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 Martín Vásquez was named Chivas USA's fifth Head Coach on Dec. 2, 2009, bringing experience both as a player, in Major League Soccer and the Mexican First Division, and as a coach, having served as an Assistant Coach for Chivas USA and Bayern Munich, among other teams. Vásquez is also one of just two players to have played for the national teams of both the United States and Mexico.
Vásquez' coaching experience prior to rejoining Chivas USA consisted of a position as assistant coach to Jürgen Klinsmann at famed club Bayern Munich in Germany from July 2008 until April 2009, and had previously served as an assistant for Chivas USA in the club's first three seasons (2005-2007). As Head Coach of Chivas USA, Vásquez follows Preki (2007-2009), who he worked with under Bob Bradley in 2006 and while Preki was Head Coach in 2007. Vásquez also served as an assistant for the LA Galaxy (2004), the San Diego Spirit (2001-2002) of the Women's United Soccer Association, and at Cal Poly - Pomona (1999-2000). |
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| Born on December 24, 1963 in Yahualica, Jalisco, Mexico, Vásquez moved to Los Angeles at age 12, and began his playing career in local leagues in Southern California. He played three seasons of collegiate soccer at Cal State - Los Angeles (1980-1983) before returning to Mexico to make his professional debut with the Second Division team of Mexican club Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara. |
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| Following a five-year stint as a professional indoor and outdoor player in the U.S. during the mid-1980s, the defender-midfielder debuted in Mexico's First Division with Universidad de Guadalajara (1988-1990), before moving on to Puebla (1990-91), Veracruz (1991-92) and Atlas (1992-1996). Playing in both defense and midfield, Vásquez appeared in more than 300 league matches, and in 1991 and 1992, he played 10 games with the Mexican national team under coaches César Luis Menotti and Manuel Lapuente. |
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| In 1996, he returned to the United States, where he gained U.S. citizenship and played for the Tampa Bay Mutiny (1996-1997) and the San Jose Clash (1998), and was one of the top defensive midfielders in the league. In three MLS seasons, Vásquez played in 87 matches (83 starts), scoring nine goals and adding 16 assists. He made his debut with the U.S. National Team under Steve Sampson on Dec. 21, 1996 in a World Cup Qualifier against Guatemala played in San Salvador, El Salvador. Vásquez played a total of seven matches with the United States, his final match being the 0-0 draw against Mexico on Nov. 2, 1997, the only time the U.S. has ever earned a point on the road at Mexico. |
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| Vásquez resides in West Covina, California with his wife Denise and their three children Michael, Erika and Emily. |
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 Carlos Llamosa was named Assistant Coach by Chivas USA Head Coach Preki on Jan. 25, 2009, bringing the World Cup veteran and MLS Cup winner back to the club where he finished his playing career. The Colombian-born Llamosa played in MLS from 1997-2007, including his final two seasons with Chivas USA, and made 29 appearances with the United States National Team after gaining U.S. citizenship in 1998.
Llamosa became a naturalized U.S. citizen on Oct. 23, 1998, and two weeks later made his debut for the United States National Team. The defender played a total of 29 matches with the U.S. between 1998 and 2002, including appearances in the 2002 World Cup victories over Portugal and Mexico. Llamosa holds a U.S. Soccer Federation "A" License. |
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 Carlos Juarez was named as an Assistant Coach by Chivas USA Head Coach Martín Vásquez on January 24, 2010. A Southern California native, Juarez has coached at every level of American soccer for nearly 30 years. Having spent time with youth, collegiate, professional and national teams, Juarez brings great coaching experience to Chivas USA.
Juarez has served as a United States Soccer Federation staff coach since 1989, spending time as a coach of the U.S. U-17, U-20, and U-23 teams throughout those years. He was a coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team which won the World Cup in 1998, and also served as the U.S. Under-20 Women’s National Team Assistant Coach from 1989-1997, and the Assistant Coach for the U.S. Men’s Olympic Team in 1994. |
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In addition to his experience with the United States National Teams, Juarez was the head coach of the men’s soccer program at Cal State San Bernardino from 1985-93, and coordinator of the men’s and women’s programs of CSUSB from 1995-1997. Juarez also was the head coach of the men’s and women’s programs at Cal Poly Pomona from 1998-2001, where Martín Vásquez was his assistant coach. Juarez served as the head coach of the San Diego Spirit of the Women's United Soccer Association from 2000-2002, and has been the Technical Director of the Claremont Stars Soccer Club since 2003. Juarez holds a U.S. Soccer Federation “A” License, and has taught licensing courses since 1990. |
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 Nick Theslof was named Technical Coach by Chivas USA Head Coach Martín Vásquez on January 24, 2010. With experience as a player and coach both in the United States and Europe, Theslof brings his experience and innovative techniques to Chivas USA. In his role as Technical Coach, Theslof will work with players on various aspects of their performance, and will also help the club in both player and club scouting.
Raised in Columbus, Ohio, Theslof left the United States to join the youth team of PSV Eindhoven in Holland in 1991 at the age of 16, at the time becoming the youngest American soccer player move to Europe. He played for the PSV youth and reserve teams from 1991-1994 before moving back to the United States and playing at UCLA. Theslof was part of the 2007 NCAA Division 1 National Champions at UCLA. His career as a professional included time with the Columbus Crew and the Orange County Waves of the A-League (now USL-1). |
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Theslof began his coaching career as Assistant Coach at Ohio Wesleyan University from 1998 to 2000, helping the school win the NCAA Division III National Championship in 1998. He then became Head Coach and General Manager of Orange County Blue Star in the Premier Development League, where he coached Jürgen Klinsmann and future U.S. National Team and Chivas USA midfielder Sacha Kljestan. Theslof later joined Klinsmann with the German National Team in 2006 as a scout for the 2006 FIFA World Cup and was named FC Bayern Munich Assistant Coach and International Scout, after Klinsmann was appointed manager of the team. Theslof holds a U.S. Soccer Federation “A” License. |
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 Daniel Alejandro Gonzalez was named Goalkeeper Coach by Chivas USA Head Coach Martín Vásquez on January 24, 2010.
A former Argentine youth national team goalkeeper, Gonzalez played professionally in Argentina and the United States from 1979 to 1996, and has been coaching at various levels since retiring as a player. Gonzalez served as the Goalkeeper Coach for the Colorado Rapids from 2000-2003, and is reunited with Vásquez, as the two were teammates on the Memphis Storm in the American Indoor Soccer Association in the late 1980s. |
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Gonzalez began his soccer career with Colegio La Salle Rosario in 1975, playing with the club for four years before joining Rosario Central of the Argentine First Division, where he played from 1979-1982. Also a member of the Argentine U-20 National Team, Gonzalez moved to the U.S. in 1982, playing for the NASL’s Ft. Lauderdale Strikers for two seasons. He later played on several indoor and outdoor professional teams in the U.S. until finishing his career with the Memphis Jackals of the USISL in 1996. |
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Coaching at several youth clubs, Gonzalez also was a part of the Colorado Rapids’ staff from 2000-2003, serving as a goalkeeper/assistant coach. He has been a goalkeeper coach and the Director of Coaching for three high profile youth soccer clubs, first with St. Vrain FC of Colorado (1997-2005), then with Middleton-Yahara Soccer Club in Wisconsin (2005-2008) and California Rush Soccer Club (2008-2010). Gonzalez holds a U.S. Soccer Federation “A” License. |
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 Born in Orange, California on January 11, 1972, Kevin Esparza joined Club Deportivo Chivas USA as Team Administrator and Assistant Coach after spending two seasons (2003-2004) with the Los Angeles Galaxy as an assistant coach. Having worked at the youth, club, high school and professional levels, Esparza brings over 19 years' coaching experience to Chivas USA.
Previously, Esparza was Director of Coaching at Desert United Soccer Club in Palm Desert, California, where in addition to heading up the technical staff he was in charge of the club's women's U-17 and men's U-14 teams, as well as tournaments, camps and clinics. |
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| In 2003, he coached the Irvine Strikers, and in 2002, he was assistant coach of the men's team at the University of California Riverside. Esparza had worked previously at the university level, serving as assistant coach of the men's and women's teams at Chapman University from 1996 to 1999. |
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| In 1996 Esparza coached the Orange High School men's varsity team to the CIF Championship. He was head coach at Orange High for three seasons, and assistant coach for one. |
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| Esparza has also worked for the Southern California Olympic Development Program (ODP) since 1999, serving as a scout for talented male and female players ages 13 to 18. He also was assistant coach for the ODP U-14 and U-16 boys' teams in 1999 and 2001, respectively. In 2001 he served as an assistant coach to the Southern California U-16 men's team that won the ODP National Championship. His ODP head coaching career includes stints with the Southern California B15, B16 and 1986 Boys teams. |
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| Esparza studied and played soccer at Santa Ana College and Chapman University. He currently resides in Orange, California. |
