List of Chivas USA managers
Chivas USA was a soccer team based in Carson, California, that competed in Major League Soccer (MLS) from 2005 until 2014, after which the team folded.[1][2] The club shared ownership with Mexican club C.D. Guadalajara.[2] Chivas USA employed nine different managers, in addition to two interim managers. The longest-serving manager was Preki, who took charge of 96 league and playoff matches, with a 41.67% win rate. The club reached the playoffs in all three seasons that he led the team. The next-most successful manager was Bob Bradley, who took charge of 34 matches with a 32.35% win rate before being hired by the U.S. men's national team. The shortest-serving manager was Thomas Rongen, who took charge of ten matches in the club's inaugural season.
Managerial history
[edit]Inaugural season (2005)
[edit]
Chivas USA introduced their first head coach Thomas Rongen at a press conference on September 23, 2004. Rongen had previously coached the Tampa Bay Mutiny, New England Revolution, D.C. United, and the US men's under-20 team. His hiring was met with criticism as he did not speak fluent Spanish, even though the club was trying to reach a Spanish-speaking market.[3] Rongen's tenure lasted only 10 games and, with the team at a 1–8–1 record, he became the club's sporting director. Assistant coach Javier Ledesma, a former goalkeeper for C.D. Guadalajara and the Mexico national soccer team, replaced him as the interim manager.[4] The club announced Hans Westerhof, the director of football for C.D. Guadalajara and Deportivo Saprissa, as the new head coach on June 3.[5] Westerhof's stint with the club was disappointing, with only three wins, but at the end of the season he announced he would be returning for the next season.[6] He was nevertheless dismissed from the club within a month, but was hired as the manager of C.D. Guadalajara a week after his dismissal from the MLS side.[7]
Success under Bradley and Preki (2006–2009)
[edit]
On November 22, 2005, the club announced the hiring of American coach Bob Bradley. Bradley held the record for most wins of any MLS coach in league history, with stints at the Chicago Fire and NY/NJ Metrostars.[8] The club's season under Bradley was more successful than its first, with an 11–10–13 record including the club's first playoff appearance.[9] At the end of the year, Bradley was awarded MLS Coach of the Year.[10] Bradley was hired as the interim manager of the U.S. Men's national team and stepped down from his post.[11]
The club's next hiring was Preki, a former player for the U.S. Men's national team who had served as an assistant coach under Bradley the previous season.[12] Like Bradley, Preki was awarded MLS Coach of the Year in his first season.[13] During his tenure, the club reached the playoffs for three consecutive seasons, losing in the first round each time.[14] At the end of the 2009 season, he departed the club having amassed a 40–32–24 record.[9][14]
Decline and club dissolution (2009–2014)
[edit]
The club hired Martín Vásquez on December 2, 2009. Vasquez had been an assistant coach at C.D. Guadalajara, and was the only player to that point to play for both the U.S. and Mexican national soccer teams.[15] Vasquez lasted one season and was fired after leading the team to an 8–18–4 record.[16] Before the club hired its next coach, both Shawn Hunter (the chief executive) and Stephen Hamilton (the vice president of soccer operations) departed the club. On January 4, 2011, Real Salt Lake assistant Robin Fraser was announced as the sixth head coach of the club.[17] Fraser was fired at the end of the 2012 season, with the team in last place in the Western Conference.[18]
On December 12, 2012, the club announced the hiring of Jose Luis Sanchez Sola, known as Chelís, a former Primera Division manager.[19] Chelís was fired halfway through the season with a 3–7–2 record, a day after former coaches Ted Chronopoulos and Dan Calichman filed a lawsuit against the club alleging that they were fired for not being Latino. The team put out a statement after the firing, saying that "While serving as Chivas USA head coach, Sanchez Sola not always followed [sic] the patterns of respect and conduct implemented by Major League Soccer, as well as by Chivas USA."[20] José Luis Real was announced as the next head coach, with Sacha van der Most taking over as interim for a single match before Real arrived.[21] Real led the team to a 3–6–12 record and on November 25, 2013, the club announced that he would take over as manager of C.D. Guadalajara.[22]
On January 9, 2014, Wílmer Cabrera was announced as the head coach for the club.[23] In February of that year, the league purchased the club for $70 million from owner Jorge Vergara. By the end of the season, the club's average attendance hit an all-time MLS low of 7,063. On October 26, 2014, the club played its last match, ceasing operations the next day.[24] Cabrera ended his time at the club with a 9–16–6 record.[25]
List of managers
[edit]- Key
- Names of interim managers are highlighted in italics and marked with an asterisk (*).
- Match results contain all league games and MLS playoff matches.
| Name | Nationality | From | To | Matches[9] | Won[9] | Lost[9] | Drawn[9] | Win %[9][a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas Rongen |  Netherlands[3]
|
September 23, 2004[3] | May 30, 2005[4] | 10 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 10.00 |
| Javier Ledesma* |  Mexico[4]
|
May 30, 2005[4] | June 3, 2005[5] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.00 |
| Hans Westerhof | Netherlands[5]
|
June 3, 2005[5] | November 21, 2005[8] | 21 | 3 | 14 | 4 | 14.29 |
| Bob Bradley |  United States[8]
|
November 22, 2005[8] | December 8, 2006[11] | 34 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 32.35 |
| Preki | United States[12]
|
January 17, 2007[12] | November 12, 2009[14] | 96 | 40 | 32 | 24 | 41.67 |
| Martín Vásquez | Mexico[15]
|
December 2, 2009[15] | October 27, 2010[16] | 30 | 8 | 18 | 4 | 26.67 |
| Robin Fraser | United States[17]
|
January 4, 2011[17] | November 9, 2012[18] | 68 | 15 | 32 | 21 | 22.06 |
| Chelís | Mexico[24]
|
December 12, 2012[19] | May 29, 2013[21] | 12 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 25.00 |
| Sacha van der Most* | Netherlands[26]
|
May 30, 2013[21] | June 1, 2013[21][b] | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0.00 |
| José Luis Real | Mexico[28]
|
May 29, 2013[27][b] | November 25, 2013[22] | 21 | 3 | 12 | 6 | 14.29 |
| Wílmer Cabrera |  Colombia[29]
|
January 9, 2014[23] | October 27, 2014[25] | 34 | 9 | 19 | 6 | 26.47 |
See also
[edit]Notes
[edit]- ^ Win % is rounded to two decimal places.
- ^ a b José Luis Real was announced as the new head coach on May 29, 2013, but Sacha van der Most took charge of the team's June 1 fixture against Seattle Sounders FC.[27][21]
References
[edit]- ^ Witz, Billy (September 4, 2014). "A Soccer Team Struggles to Remake Its Identity". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
- ^ a b Carlisle, Jeff (September 29, 2014). "Chivas USA to suspend operations after MLS season, sources say". ESPN. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
- ^ a b c Gutierrez, Paul (September 24, 2004). "Rongen Ready to Lead Chivas". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Chivas USA coach Rongen reassigned as team's sports director". ESPN. Associated Press. May 30, 2005. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Guitierrez, Paul (June 4, 2005). "Chivas USA Today". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Westerhof stays with Chivas". Orange County Register. October 26, 2005. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ Bueno, Luis. "Westerhof returns to Chivas family". MLSsoccer.com. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ a b c d Jones, Grahame L. (November 22, 2005). "Bradley to Coach Chivas USA". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g "2024 Fact and Record Book". Major League Soccer. February 2024. p. 31. Archived from the original on March 15, 2024. Retrieved March 15, 2024.
- ^ McHugh, Liam (March 12, 2007). "Bob Bradley". ESPN. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
- ^ a b Barrero, Jim (December 9, 2006). "Bradley gets 'interim' tag as U.S. soccer coach". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c Jones, Grahame L. (January 17, 2007). "Preki to get Chivas coach job". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ Cardenas, Jaime (November 8, 2007). "Chivas' Preki coach of year". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
- ^ a b c Galarcep, Ives (November 12, 2009). "Preki leaves Chivas USA". SBI. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ a b c "Chivas USA selects Vasquez as new coach". The San Bernardino Sun. December 2, 2009. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "Chivas USA releases coach Vasquez". Fox Sports. October 27, 2010. Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ a b c Jones, Grahame L. (January 4, 2011). "Chivas USA hires Robin Fraser as coach". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ a b "Chivas USA fires coach Robin Fraser". Fox Sports. November 9, 2012. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ a b "Chivas USA hires Sola for coaching post". Sports Illustrated. December 12, 2012. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ Prindiville, Mike (May 30, 2013). "Chelis' firing raises more questions of Chivas USA". NBC Sports. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
- ^ a b c d e "Chivas USA Appoints Interim Coach For 1 Match". KCAL. May 30, 2013. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
- ^ a b Baxter, Kevin (November 25, 2013). "Chivas USA without a coach after Jose Luis Real returns to Mexico". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Creditor, Avi (January 9, 2014). "Chivas USA hires Wilmer Cabrera as head coach". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Pablo Maurer; Sam Stejskal (October 27, 2020). "The short life and long death of Chivas USA". The Athletic. Archived from the original on May 28, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
- ^ a b "Chivas USA disbands after 10 troubled years". USA Today. October 27, 2014. Archived from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
- ^ Dominguez, Alex (January 5, 2023). "Youth sports group Home Field Advantage plans ambitious 2023". The Downey Patriot. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
- ^ a b "Mired in 3-7-2 record, Chivas USA fires coach Jose Luis Sanchez Sola". Sports Illustrated. May 30, 2013. Archived from the original on June 21, 2024. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
- ^ Kinkead, Kevin. "Has a fresh face in Jose Luis Real slowly made changes to Chivas plan of attack?". philadelphiaunion.com. Major League Soccer. Retrieved November 14, 2024.
- ^ Bloomquist, Brett (July 12, 2024). "'It's been beautiful': El Paso Locomotive FC manager reflects on lifetime in game". El Paso Times. Retrieved November 14, 2024.