Chivas USA may be enjoying the best season in its short existence but it has the biggest drop in attendance of any team in MLS this season. Chivas has averaged 12,191 fans at home this season, a 19 percent drop from a year ago, representing less than half the Home Depot Center’s 27,000-seat capacity, yet its 12-6-4 record is the third best in the league. Why the dwindling interest?
One of the problems Chivas faces is that its parent, Chivas de Guadalajara, has a proud tradition of fielding only Mexican-based players. Chivas, which joined MLS in 2005, seemed ready to copy that tradition until it became clear that that strategy wasn’t going to work. Meanwhile, “more people came with the illusion of seeing a Mexican team,” said former Guadalajara midfielder Francisco Mendoza, who joined Chivas USA in 2005.
Which is exactly the problem, says midfielder Jesse Marsch. “The team is going through a bit of an identity crisis.” That’s right, Chivas USA is a marketing ploy gone wrong. Latino fans may feel betrayed by the club fielding non-Mexican players, while the plan to target mainly Latino fans seems to have backfired: others don’t feel welcome to support L.A.’s second team. “That was a mistake and we admit it,” said Chivas co-owner Antonio Cue said.