Hugo's Introduces Vegan Mac & Cheese
![_Bye, Bye Hollywood Sign... at Least Temporarily [Updated]](http://laist.com/assets_c/2009/12/view_behind_hwdsign-thumb-110x110-464762.jpg)
Bye, Bye Hollywood Sign... at Least Temporarily [Updated]
Mandoline Grill Truck Debuts, Offers Tons of Vegan Options
Photos: Laundry Day in L.A.
One Way to Take Care of Business
Chivas USA defender Jonathan Bornstein may soon be suiting up in Europe. (Getty Images)
Expectations were high for the red-and-white this year after the club finished last year's campaign in the top three in the Western Conference standings for a third year in a row. A notable accomplishment considering the frequency and proliferation of injuries the club sustained throughout the year. The offseason provided a time for healing and making adjustments that seemed to quickly be paying off once the 2009 season got underway.
Chivas USA seemed invincible out of the gate. A rejuvenated Zach Thornton coupled with a stingy defense powered them to a commanding lead in the overall league standings with only a third of the season behind them. Reaching the apex, however, proved to be a source of frustration. Once there, the team's offense stalled and they struggled to improve their standing. Breaks that earlier in the year were going the way of Chivas USA were now in short supply. Then Head Coach Preki Radosavljevic struggled to explain the team's inability to produce on the offensive side, but spirits remained high despite the rest of the league beginning to reel them in.
It would not get any easier as the season entered the summer months. Continuity would be difficult to achieve during the middle third of the season due in part to participation in the SuperLiga tournament. The team struggled to build the necessary momentum to keep pace with conference foes and gradually fell in the standings. As points became scarcer, criticism of midfielder Sacha Kljestan took an inexplicable turn upwards.
While Kljestan seemed to lack some of the dynamism observers had come to know last year, his contributions on the field were on par with the earlier phase of the campaign in which the team had rocketed to first place overall. Certainly more was expected of him this year, but some of the criticism seemed unwarranted. The team had earlier in the year been rather successful without significant contributions from Kljestan, yet when the team hit a rough patch, some quickly wanted to blame the downturn on his on field performance. In reality, his performance was no different during that span of time than when they were winning.
Mounting injuries (again) compounded the offensive struggles through the middle third of the season and the club's playoff prospects began to look less clear. However, Preki's troops would rally through the final third of the season to position themselves within striking distance of the Supporters' Shield and Western Conference Title. Despite their efforts, they were unable to reignite the offense and leverage the games in hand that had come by way of the SuperLiga participation and were unable to claim either prize.
A playoff spot, however, was secured and setup the first ever SuperClasico series versus the Galaxy. Chivas USA performed well, nearly taking the win in the first leg, but eventually were eliminated via a 1 - 0 loss in the second leg. Thus, for a fourth consecutive season, high hopes at the start were squashed in the first round of the playoffs.
It seemed almost a given that Preki would either voluntarily surrender his position or be relieved of his duties given he was at the helm for the last three years that yielded the same playoff result. Days after the red-and-white season ended, Preki and Chivas USA parted ways on mutual agreement. Preki has since moved on to become Head Coach of Toronto FC, while the red-and-whites continue to search for a suitable replacement.
Finding that person will be a difficult task. While some fans and other observers felt it was time for a change in leadership, there are important traits Preki brought to the club which helped them become a team that consistently made the playoffs. First, Preki demands the best from his players and will not settle for anything less. On a related note, he is not easily impressed and at the same time is one to reward hard work -- just ask Michael Lahoud and Jorge Flores. Ultimately these traits were not sufficient to carry the team deeper into the playoffs, but their absence in their next coach may spell trouble.
The rumor mill has already started churning out names of potential replacements, including Martin Vazquez and even Steve Sampson, but nothing has yet been made official. With the coaching change will come a number of questions: What will happen to promising youngsters like Gerson Mayen, Chukwudi Chijindu and Cesar Zamora? Will there still be a role for Mariano Trujillo and Eduardo Lillingston? Where does 'keeper Dan Kennedy fall into the mix next year (assuming he is healthy), given Thornton's Goalkeeper of the Year performance this year? Preki was a big fan of Bojan Stepanovic, will he make a move for him to get him out to Toronto?
There are also a few additional questions to bear in mind: Is Jesse Marsch coming back? Will Jonathan Bornstein move to Europe next year? Does a chance at a World Cup appearance serve as a catalyst for Kljestan's performance and possibly a move to Europe?
Chivas USA has a lot of questions to answer. Stay tuned.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
nice little wrap up.
i was bummed to hear Preki was moving on, as i would have given him one more year to finally win something- win anything. hes done a great job but i understand the need to get someone new.
my idea to not only help on the field but off, bring in Omar Bravo from Mexico. a proven striker that will fill the seats and be the firecracker we need to win games
Thanks.
Preki definitely did a good job. My only critique of him would be that he would sometimes be too quick to blame refereeing for the outcome of games and was a bit too hot headed at times. I think some of the latter would trickle down to his players from time to time, but it is partly understandable. At least they are passionate about the game and care. You can't fault them for that.
I am not convinced Bravo would be a good long term investment. One thing I've learned from talking to Chivas USA fans that go to games on a regular basis is that, much like myself, they don't really care where the player is from, only that he produces and cares about the team. I am not saying the fact he is Mexican would be the appeal, but I am sure that card would be played in the marketing of the team and what have you, so that side note can't be ignored.
The other problem I see is that few Mexican players have actually done well in MLS. Luis Hernandez is the most notable example. He too was a proven striker and joined the Galaxy at a time when the skill level of MLS was arguably lower than it is today, yet he was a total dud.
Also, if you take a look at the make up of the team today, some of its more solid players are not big names. Yamith Cuesta still has some learning to do given his age, but he fit in perfectly. Picking up talented, young players like him is the method I would prefer seeing.
Whilst i dont think Bravo would light up the league at first, i think we could depend on him for at least 5-9 goals a season. Enough to give us that extra push we need to secure an extra few wins here and there.
Also, I wonder about the financial state of the club. Ive been to too many empty stadiums to think they can be doing well in the long run. And Bravo's the only guy i can think of that would be able to fill those seats immediately. and depending on his salary, he may not need to be our designated player.
RE: Cuesta - im still unsure about him but right now; my judgment is clouded as i'm still pissed off about his terrible mistake in the first playoff game that handed the galaxy a goal and then it was his foul that gave them a penalty in game 2...
Good points on Bravo. I think if you look at that way, a move here would be successful. However, one does have to wonder how many others would look at it that way, rather than expect him to be *the* dominant player in the league.
I think you are right about the attendance, although, their roster isn't too expensive, so while they are unlikely to be in the black, they are likely not a money pit either. It is always interesting that Sunday games are poorly attended, as in, VERY poorly attended, especially if they are noon. The only thing I can reason is that people are at church or the time coincides with other matches on TV. The same happens at Galaxy events, but I think it is worse for Chivas USA games.
Cuesta definitely still has some learning to do. We have to remember that he is barely 20 years old and he'll make mistakes. It is a shame that they come at the worse moments, but one can't really plan a good time for a mistake.
I think he has the capacity of being a great defender in MLS. He seems to be very hard on himself as far as his play goes. It'll be interesting to watch him develop, hopefully in MLS.