Chivas USA in San Diego

A renovated Balboa Stadium would be an ideal spot for an MLS team. Much better than the San Ysidro location that's bandied about every now and again.

 

Nah, Balboa is far too small these days. It's a high school stadium with a little more than 3,000 seats and is essentially part of San Diego High School now. Not to mention parking and access issues. The best spot for a soccer team at least short term is to share either Qualcomm and/or the new Chargers Stadium.

As for this game, I wish they were playing it in the far better suited to soccer Qualcomm rather than PETCO. Either way however how well they do will depend on how well they advertise this game. The Portsmouth game had almost no advertising until about 5 days before the game. They were banking on Club America being a draw that they're not. Chivas is a bigger draw naturally, and tied with some real advertising (which they'll likely get via the Padres tie in) they should do ok at the gate. Probably in the 20-30k range.

 

Chivas USA was named the way it was and placed in Los Angeles because it was believed at the time that the Chivas name would give it a broad appeal that transcended geographic boundaries; a national footprint, if you will. They would ultimately field only Latino players (or so it was believed). Chivas Guadalajara fans in the US would adopt the team as their own in large numbers and enhance the credibility of MLS in the Mexican-American and Latino communities. All of which would be aided by the supposition (at least on the part of Chivas USA's owners) that the team would sweep away all in its path on the way to championship after championship.

Time for a reality check.

Chivas USA is a virtual non-entity in the American soccer landscape. No championships, no star players, no real identity as far as the average soccer fan is concerned, except as Chivas Guadalajara's ugly stepchild. They live in the Galaxy's shadow in almost every sense, even having to pay them to sublet their place (HDC). It's really quite embarassing. Martin Vasquez and his players deserve better.

The "Chivas" name, while arguably still valuable, has failed as a touchstone for their identity. They need to start appealing to a geographic base. They need to lose the "USA" in favor of something less presumptuous (can you imagine the appeal in Seattle of "Sounders USA"? Or in DC if you took "DC" out of "DC United"?). They need to develop a distinct identity at a national level beyond "that other LA team" or "the team where CD Guadalajara rejects go". In short, they need start being and acting like every other MLS team.

Said another way, they need to move, and San Diego is an ideal destination. And not just because Chivas de San Diego sounds a helluva lot better than Chivas USA (which it does.)

 

San Diego deserves a team and Chivas deserves to get out from under the 900 lb guerrilla that is the LA Galaxy. And just think if San Diego gets a team every major market on the west coast will have teams(SD, LA, SJ bay area, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver) That could be a division right there. Make it so MLS.

 

Now THAT would be great

 

Chivas USA to San Diego is such an obviously smart move that you wonder why it hasn't happened yet.

I know they need a stadium down there and there's a lease with AEG where they are now, but those are obstacles that can be worked around with commitment.

And I agree completely with Guava dude that the Chivas USA brand has been a failure. No one outside LA gives a shit and very few within LA seem to care, either. Time to put the team in a market that will embrace it and San Diego is a very logical and obvious choice.

 

What, no love for Sacramento?

 

Coast

 

Moving Chivas USA to San Diego is an obvious move--except there's no appropriate stadium and probably very little chance of local government support in building one. Sharing a football or baseball stadium would cut the team off from a lot of revenue streams, Yeah, it works in Seattle but I don't see san Diego getting 30k plus attendance.

 

Major

 

For now Sacramento already has a team according to MLS, the San Jose Earthquakes. The Quakes territory that was granted by MLS when they came back in 07 includes all of NorCal including Sac.

 

Chivas definetely should take off the USA part of their name wherever they go and assume a regional identity. Chivas de Los Angeles or San Diego still sounds to foreign for the average sports fan. Something like Chivas FC or LA Chivas would be more marketable. But I am embarassed to tell your average US sports fan that we have a team called Chivas USA because they will laugh and say what are your other teams Johnny Walker USA, Jose Cuervo USA.....

 

i think they need to totally re-brand away from Chivas. i understand the owner owns Chivas de Guad. but he should realize by now after 5 years that in the US and MLS a team needs its own identity to succeed. and its own stadium wouldn't hurt.

it doesn't surprise me that almost nobody takes CUSA seriously. they are so obviously the little sister of LAG it is ridiculous. they really deserve their own city and their own stadium and their own name. if you want to keep the hispanic/spanish speaking influence than go with Club Deportivo San Deigo (CD San Diego) or something. get your own unis. and for Odin's sake take the crest of a city in Mexico off your f**king badge and put the crest of the city you actually f**king play in.

 

Portland?

 

Couldn't they move to San Diego and get rebranded as the San Diego Orcas? Maybe get Sea World as a shirt sponsor? The name also works with that one San Diego joke from the movie Anchorman.

 

Totally agree on the crest. And I would love for Chivas to move to SD, as I was born and raised there. However, they do have a fanbase and as a quakes fan I can not support the relocation of a team .... it sucks too much. I would rather see SD get awarded a team straight up then to get another team from LA.

As for the stadium issue, it would be nice to see the Chivas owner (vagaras?) to throw down some cash on one, whether in SD or LA.

As I see it there are a few pressing issues that need to be dealt with for CHivas USA.
-.First, as has been mentioned, drop the USA ... its stupid, no one likes it, make it Chivas LA
-Second, get out of HomeDepot!! Go east young man and build your own stadium with your own fanbase. San Bernardino may not be the most lovely place in the world (yes I lived there for 4 years) but there is a large population there and a high percentage of hispanics

 

Does anyone else find it funny that Chivas USA plays at the Home Depot Center?

For real though, Chivas USA needs to go. Rebrand and relocate to a city that will appreciate and embrace you. The Galaxy can't fill their stadium all the way as it is, we don't need two LA teams. With San Diego and San Jose both with teams, the Galaxy could still have their rivalries. As of right now, Chivas USA has no identity. Their name is copied from a famous Mexican team, from the colors of their jersey to their logo. They share a stadium with one of the most known teams in MLS. They need to move out of their shadow and move to a city that they can represent because they do not represent LA. I've lived in LA all my life and still have not seen one person wearing a Chivas USA jersey or rock a Chivas USA sticker or something. I think if they did move and got their own identity, they could gain a whole new fanbase. Time to move.

 

Chivas really need to form their own identity and fanbase. Right now, they are the LA Clippers of MLS. It's pretty sad and pathetic. If they can get a stadium in San Diego, as Vergara originally wanted, it would go a long way to establishing them in the US soccer landscape. They should also rename themselves Club Deportivo de San Diego and just let "Chivas" be their natural nickname instead of incorporating it into the club's name.

 

Rep Rep.

 

Or just let Chivas be Chivas de Guadalajara in Mexico. If a new team joined MLS called Barcelona USA, would there be a sudden influx of Barcelona fans? Would that team have their own identity, or ride the success of the original Barcelona? I think having gimmicks for teams makes MLS looks bad. I agree. They need to form their own identity and not steal from another famous team.

 

As much as I don't like their name, its not like they don't get support. Their home attendance avg. is higher than 7 other MLS teams. Now would Galaxy attendance go up if they left town? Maybe. Could CUSA draw more if they moved to a new town and changed their name and marketing a little bit? Maybe. But these are all unknowns and as it is now there are approx. 200,000 customers they are bringing to MLS. (Am I taking Attendance numbers too literally?)

 

3,000 seats would be perfect for Chivas USA.

 

Chivas USA has to be the worst name in the history of American professional sports. This team lacks an identity of their own. They should re-brand and ideally either move to another city or build a stadium in a different part of LA. Have a name that is inclusive to everyone and have a name with a regional connection. You'd be surprised how many people will only follow a team that represents their city.