Might not be 50, but it would have to be more than 30. Start with 30, assuming MLS keeps its 30 game schedule. If each team made the playoffs, they could each play 1 home game in the first round (if the playoffs stayed the same), but if they both made the second round, they'd have to play each other, so that could only be one game. So that's 3 playoff games. You'd have to figure they'd each play a friendly or two. Call it 3 friendlies a year between the two. You're up to 36. Nats (men and women) would probably play once a year there, each. That's 38. UCLA played there once last season, right? Figure they (or some other college team or teams) would play there once or twice a year? So it's probably not 50, but it's probably around 40. And if the Galaxy and Chivas USA shared the HDC, there would be a game on that field pretty much at least once (and sometimes twice) a week from April through November. It's not only the number of games, but the lack of recovery time for the field. I'm not a horticulturalist, so I don't know, but it would seem to me eventually the grass is going to show the effects. Whether it's manageable or not, I have no idea.
Exhibitions (such as match versus Real Madrid), USOC matches (assuming they are played at HDC), CONCACAF Champs league matches (next year maybe), National team matches, etc I think that they should play derbies at the Rose Bowl. That would give HDC a four game break and allow the teams to sell more tickets. Maybe they should only do it part of the time (if the novelty threatens to wear off) - say one home game apiece.
Re: Who built home depot center ? In the short run, the appeal of this idea is obvious. $$$ And if a good short run means that MLS adds 3 quality expansion teams in the next 2 years, and AEG can sell off one of its team, then it's probably worth it. But it's also true that this makes Chivas a renter, not an owner. An owner takes better care of his house than a renter. It gives Chivas the power to take their ball and go home in 3 or 5 or 7 years without much damage. So there's a real potential downside. I hope MLS has a great binding commitment, written in blood, stone, and ink, from Vergara. Um, you're not making any sense here. They can come to the Gals and chant.
Re: Re: Who built home depot center ? I wouldn't be shocked if MLS were happy to see Chivas take their ball and go home in 3 or 5 or 7 years.
Xenophobia Thereby defeating the purpose of having your own stadium. If there'd be as much interest as you seem to think to justify playing at the Rose Bowl (which is an awfully big yard), wouldn't this mean four guaranteed 27,000-tickets-sold matches a year? With all the ancillary revenue going to MLS rather than the Rose Bowl folks? I'll take that, all things considered. Why? Why would you want a short-term relationship with someone when all the groundwork that's being laid now is to ensure the long-term future of the league? And if you think someone's not good enough to have around in 3-7 years, why have them around now? I doubt that MLS would be happy to see any investor (post-Horowitz) take his ball and go home. It's not like you can swing a dead cat and hit a potential investor.
Re: Re: Re: Who built home depot center ? Maybe then MLS will give up trying to attract fans that aren't interested in their local team.
Re: Xenophobia I didn't mean that MLS wants it to be a short-term relationship. I meant that at some point in the future after the Chivas team is in the league, the relationship could sour and then Chivas will want to leave and MLS would say "Good riddance." This isn't want anyone wants but I won't be surprised if it happens. Honestly I won't be surprised if it happens even before the team ever plays a game.
Re: Re: Re: Who built home depot center ? Why, because MLS doesn't want to make money or attract more fans?
Well, pretty certain, I'll bet...as he/she did have that whole idea before anyone at MLS, AEG, or SUM did......BFD!!!
KEEP CHIVAS OUT OF LA!!! LA is a big market but it can only support one of each team. Send the Chivas to anaheim or san diego. Chivas in LA would mean disaster. MLS is still a weak league and can't expect to milk a market where it still fights for recognition. Send CHIVAS to the NY/NJ area, San Diego, or Anaheim. Just keep it away from the Los Angeles area and Los Angeles County.
$$$$$$ This is the concern of MLS ownership these days- minimizing losses. Chivas LA will fill HDC almost every game, at least the first season. It is, unfortunately, the best solution to $ problems. HDC will return its investment to the owners, but there is the question of whether anyone will still go to Galaxy games, and whether there will be problems at the Chivas-Galaxy matches.
Ridge Mahoney in his recent MLS Confidential talks about some of the "Red Flags" of a Chivas move to LA and the HDC. I was going to try to condense all the arguments but instead I quote in large part. Again, I hope it's not a violation of TOS: There are official of U.S. Soccer who use the HDC; they are not happy about sharing the building with a team owned by a Mexican. Jack Warner wanted various federations to be able to use the stadium and fields for practice, training...for free. U.S. Soccer politiely declined. US Soccer ha dreservations about SUM sponsoring Interliga. The field needed resodding last year after the concert. With all the usage they're very worried it'll be too much. There wsa a rubby tourney, Interliga and a couple of Mexican nationalt eams games already this year. woudl not expand national tv footrpint, which isn't high on the negatives, but which isn't unimportant. MLS is wary about sharing the LA market but some Galaxy execs believe all those Chivas who showed uup for the All STar game last summer would show up again in droves. the derbies would be great. LA led the eague last year with 21,000 attendance. It is a HIGH priority for LIeweke to fill the remaining seats.
I'm trying to figure out how you get these MLS Confidentials close to a day before me. They must email them in waves?
Re: Re: Chivas to play on Home Depot Center in LA And yes, I did send a letter, because I was tired of the rampant speculation. I never got a photo, though it should have been easy to attach one. Sorry to beat a dead horse.. but it was not speculation. Unless that stream of urine was added graphically.. i'd say it was real. Many of us saw it and for some of yous to say we didnt see it was bullshyt. That attitude like, "oh no, not ours?!? not my little johnny" was kind of pathetic You certainly never bothered to send it. And when I saw rdl's link on the thread topic weeks later, I DID click on it to see for myself. I got stuck watching a whole show of Mundo Deportivo before i realized they had updated the show and the video was gone. I was actually going to send it to you via PM, but I decided not to because I didnt want you to assume that it was personal attack on you. So conclusive proof, for me, at least, on that topic is still missing. I admire you, you dont believe something until you have conclusive evidence. [sarcasm] i'm sure you dont base your judgement off mathctracker when MLS teams face MFL teams and make blanket accusations about how games are bought and so on[/sarcasm] anyhow... me think many wont change thier CHivas jersey for a Chivas Jr jersey
How Ironic How ironic. 1. An MLS team finally gets a "wcf" (world class facility) to call its own, and after one year it has share it with a Mexican team; home games aginst Chivas will be away games. 2. You have an owner (Vegara) who is willing to commit resources to a new team (we all want more SSS's) and he doesn't need to. Also, what will the Chivas fans in the US do when they find out the Chivas USA is not all Mexicans?
Re: Re: Chivas to play on Home Depot Center in LA Landon Donovan & Joe-Max Moore come from very wealthy families. I'm sure there are many more but those come to mind. Imagine what these players would be like if they were actually hungry like underpriveleged children, basically the attitude difference Arena eluded to several times since the Haiti match. Also - I think the Chivas playing at the HDC until they buy their own stadium in West LA is a GENIUS move. If there were multiple teams in Chicago, NYC and LA the rest of the country would be drooling for their own local teams.
as much Chivas "home" games at HDC vs. G's will be "away" games. I don't see masses of Galaxy fans staying away out of fear. In fact, one of the attractions of Chivas is the possibility of galvanizing fans against them. I foresee Central Americans, Mexicans and Gringos standing firm. It won't be like the All-Star game when LA fans protested vs. the selection of Chivas as the opponent by not showing up. That's for sure. Uh, it's not like it won't be any secret to be unveiled opening day. The selling point will be a Latino style of play w/ predominantly Spanish speakers (a healthy % of non-Latinos in MLS right now, btw) on the team. It's not too difficult to fathom.
Re: Re: Re: Chivas to play on Home Depot Center in LA Landon Donovan was raised by a single mom who worked (and still does, as far as I know) as a special ed teacher in a public school. Not even close to a wealthy family.
Where on the West Side? That is valuable property. Even if they were to get on board w/ UCLA to build an intimate stadium, the real estate costs would be tremendous. As a former West Side resident (Venice, not of the 13 variety, but very close), I can't imagine the traffic nightmares that would induce. The East Side would be better, say like East LA College in Monterrey Park.