CARSON, Calif. -- With nearly all of their starters from the 2008 campaign returning this year, Chivas USA have their sights squarely set on winning the MLS Cup. And after adding a couple new faces to complement the stable of veteran talent, the team looks poised to make a real run into the postseason in 2009.
"It's all about winning trophies," said Chivas head coach Preki, now in his third year with the team, "Hopefully we'll give ourselves a chance or two to do that this year."
Returning to Chivas USA for the 2009 season is much of the team's core talent from last year. MLS Originals Jesse Marsch and Ante Razov will lead a team that's loaded with experience.
Five-time MLS All-Star Zach Thornton returns to the net looking leaner and more agile than last year. The defense in front of him will include 11-year veteran and 1999 MLS Cup winner Carey Talley and 2004 MLS All-Star Jim Curtin.
Chivas USA's midfield is perhaps its strong point, boasting two members of the U.S. national team. Sacha Kljestan, a natural right wing, and Jonathan Bornstein, a left-back who will probably push up onto the left flank this season, give the Red-and-White a powerful creative spark in the midfield.
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SIGHTS & SOUNDS
They are supported by Marsch and Brazilian Paolo Nagamura in the middle, two players with tons of experience and plenty of time playing together.
Chivas USA's striker corps battled injuries all last year, with 2004 MLS Cup MVP Alecko Eskandarian and 2007 Chivas USA Golden Boot winner Maykel Galindo both sidelined for much of the campaign. Second-year man Justin Braun has begun to find his stride, however, and should shoulder some of the work this season.
Then in the days leading up to the season opener, the group was further bolstered by the addition of Eduardo Lillingston, an 11-year veteran of the Mexican Primera Division.
Not returning to the Red-and-White this year are Mexicans Francisco Mendoza and Claudio Suarez. Suarez, the second-most capped player of all time, has retired from professional soccer at the age of 40. Speedy left-winger Mendoza has signed with CD Guadalajara.
"Claudio is a world-class player and a great guy to have in the locker room," said Sacha Kljestan. "And Francisco was a Chivas USA original. It's tough to lose guys like that."
Preki and his staff have made moves to fill the spaces left by Mendoza and Suarez with some new faces, the most prominent of which is veteran defender Ante Jazic.
"Ante is a great veteran player who has played at a top level for many years in both Europe and in the MLS," said Kljestan. "He's a good player to have on the field that we can connect with. I'm happy about his signing."
The Canadian-born Jazic comes to the Red-and-White by way of a trade with the Los Angeles Galaxy that sent Chivas USA's second round draft pick (19th overall) to their Home Depot Center rivals. With Suarez having hung up his boots and second-year Bobby Burling recovering from ankle surgery, Preki will be glad to have the experienced defender as an option.
"I've felt really comfortable from the first day," said Jazic. "I settled in quickly and I'm happy to be here. ... Chivas USA has a great locker room and a good mix between veteran leadership and young players."
One of those young players is Wake Forest alumnus Michael Lahoud, who was selected ninth overall in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft.
Lahoud should add a welcome set of young legs in a midfield that, with the departure of speedy winger Mendoza, will need to pick up some pace.
"He's an exciting and versatile player," said Preki. "It's up to him to push hard and challenge for a spot."
While he's an exciting prospect, Lahoud has a lot to learn before he sees any serious playing time.
"Michael has great physical abilities," said Talley. "Now it's about really getting him integrated with the team and the whole concept of how we do things here." Another new face that will see plenty of time on the field is Mexican striker Lillingston, a 31-year-old who has spent the entirety of his professional career in the Mexican Primera Division with such teams as CF Atlas and Santos Laguna. Most recently he played for Guadalajaran outfit Tecos UAG, where he scored 15 times in 81 appearances.
While these new players will certainly help the Chivas USA cause this year, the team must, first and foremost, find a way to stay healthy if they hope to challenge for the 2009 MLS Cup.
"We had a pretty bad spell of injuries last year," said Talley. "The key to anybody's season is avoiding injuries, but for us it really seems to be the case."
The Red-and-White had a very unlucky 2008 campaign. Galindo, Bornstein, Lawson Vaughn and Alecko Eskandarian, all of whom would normally be in the starting XI, all spent time on the sideline with various injuries.
"We're trying to take it a game at a time right now," said Thornton. "If we stay healthy, I think we're a very good team."
Beyond overcoming any injury problems, Chivas USA must also find a way to win away from home. The Red-and-White lost eight of their first 12 away matches in 2008, earning only one victory during that time.
This problem is specifically troubling in the context of the postseason. In each of the last three years, it was the away leg of Chivas USA's Western Conference Semifinal Series that ultimately prevented their progression to further rounds of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
In fact, Chivas USA has never scored a goal away from The Home Depot Center during postseason play. But with players like Galindo and Eskandarian finally coming back from injury, confidence in the Red-and-White camp about Chivas USA's ability to score goals is high.
"The guys are getting back on the field, that's the main thing right now," said Preki. "Hopefully, as we get closer to the season, they'll be ready. And I think they will be."
"It's great to look up and see Galindo," said Nagamura. "Everyone knows dangerous he can be."
The return of Galindo and the addition of players like Jazic and Lillingston might be the final pieces in the puzzle for Chivas USA.
"I think we're going to be strong," said assistant coach and former Chivas USA defender Carlos Llamosa. "If we have a full team ready to go, I think we're going to challenge for the MLS Cup."
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