The problem with a Chivas rebrand is that who wants any of Chivas's current trainers, coaches, players or front office outside of maybe 3 guys? I'm not being a jerk here, I am entirely serious. I imagine the Scorpions (TX), Stars (MN), Sacramento FC would prefer to keep their current roster and bolster it with new players a la Portland rather than get saddled with a hot mess and a half. Frankly, I can see Chivas simply being dissolved with expansion teams picking the remains in the expansion draft (i.e. Dan Kennedy) and MLS promising to get a second LA team before the conferences are re-distributed (i.e. Houston goes West with Kansas City). There won't be a formal 'Chivas moves to X City as 'new team name.'
I don't think that there will be an LA2 playing next year. The team was taken over before the season and rumors were that the new owners would be revealed at the ASG. We are now in September, there is no ownership group, and the team only has a few hundred people going to the actual games. The league is loosing money on this team and I can't see it happening another year. And if the rebrand doesn't happen until winter, it would be far too little time to market the new team and find season ticket holders. We have 2 teams coming in 2015 and a conference in balance. Shutting LA2 down for 2 years makes a lot of sense. It would allow some separation between LA2 and CUSA. It would give MLS more time to find the right owner and the right stadium deal It would balance the conferences at 10 each in 2015 and 2016 When Atlanta comes in 2017 LA2 could come in with them keeping conferences balanced again at 11 Letting CUSA players available to the expansion teams could help lessen the watering down of talent in 2015
During the ASG week, Mark Abbott said that CUSA would remain at Stub Hub for the 2015 season and might still be named CUSA. Has there been any report from the league office that has contradicted or changed this statement?
Clearly this is a JK. Chivas USA roster is way better then some of the teams in MLS. The problem with the team on the field is the lack of goals. Crazy to think top players would want to come to MLS & play for teams in Minnesota, Sacramento, Austin. It seems unfair to say LA2 wouldn't work without a proper rebrading & new location in LA. At the end of the season we will see what MLS decides to do with Chivas USA.
The 44 goals allowed in 26 games indicates an all around problem. The reality is that players from many places in the world would come to MLS teams that are willing to pay them and particularly those with new stadiums, consistent fanbases and high quality of life. Yes, LA has a certain allure, but as long as the team is a rebranded Chivas, they will simply be 'the other team that shares a stadium with the Galaxy.' I believe it would require a herculean effort to rebrand in order to approach 3/4 of what NYCFC has (particularly with the big money connections), at which point you realize that maybe you're better off waiting until you have a stadium lined up and people have forgotten Chivas ever existed (say, 2016 for the first year without a stadium and 2017/18 for a stadium year). And with regard to San Antonio, Sacramento and Minnesota- all of these places could be very solid soccer cities. The Scorpions plan to expand their stadium to 18,500; Minnesota has an excellent fanbase and is designing plans to build a new SSS near the Minneapolis Farmer's Market and even Sacramento is more ideal than immediately rebranding Chivas and keeping them at StubHub. Last point, and the main reason why they will likely be cannibalized. There are going to be too many expansion drafts coming up. In 2015 alone we have NYCFC and Orlando FC's first season, and then either 2016 or 2017 we have Atlanta and maybe Minneapolis/Sacramento/San Antonio. It might make sense in the event of 2 or more simultaneous drafts to have these teams pick 4 or so players from Chivas before moving on to the unprotected players from other clubs. The alternative would have to be allowing teams to protect 12 or even 13 players on their roster, or else suffer a loss of valuable depth.
We will see what happens. Way to many rumors. I spoke to someone who works close to Nelson Rodriguez in regards to the future of the club. All they said was the team did have more than 2 suitors interested in buying the club.
Update today via Twitter: 507568091472355328 is not a valid tweet id On Reddit, Dan provided the exact conversation: Interesting that Garber doesn't refer to the team as Chivas USA.
Why would he? They're not going to be Chivas anymore as soon as the final whistle is blown on 26 Oct.
Because they currently are still CUSA and will be until that final whistle. The reporter asked about Chivas, and The Don responded with "the second team in LA". I just found it funny.
The full transcript has been posted on the Gothamist's site. There are some interesting points beyond the CUSA bit. http://gothamist.com/2014/09/04/gothamist_speaks_with_mls_commissio.php
I find it pretty informative actually. They're already distancing themselves and the franchise that is the trainwreck known as Chivas USA. I'm sure they'd end LA2's season and misery today if they could rather than let this play out another 2 months.
Just wondering here. If you were hired as new coach/GM of LA2/replacement CUSA for 2015, what would do with the current roster? Gut it completely? Rework entire defense? Move heaven & earth to keep Torres?
I believe there is a buy option built into Torres' loan, that would have to be #1 priority player wise. The re-entry draft (part how DC rebuilt themselves this year) probably won't have many decent options because of an expansion draft with 2 teams, but they should have plenty of cap space (especially when the cap increases with the new CBA) and allocation money for finishing near the bottom. So scouting Central/South America would need to be a priority too and maybe using some of that allocation money as trade bait. Then they'll likely have the #3 or #4 pick in the SuperDraft, can be a crapshoot but should get a talented player there. Still a big effort though.
Do you keep Rigel-Coker? Pelleteiri? Do you build around Kennedy (again)? Also I wonder who is begging to be traded behind closed doors.
Still needs to be officially announced, but that seems to seal it. Not only last year of the goat, but perhaps last year of LA2 as well. What a kick in the balls... http://www.thegoatparade.com/2014/9...n-hiatus-for-2015-mls-season-la2-brian-straus
We'll see. Part of me agrees that it's not good for MLS to lose a team, even temporarily. But then I'm not sure dragging this out is good for the league either. And it appears that no matter what happens at this point with new ownership that 2015 would end up being another lame duck year. And this year has been pretty bad across the board with Chivas USA limping along barely functioning on any level.
The LA/OC/IE market is deep enough for 3 MLS teams. So fretting over LA2 is nonsense. There will be a buyer. The question is hoe rich and ambitious is the buyer? NYC is having a hard time getting a SSS but they have committee ownership and are off to a good start ticket wise. They had years to prepare. LA2 will need almost as much time, even if there was already a handshake agreement in place for the sports arena site. THAT is why a hiatus is necessary. Ten point plan if I was the new owner: 1. Unveil the new brand and badge 2. Sign Cubo long term and loan to whoever wants to deal 3. Assemble a front office, back office and establish a physical office / presence. 4. Run a USL pro team out of Weingart. 5. Advertise the heck out of it. 6. Give official blessing to one or more supporters groups 7. Loan out all players you want to keep in MLS to MLS sides 8. Run the academy like nothing has happened other than new colors and badge 9. Sign three DPs before MLS play resumes. Hopefully play resumes after only two year hiatus. I personally think a three year hiatus is too long. If necessary play one year in Weingart or Fullerton. 10. Finally, get a local tv deal signed before the hiatus ends . I consider that a sub component of advertising throughout, which will be expensive buy necessary This is the only way to create a superclub to compete with LAG who will one day move downtown. Little doubt.
Actually very good plan, most of which, to be honest, we've discussed here, minus the hiatus. Good plan. I think I could actually live with a hiatus if it means a successful re launch and club
I think the hiatus might be necessary for two reasons. First, no owner is likely to be able to close on the purchase of the club, finalize a business plan, re-brand and re-launch the club in the time that remains until March 2015. Second, status quo is not an option. Another Chivas year in MLS with the present (or possibly even worse) attendance figures is a drag on the entire league. Agree with holly nichole music that it's vital to sign Cubo long-term. I also think that running a USL Pro club, if necessary with the Chivas brand and colors for one more year, is essential to maintain and consolidate the fan base the club has. Marketed correctly that club could post respectable attendance numbers at Titan Stadium (a 10,000-seater, natural grass pitch). Weingart seats 20K so that may be too big. At the end of the day I think Chivas fans should remain optimistic. There is no way that LA should not have two clubs in MLS. I just think that the future for LA2 has to be a club with a distinct identity at its own home field.
Is it though? They have like 600 fans left. At this point it wouldn't shock me to see the league throw the hardy few that have hung around simply to try and lure back the thousands they drove away the last 10 years and the millions more they never got interested in the outgoing club to begin with. If 600 fans that couldn't be driven away by the insanity that was Chivas are pushed out so be it. But if anything they've proven they'll stay through anything, and I suspect many of the 600 left will stay even through a hiatus. If they haven't been driven away to this point nothing odds are not much will drive them away.
http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/story/2061689/chivas-usa-to-suspend-operations-after-mls-seasonsources-say Crazy to thing MLS & supposed new ownership want a 2 year hiatus.