Major League Soccer (MLS) has assumed control of the troubled Chivas USA franchise in Los Angeles, founded in 2005 by Guadalajara nutrition supplements magnate Jorge Vergara.
Vergara had seen the U.S. team as a sister club to his Guadalajara Chivas, traditionally the best supported team in Mexico. He believed that by playing in Chivas’ traditional red-and-white uniforms and maintaining a squad of predominantly Latino players, fans of Mexican origin and many in the Hispanic community in Los Angeles would take the team to their hearts.
Results were encouraging for the first few years but the team’s fortunes on the field have dipped in recent seasons. Their average home attendance has dropped to around 8,500 – the lowest in the MLS. The team currently shares a stadium with the Los Angeles Galaxy – a far better supported and more successful team (it counted on David Beckham for four years) – and its lease runs out next year.Only last year, however, Vergara bought out his original partners in Chivas USA, saying he was committed to U.S. soccer and promising to develop and expand the franchise.
Now he says his intention is to focus on his Mexican team, that despite its proud history has not won a trophy for more than a decade.
MLS reportedly paid Vergara around 70 million dollars for Chivas USA. The league says it will take over the day-to-day management of the franchise while looking for a new owner. Whether the team remains in southern California is unclear. The MLS is already committed to expanding with new teams planned in New York and Miami over the next few years.