tune in to Channel 34 at 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights to see more.

Meanwhile, by land, a bus carrying 50 members of the Union Ultras fan club is expected to depart at 9 p.m. PT Friday night from The Home Depot Center, to make the 10-hour trip to Salt Lake City in time for tomorrow’s match in nearby Sandy, Utah. Ultras members who are not traveling will be attending a special viewing party at Red Vest Pizza in Sylmar, Calif, to which all soccer fans are cordially invited.

Saturday’s Game 1 between Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake will be broadcast live at 3 p.m. PT (6 p.m. ET) across the U.S., on Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Sports en Español, and in Latin America on Fox Sports. The decisive Game 2 of the series takes place at The Home Depot Center on Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. PT.

Chivas USA defender Jim Curtin was born and raised near Philadelphia, and even attended Villanova University, just northwest of the City of Brotherly Love. Always a passionate fan of the Philly sports teams, Curtin was thrilled to see the Philadelpha Phillies close out the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night in the fifth game of the World Series, capturing their first MLB championship since 1980, and the city of Philadelphia’s first title in any sport since 1983.

While Philadelphia celebrates today with a parade, Curtin travels to Salt Lake City with the rest of the Chivas USA team ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals, to be played tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. PT. About to board the plane with the team, Curtin weighed in with Dentro del Rebaño on the Phillies’ success, his recollections of his native city’s previous triumphs, and what the Red-and-White have to do to win the MLS Cup this year.

Dentro del Rebaño: How closely have you been following the Phillies run through the playoffs, and their win on Wednesday?
Jim Curtin: I went to all their games that were out here in LA, and the guy that lives next door to me that’s from Philadelphia as well, and we just took turns going to each other’s house to watch the playoff games. It was a blast. I woke up my baby and held her in front of the TV – the old cliché story – to show her, at nine months, she was part of the World Series, our first World Series in a long time.

DdR: How old were you when a Philadelphia team last won a championship? How about when the Phillies last won?
JC: I was four years old and I remember celebrations, but I didn’t really follow that team [the NBA Champion 1983 Philadelphia 76ers]. I mean, the Sixers were in my family, but I wasn’t into it because I was only four. I was at the 1980 parade [for the last time the Phillies won the World Series] as a one-year old. My parents took me to that. Kind of ironic, I suppose, that I have about a one-year old now, and they won it again.

DdR: I bet you’re hoping she doesn’t have to wait as long as you did for the next championship?
JC: I don’t want to be a grandfather for the next parade, I want to be able to get to one of those parades live!

DdR: As a Philadelphia native, what would you say to this Phillies team?
JC: Thank you! That’s a team that I’ll remember forever, all those guys had a great year. I pretty much was watching every game during the course of the year, and they kind of embody the city; there’s no real superstar, or arrogant guy, it’s just a good fundamental team that’s kind of blue-collar and hardworking. I think they represent the city of Philadelphia well, and they’re a team that everyone embraced, and obviously loves now, and will remember forever.

DdR: Does the Phillies win inspire you as Chivas USA heads into the playoffs for the third straight season?
JC: Of course. Anytime you see those celebrations after the game with the champagne and all that stuff, it’s something that I’ve been able to experience twice when I was in Chicago and there’s no better feeling. Any individual awards and all that stuff means nothing compared to a team winning a trophy at the end of the year. It’s huge.

DdR: What does the team need to do tomorrow night before Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals at Real Salt Lake?
JC: We’ve got to come out and set the tone early. It’s going to be a physical series. I mean, you watch a game like last night like Chicago-New England, it’s not necessarily the prettiest soccer, it’s just about guys being willing to go out, stick to our game plan, and fight for the team. Obviously when you go on the road first you want to be cautious, not give up a goal, and then come home and play in front of our home fans where we know we have an advantage. The fans will get nuts behind us and make some noise, and that should be enough to push us over the edge for sure, and get us into the Western Conference Final.

Chivas USA faces fellow 2005 expansion side Real Salt Lake, in the postseason for the first time in club history, in the two-game Western Conference Semifinal, with Game 1 of the home-and-home series taking place this Saturday, Nov. 1, at 3:00 p.m. PT (4:00 p.m. MT), at RSL’s brand-new Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah. Chivas USA will then host the decisive second leg on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 7:30 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center. The first 10,000 fans in attendance for the Nov. 8 match in Carson will receive a free, limited-edition Chivas USA 2008 playoffs t-shirt. The match will be Bonus Game ‘C’ for media parking passes and Chivas USA Season Ticket Holders, and tickets can be purchased by calling 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visiting cdchivasusa.com.

You can watch our game preview on our Official YouTube Channel here:

El Director Técnico de Chivas USA, Preki, explicó que el conjunto Rojiblanco necesita mentalizarse para disputar cada encuentro de la Liguilla como si fuera el último y señaló que hay que tomar los partidos “uno por uno” rumbo a la Copa MLS.

“Pensamos en nosotros y en lo que podemos hacer, no pensamos en otras cosas. Tomamos un juego a la vez y nos enfocamos en estar listos”, indicó Preki, quien durante la campaña sufrió un promedio de casi 6 jugadores lesionados por partido. El entrenador tuvo que utilizar a varios de sus jugadores suplentes y además buscar algunos refuerzos, lo que resultó en un grupo muy fuerte de trabajo.

“Tiene que ser una cuestión de mentalidad entre todos nosotros. Tenemos que trabajar duro todos los días, dar todo de si mismos, hay que tener la misma mentalidad y así podremos hacer el trabajo en la cancha”, indicó el entrenador.

Por su parte, el arquero Dan Kennedy, quien no estará en el partido de ida ante Real Salt Lake en Río Tinto Stadium el próximo sábado debido a que recibió una tarjeta roja, declaró que confía en la habilidad de Zach Thornton.

“Necesitamos ir ahí y sacar un resultado esté yo en la portería o no. Estas cosas son difíciles porque personalmente estoy muy molesto pero al final del día queremos estar aquí el 23 de noviembre y después nada de eso importara”, afirmó el portero.

El guardameta Zach Thornton llegó el pasado 1 de agosto a las filas de las Chivas USA, horas antes del partido ante el Fire en Chicago para cubrir el hueco dejado por Brad Guzan. Sería un escenario que haría temblar a cualquier novato, sin embargo no para Thornton, quien este fin de semana le tocará reemplazar a Dan Kennedy en la portería titular en el partido de ida de la serie de Liguilla entre Chivas USA y Real Salt Lake. Con 13 años de experiencia en la liga, Thornton ha sido Portero del Año de la MLS, campeón de la Copa MLS y tres veces monarca de la Copa Abierta.

“No tengo ningún tipo de presión, he estado en varios partidos como estos durante mi carrera y no siento nada de presión”, indicó Thornton, quien se lesionó el 6 de septiembre en un juego en Toronto y no tuvo acción hasta el minuto 52 del sábado pasado cuando Kennedy fue expulsado y Thornton estuvo bajo los tres palos.

“Fue una situación muy difícil de entrar pero es el trabajo que tiene un arquero substituto, el estar listo para hacer lo mejor posible y darle la oportunidad de ganar a tu equipo”, indicó el guardameta.

Una dulce sorpresa

A last-minute goal from defender Jim Curtin, his first tally since April 8, 2006, gave Chivas USA a 1-1 tie Saturday night with the Houston Dynamo on Fan Appreciation Night at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
The Red-and-White finish the regular season with a 12-11-7 record (W-L-T) and now head to the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
Chivas USA will face Real Salt Lake at brand-new Rio Tinto Stadium next Saturday, Nov. 1 at Sandy, Utah. Chivas USA then hosts RSL on Saturday, Nov. 8, in the second leg of the two-game Western Conference Semifinal Series.

Houston scored the first goal of tonight’s match on a penalty in 52nd minute of the game after Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy was given a red card for a foul in the box on Houston striker Nate Jaqua. Dwayne De Rosario scored the penalty, as the Dynamo (14-5-11, 53 points) finished first in the Western Conference.
Kennedy was replaced in the match by Zach Thornton, who made his first appearance since injuring his hamstring on Sept. 6 in Toronto. With a one match suspension for the red card, Kennedy will miss the first match of the playoffs, next Saturday in Utah.
The Red-and-White learned their first-round playoff opponent at halftime of tonight’s game, when the match between Real Salt Lake and Colorado Rapids ended. RSL needed a draw to secure the third and final guaranteed playoff spot in the Western Conference, and a Yura Movsisyan goal in the 90th minute gave Real a 1-1 tie.
Chivas USA Head Coach Preki, on the match: “After [the penalty] it was very difficult for us, but once again, the guys in the locker room don’t quit. They keep going, they keep fighting, and they got rewarded at the end.”(For a full quote sheet, please visit cdchivasusa.com.)
The match saw the return to the field for several Chivas USA players, including MF Francisco Mendoza (R foot contusion), MF Paulo Nagamura (R knee sprain), Claudio Suárez (L knee contusion), and GK Zach Thornton (L hamstring tear). The Red-and-White were without several others due to injury: DF Eric Ebert (R knee lateral meniscus surgery); FW Maykel Galindo (sports hernia surgery); DF Lawson Vaughn (L ankle surgery); MF Sasha Victorine (L knee sprain); MF Raphael Wicky (R ankle surgery)
Chivas USA now heads into the playoffs for the third straight season, and will play Real Salt Lake in the first-round, home-and-home Western Conference Semifinal. The first leg takes place on Saturday, Nov. 1 in Utah.
The Red-and-White will then host RSL on Saturday, Nov. 8 at The Home Depot Center at 7:30 p.m. at The Home Depot Center. The first 10,000 fans in attendance on the night will receive a free, limited-edition Chivas USA 2008 playoffs t-shirt. Tickets for the squad’s third consecutive appearance in MLS postseason play, starting at just $14, are now on sale by visiting cdchivasusa.com, or calling 1-877-CHIVAS-1.

El legendario defensa mexicano Claudio Suárez le pidió a sus compañeros no desperdiciar la oportunidad de conquistar la Copa MLS este año y explicó que hay que tener una mentalidad ganadora en la Liguilla.

“Muchas veces uno cree que va a tener esa oportunidad otra vez… y cuando te das cuenta ya pasó el tiempo y me ha tocado ver jugadores que nunca han sido campeones, por eso es importante que se mentalicen de trabajar duro y no dejar esta oportunidad”, expresó el defensa mexicano.

“Sé que es de mis últimas oportunidades [de ganar el título] y no la quiero dejar pasar, es por eso que quiero encarar estas finales junto con mis compañeros… lo que les quiero transmitir a mis compañeros es de que tenemos que tener esa mentalidad de lograr el título”, declaró Suárez, quien al final de la temporada tomará una decisión sobre su retiro o continuidad en el futbol profesional.

“Pienso que he hecho una bonita carrera a tope. Analizando, he tenido muy pocas veces bajones de juego. No es fácil mantenerte a un buen nivel, siempre la gente se acostumbra a verte de un momento y no quiero llegar a esa situación donde el futbol te rebasa”, comentó el nacido en Texcoco, México.

Suárez añadió que cuando llegue el momento de su retiro, será de mucha tristeza para él.

“Va a ser un momento difícil. Es una gran nostalgia. El diario ir con tu maletita al entrenamiento y de estar conviviendo con tus compañeros, y de repente, cortarlo es difícil pero tienes que aceptarlo. La vida sigue. Creo que lo más importante es aceptarlo mentalmente. Yo sé que ya son mis últimas y por eso estoy disfrutando todo lo que hago”, agregó.

Chivas USA disputará el último encuentro de la temporada regular este sábado, 25 de octubre, a las 7:30 p.m. en El Home Depot Center, en Noche de Aficionados, donde habrá sorteos y regalos durante toda la noche. Los primeros 7,500 aficionados recibirán un balón de futbol cortesía de Chivas USA a la entrada al estadio.

Chivas USA inicia su participación en la Liguilla el sábado, 1 de noviembre, ante Real Salt Lake o Colorado con el partido de ida en una de las ciudades ya mencionadas. Luego, Chivas USA será anfitrión en el partido de vuelta el 8 de noviembre, a las 7:30 p.m. Hora del Pacífico en El Home Depot Center. Para más información, llamar a 1-877-CHIVAS-1 o visite http://www.cdchivasusa.com/.

The Chivas USA Reserves played a pair of matches over the course of the last week, posting a win and a loss to bring the team’s record to 4-4-3 (W-L-T) on the 2008 season.

The team beat the Colorado Rapids Reserves 2-1 on Sunday, thanks to goals from Keith Savage and Anthony Hamilton. The Red-and-White then fell to the San Jose Earthquakes Reserves 2-1 on Tuesday, with Roberto Nurse’s header counting for the lone Chivas USA goal.

The Reserves will play their final match of the season this Sunday, Oct. 26, against the Houston Dynamo Reserves. The match will start at 10:00 a.m. on Field 6 at The Home Depot Center.

A pair of players have been called up for the Reserve match, and will be eligible on Sunday (though not for Saturday night’s first-team game). Those players are Joe Barton, a goalkeeper formerly of Cal State Northridge and the Atlanta Silverbacks (USL), and Trey Lee, a defender who played at UC Riverside.