(From left to right) Top row: Justin Braun, Bobby Burling, Jim Curtin, Dan Kennedy, Zach Thornton, Lance Parker, Atiba Harris, Sasha Victorine, Shavar Thomas, Ante Razov

Middle: Carey Talley, Sacha Kljestan, Josh Beaumont, Kevin Esparza, Carlos LLamosa, Stephen Hamilton, Preki, Shawn Hunter, Leo Percovich, Anthony Garcia, Eduardo Lillingston, Ante Jazic, Jesse Marsch

Botton: Miguel Torres, Lawson Vaughn, Paulo Nagamura, Gerson Mayen, Michael Lahoud, Alecko Eskandarian, Jonathan Bornstein, Maykel Galindo, Jorge Flores, Jose Vargas, Raul Guerrero.

Chivas USA today wrapped up 24 hours of non-stop soccer celebration during the ’24 Hours of Chivas USA’ at L.A. LIVE. From 6 p.m. on Tuesday to 6 p.m. today, Chivas USA celebrated the opening of its 2009 season, which kicks off this Saturday, March 21 vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:30 p.m. at The Home Depot Center.

The ‘24 Hours of Chivas USA’ wrapped up when players and coaching staff took the Chivas USA’s Official 2009 Team Photo, before the event came to a close with a special presentation by the ChivaGirls.

After last night’s game between the ChivaGirls vs. the Southern California Mascots, one of the main attractions on Tuesday, ‘24 Hours of Chivas USA’ continued throughout the night and early morning with live shots, mini-soccer matches involving radio personalities from Super Estrella and KWKW, local soccer teams, and many others. Also, the team took its 2009 Team Photo, which will be published shortly…

PHOTOS: Chivas USA Staff

Hear from Preki and Shavar Thomas after Chivas USA’s 2-2 draw with Houston in the pre-season finale for both teams. Highlights include goals from Thomas and Atiba Harris.

Chivas USA battled on Friday night to a 2-2 draw with the Houston Dynamo in a preseason scrimmage played in the Main Stadium at The Home Depot Center. It was the Red-and-White’s final tune-up before next Saturday’s season opener against the Colorado Rapids, and goals from Atiba Harris and Shavar Thomas earned the tie for Chivas USA.

The Red-and-White dominated the first half of the match, with the forward pairing of Justin Braun and Eduardo Lillingston, the team’s most recent addition, forcing Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad into several good saves. Chivas USA finally broke through just before halftime, when Braun carried the ball into the final third before passing to right midfielder Atiba Harris, who slotted a low, left-footed shot to the far post to give the Red-and-White the 1-0 lead.

The Dynamo tied the match less than a minute after halftime, when substitute Chris Wondolowski hit what looked to be a cross before it floated into the net over goalkeeper Zach Thornton. The Red-and-White regained the lead in the 63rd minute when Shavar Thomas headed in a Carey Talley corner kick. Houston evened the match a second time in minute 76 when Brad Davis hammered in a free kick from 20 yards after a Thomas foul just outside the box.

Houston midfielder Ricardo Clark was sent off in the 77th minute for a foul on Paulo Nagamura that cleared both benches. Matters calmed quickly and both coaches agreed to allow a substitution, with Corey Ashe entering the match for Clark in the 80th minute. With the draw, Chivas USA finishes with a preseason record of 4-3-2 (W-L-T); a full preseason schedule for the team, as well as lineups and statistics from today’s match, can be found below.

Chivas USA kicks off its fifth campaign in Major League Soccer when it hosts the Colorado Rapids in an Opening Day match on Saturday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center. For more information on Chivas USA season tickets, as well as the unbeatable All-Star five-game pack (starting at just $50), please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit cdchivasusa.com.

PHOTOS: Juan Miranda/Chivas USA

Chivas USA will hold its final scrimmage of the 2009 preseason in Carson tonight at 7:00 p.m. PT when the Red-and-White take on the Houston Dynamo ‘under the lights’ at The Home Depot Center’s Main Stadium…

Chivas USA sostendrá el último partido de la pretemporada esta noche a las 7:00 p.m. Hora del Pacífico bajo las luces del Estadio Principal de El Home Depot Center ante el Dynamo de Houston.

Watch Fox Soccer Channel’s report on the recent Soccer Nation Expo 2009 that took place in downtown Los Angeles. Chivas USA’s Justin Braun, Alecko Eskandarian, as well as the ChivaFighter, were present at the event.

Chivas USA kicks off its fifth campaign in Major League Soccer when it hosts the Colorado Rapids in an Opening Day match on Saturday, March 21 at 7:30 p.m. PT at The Home Depot Center. For more information on Chivas USA season tickets, as well as the unbeatable All-Star five-game pack (starting at just $50), please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit cdchivasusa.com.

Jorge Flores played in the United States Under-20 National Team’s 2-0 win over El Salvador on Tuesday, which booked the team a spot in the FIFA U-20 World Cup which takes place in September and October in Egypt.

The win was in the third and final group stage match, and now the team moves on to the semifinals, where the U.S. will face the hosts, Trinidad & Tobago, on Friday at 8:00 p.m. local time (5:00 p.m. PT). Unfortunately, Jorge won’t be able to play in the match, since he received a red card in the 84th minute of the match against El Salvador.

On the U.S. Youth National Teams blog, Jorge gave his thoughts on playing a new position (left back, where he has occasionally trained with Chivas USA, especially during preseason a year ago), and also on the red card that he was given at the end of the match.

Here are the highlights:

On the new spot:
“I will play wherever the coaches want me to, whether that’s at left back or left midfield. I will do my best wherever I am because that’s where the team needs me. I think I did well and it felt good. I think the back four did a good job because they weren’t able to get through us and I don’t think I let my attacker get by me on the wing.”

On his red card:
“The player was antagonizing me, he was pinching me as we were going up the field and talking trash. I kind of threw up my arm to get him off of me and he threw up his arms and took a couple of steps backwards. I did touch him, but I think the assistant referee thought I tried to elbow him.”

You can follow Friday’s match on the USSoccer.com Matchtracker, starting at 5:00 p.m. PT tomorrow. The third-place match and the final will both be played on Sunday, and Flores will be eligible to play in the team’s match on that day.

El 11 de marzo de 2009, el último jugador en salir de la primera generación de Chivas USA, Francisco Mendoza, finalizó su primer encuentro oficial como titular para el equipo hermano, Chivas de Guadalajara, en la victoria de 1-0 ante Caracas F.C. como parte de la Copa Libertadores de América 2009. Desde Guadalajara, “Panchito” recuerda el equipo que lo dio a conocer, sus amigos, recuerdos y por último, sus deseos para el equipo del Rebaño Angelino en la próxima campaña 2009 de la MLS. Vea el video aquí: