Top Stories

Chivas USA acquires Padilla from Guadalajara

Jesus Padilla (AP)

Chivas USA has received a boost in its quest for an MLS playoff spot by acquiring forward Jesus Padilla from CD Chivas de Guadalajara.

Padilla caused a stir when it was revealed that he was actually born in the United States, something that didn't sit well with Guadalajara, a club that has long prided itself on using only Mexican-born players.

What do you think of this signing? Hoping Padilla will develop into a U.S. national team prospect?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. the guy is virtually an unknown, has hardly seen the pitch in Mexico, has never donned an MLS jersey, and people are calling for Bradley to cap him???? Let’s see if he can score against the likes of MLS before we even cosider putting him on an international roster…

    Reply
  2. People are always up in arms about racism. Everything is racist anymore. You cant look at someone the wrong way and not get a call from Al Sharpton. Think of it this way. Everytime your company cuts jobs to outsource to India, what are people always saying?

    “They’re taking away jobs from Americans.”

    “The company should give Americans jobs first.”

    Is that something you would cry racism about? This isn’t a big deal at all.

    Reply
  3. Some Background.
    At age 12, Padilla crossed the border in the dead of night, to find fame, fortune and opportunity in Mexico.
    Also to escape the loyalty oath demanded by Thomas Rongen.

    Reply
  4. 20 of 25 players currently on the Houston Dynamo roster are Americans. They’ve always been mostly US players. The 5 players who are not Americans could easily be replaced with Americans (although I’m not advocating this). But to say MLS couldn’t field a successful all-American team is bull. Interestingly, Dynamo have a great Latin following since Houston has a large population there who just love soccer, and the Dynamo are always successful.

    Reply
  5. The racist comments are silly; I’m sure Chivas would let anyone race play on the team, as long as they were born and raised in Mexico. Mexican only is a long standing tradition in the club, and one that limits them really, but gives them a certain character. Let’s not let the idea of fairness eliminate all cultural identity and tradition. But the Mexican league has no foreign player limits or salary cap, so there’s probably more opportunity for foreigners to play in Mexico than in MLS.

    But anyway, I’m really psyched to see Jesus with Chivas. I’ve heard about him but haven’t had a chance to see him play. Let’s see what the kid’s got!!!

    Reply
  6. Actually Andrew, Chivas USA has players from just about everywhere, the USA, Mexico, Cuba, Jamaica, Canada, Colombia, Brasil, Serbia and those are just the few I know off the top of my head.

    Reply
  7. What actually bugs me about Chivas USA is how it differs from Vergara’s other clubs. Chivas Guadalajara, of course, has its all-Mexican policy; after Vergara bought up Saprissa, he instituted a policy of signing only Costa Rican players. Chivas USA, though, is an entirely different animal: an attempt to put a Mexican-dominated club in the United States. If Vergara wanted to be entirely consistent, his MLS franchise would have to have only US players, and instead he’s pandering to a sense of Mexican superiority.

    Reply
  8. What Chivas does isn’t racism. If anything it hurts their pockets because they end up spending too much money for a player that another team might want but could easily replace with a South American.

    Remember these teams were never ever franchise, but clubs. Clubs are a group of people that join a society group and ended up forming Football Clubs to represent them. So you can say that Chivas is un equipo Nacional.

    And it can work in the US. I can see DC United doing something like that in 40 or 50 years when there is no salary cap. I can see the DC team having nothing but US players.

    Reply

Leave a Comment