Major League’s Soccer worst kept secret is now finally out in the open: Chivas USA will not return to Major League Soccer for the 2015 season. MLS Commissioner Don Garber announced the decision in a letter released to the public early on Monday.
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The club, which wrapped up their 2014 season on Sunday with their 1-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes, had been in trouble of folding for months. In September, Sports Illustrated’s Brian Strauss reported back in September that the league was looking to put the club on hiatus and eventually re-brand them in one to two years time.
This report, coupled with the club’s dwindling attendance and poor record, made the situation seem inevitable. It is a sad turn of events given how strongly the club did at the start of their MLS tenure.
Aside from their 2004 opening season, Chivas USA had a strong mid-2000’s winning the 2006 Western Conference regular season title and making the playoffs in four consecutive seasons (2006-2009).
But the situation with Chivas USA turned when President and CEO Shawn Hunter and Vice President of Soccer Operations Stephen Hamilton left the club in late 2010. Hunter and Hamilton were two of the architects of the club’s early success bringing in coaches Bob Bradley and Preki and drafting goalkeeper Brad Guzan and midfielder Sacha Kljestan.
The club’s situation became even more tenuous when owners Jorge Vergara and Angelica Fuentes (they are married) bought out the other owners of the club. Accusations of discrimination followed the ownership throughout their tenure until MLS bought them out in February 2014.
Los Angeles will not be a one MLS team for long. In his letter to Chivas USA supporters, Garber announced that a new MLS club will be coming to the L.A. market in 2017. No ownership groups or specific plans were given beyond that.
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To compensate for the loss of Chivas USA, and the additions of New York City FC and Orlando City SC, Sporting Kansas City and the Houston Dynamo would be moving to the Western Conference for the 2015 season.
While no one obviously wants to see a team fold, this move does allow the league to create two ten team conferences. This in turn balances out the schedule, which has been a huge issue for the league and the supporters for years.
What still needs to be resolved is the dispersal of Chivas USA players. The league mentioned that there will be a dispersal draft at an unscheduled time. How this fits in with the expansion draft for NYCFC and Orlando City (December 10th,) the MLS Supplemental Draft (January 2015,) and MLS SuperDraft (also January 2015) is unknown. The MLS Cup will be taking place on Sunday December the 7th leaving a very small window between the 2014 finale and the beginning of the 2015 season.
What is also unclear is if player salaries will transfer over in such a draft. Also in question would be the loan status of star striker Erick “Cubo” Torres, who is still property of C.D. Guadalajara.
MLS Multiplex’s own Jo-Ryan Salzaar has an excellent piece covering the history of Chivas USA up that I urge everyone to read.