Chivas USA is playing in just its second season in MLS, but already the team is working to extend its influence. According to an article by Fred Robledo in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Chivas USA "has approached Cal Poly Pomona about building a satellite center near the campus, a project that would bring Major League Soccer a step closer to the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire."
The proposal has led to speculation that the club, the sister team to Mexico's beloved Club Deportivo Guadalajera [sic], might one day build a stadium south of the school on land once occupied by the Spadra landfill.
Currently, Chivas USA plays in Carson at the Home Depot Center, owned and operated by Anschutz Entertainment Group. AEG also owns the L.A. Galaxy, an MLS rival of Chivas USA.
In Robledo's story, Antonio Cue, the president of Chivas USA, denied that the team is looking to move now. But the concept is intriguing. First, it gets Chivas USA out from under AEG's lease and the Galaxy's home. (Imagine how Chivas USA owner Jorge Vergara must cringe every time he sees the signage at Home Depot for Herbalife, a business competitor to his own Omnilife.) Second, it positions the team to better reach Latinos in the Inland Empire.
For now, Robledo notes, "Chivas USA's proposal to Cal Poly Pomona includes player clinics, having player appearances, and many other projects -- all in hopes of luring fans and identifying the next generation of Latino players."
This Sunday, Chivas USA will make its first appearance in the MLS playoffs, hosting the Houston Dynamo at . . . Home Depot.
