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Chivas USA and Corona Sitting in a Tree
Players from Chivas USA don their new jerseys featuring the Corona branding with help from the Chivas Girls. (Used by permission/Chivas USA)
Players from Chivas USA don their new jerseys featuring the Corona branding with help from the Chivas Girls. (Used by permission/Chivas USA)
The dreaded word fans hate to hear: rebuilding.
It has a tone of resignation and grasping at straws, a built-in excuse for having a poor product. But there it was as Chivas USA announced their new multi-year sponsorship deal with Corona, the first time Corona has sponsored a team in the United States.
Rebuilding the team. Rebuilding the jerseys which were unveiled at The Standard Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles Wednesday night.
After going 8-18-4 last season settling in eighth place in the Western Conference and outside of the playoffs for the first time since their first season of MLS play in 2005, it was clear changes needed to be made. For one, they got a new head coach in Robin Frasier and decided to get more defensive-minded acquiring Heath Pearce and Jimmy Conrad.
“We're going to be tight defensively,” forward Justin Braun told me. “We're going to be hard to play against. We're not going to let easy things get through us.”
Sponsored message
That sounds pretty standard, but that horrid word.
I asked club co-owner and president Antonio Cué Sánchez-Navarro about what he anticipated from the team this season he replied, “We think we're going to be competitive from day one when we get on the field. But we're rebuilding this team, that's for sure.”
Oof.
It didn't help that the unveiling ceremony started with a group of breakdancers on the stage performing to DJ Khalid's “All I Do Is Win.”
But rather being a negative nancy around the festive proceedings doused with Corona and bad cologne, there were sounds of optimism. With the high-powered Galaxy sharing a stadium, Chivas USA is trying to emerge from that shadow while trying to stay true to their Mexican roots.
“Corona is a worldwide brand,” Cue said. “It has a Mexican heritage, it is produced in Mexico, but it is a global brand. Having the endorsement of a company like Corona for Chivas shows the capabilities of this project.
“I'm very excited. They will be a fantastic partner to work with.”
Sponsored message
Braun echoed those sentiments.
“Corona's a big name. Anytime you can have a big company like that on your jersey, it's exciting to have.”
All of that sounds nice, but in professional sports it's all about winning especially in the MLS. If they don't shore things up, no amount of Coronas or cheerleaders will help them bring people to the seats.
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