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Chivas USA acquires GK Zach Thornton from New York Red Bulls

August 1, 2008 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Club Deportivo Chivas USA News Release


CARSON, Calif. (Friday, Aug. 1, 2008) - Chivas USA today acquired goalkeeper Zach Thornton, a five-time MLS All-Star and 13-year veteran of Major League Soccer, from the New York Red Bulls in exchange for future considerations. The 34-year-old Thornton, a former MLS Goalkeeper of the Year, MLS Cup winner and three-time U.S. Open Cup champion, joins Chivas USA effective immediately.

"Zach is an experienced goalkeeper who has played in big games and won championships in our league," said Chivas USA Head Coach Preki Radosavljevic. "With the departure of Brad Guzan, we hope Zach will help Chivas USA both on and off the field as we make our push for a playoff spot."

In his 13-year MLS career, Zach Thornton has earned many accolades, including being named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 1998, the year he helped the Chicago Fire to two championships, the MLS Cup and a U.S. Open Cup. He is a five-time MLS All-Star (1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003), and won two additional U.S. Open Cups with Chicago in 2000 and 2003, as well as the Supporters Shield with the Fire in 2003. A fixture in Chicago from 1998-2006, Thornton played a total of 215 games with the club (starting 212), and was named the team's MVP in 2002 and the Fire's defender of the year in 2001 and 2002.

In 222 career MLS matches, Thornton has posted 57 shutouts and a goals-against-average of 1.28. Prior to the 2008 season, Thornton had played in MLS in every year of the league's history except 2004, when he was a member of the Fire but did not play a match with the team due to his joining Portuguese club Benfica in February of that year. He first came into Major League Soccer as a member of the MetroStars, as the New York club was known, prior to Major League Soccer's 1996 season, and played six games (starting five) in two seasons with the team before moving to Chicago.

Born October 10, 1973, the Edgewood, Md. native has also made eight appearances for the United States National Team. He attended Loyola College in Maryland, where he was a two-sport standout, earning All-America honors in lacrosse.

Currently tied for fourth place in Major League Soccer's Western Conference with a 6-6-4 record (W-L-T) and 22 points, Chivas USA visits the Chicago Fire in MLS league action this Saturday, Aug. 2, at 7:30 p.m. CT / 5:30 p.m. PT (TV: HDNet, FSN-West, KAZA Azteca 54; Radio: W Radio 690 AM). For more information on this or Chivas USA's next home game vs. LA Galaxy on Aug. 14, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit www.cdchivasusa.com.

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