Shawn Hunter with Claudio Suarez. (Photo via Chivas USA)

Is it me or do things seem to be getting worse for Chivas USA? Well after Martin Vasquez was canned it seemed only natural that some change would happen but the news this morning that President and CEO Shawn Hunter stepping down makes it appear that things are going downhill more than we thought.

Hunter may have agreed to stay with the club in an advisory role but to me it shows this club could be moving in the wrong direction. Its not that Hunter was a genius behind the club that made the playoffs two of the three seasons that he was with them, no, its showing that they can’t even keep quality executives like him. Under Hunter the club became one of the first in league history to broadcast every match on television in both English and Spanish, attained a position as one of MLS’s top-sponsored teams, and also introduced a number of innovative grassroots initiatives including the Jerseys Off Our Backs program, the Kick-it at the Park youth clinics with the City of Los Angeles, and Chivas USA’s Practice in the Community Series.

That’s hard to replace folks. Very hard.

Hunter was trying to help the club establish some form of identity with the community and it was working a bit. Replacing that quality won’t be easy or something that will happen quickly. Chivas USA needs to move quickly though to not only replace him but find a new coach that can finally establish a brand there in LA.

I hate knocking a club like this but when they continue to go down the hill like this its hard to find quality things going on with them. Over the last couple years they’ve done better at exporting players (Kljestan, Guzan, Bornstein, etc.) than finding players that would fit their Mexican-ties.

This club is in serious need of a make-over on and off the field and maybe with the house clearing out it will actually happen. I’ve said before they need stability so why not find a way to start that now. We’ve seen what being stable with front office and coaching is doing in places like San Jose, Colorado and LA over the last couple years. Hell throw Dallas in that mix too for keeping their coach on board for more than a year.

I always believe it starts up top with teams and Chivas has to find that balance and stability. Its just too bad they had to see a guy like Hunter leave.

Some pink slip news for this evening.

According to ESPN Los Angeles, Chivas USA is set to dismiss head coach Martin Vasquez after one season as the club’s manager. Vasquez guided Chivas to an 8-18-4 mark and last place in the Western Conference.

Oddly enough the move comes shortly after reports of him getting a vote of confidence from the club.

But let’s be real honest about Chivas USA here. The talent on the roster isn’t great and Vasquez really didn’t shock too many people with how his team played once the season got going. Seeing how the club did very little to improve the roster other than picking up a couple quality rookies in the SuperDraft and signing yet again more international players that amounted to little or nothing.

Chivas USA lacks an identity right now both on and off the field. The club isn’t stable and quite honestly isn’t drawing in big enough talent to do enough in the western conference. Vasquez did what he could with the little he had to work with. There is a nice young group of players there but until the club figures out how to bring in the right international players or does a better job in the trade department within the league this club will probably continue to be a bottom feeder in the west.

Should Vasquez have been fired? Probably so, I heard rumblings of this a couple months ago and have had him on my Coaching Hot Seat list since June. But again, Chivas needs some identity here and a new face at manager could do just that but then again this club is slowly looking more like how New York was ran all those years with the many coaching changes.

Sacha Kljestan is one of the key players for Chivas who needs to step up in 2010. (Getty Images

Its a new week and a new month. Last week we started a new series that looks at the current state of each Major League Soccer club. First we took a gander at the expansion club in Philadelphia and then we began a look at the rest of the league starting with the Chicago Fire.

Today we shift west to look at Chivas USA.

The offseason has been an interesting one in Chivasland. From a new coach in MartinVasquez to a decent SuperDraft. The AmeriGoats are hoping they can find a way to put together a club that finally gets out of the first round of the playoffs and possibly into the MLS Cup.

Keeper:

Who they have: Zach Thornton, Dan Kennedy, Jon Conway, and Lance Parker

Notes: A lot depends on the health of Thornton. He’s he is as fit as he was the majority of last year the AmeriGoats have absolutely nothing to worry about here but his age is a bit of a concern. I do like Kennedy but honestly I haven’t seen nearly enough out of him in goal to tell you if he is a legitimate starter in this league. I won’t even go into what I think of Conway, never been a big believe in him as a number one starter. I doubt this is an area of concern for Vasquez though and right now it really shouldn’t be.

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Defense

Who they have: Jonathan Borenstein, Yamith Cuesta, Carey Talley, Claudio Suarez, Ante Jazic, and Kevin Tangney.

Notes: I like parts of this defense and the rest needs a massive and I mean a massive upgrade. Suarez and Talley are old and likely on their way out (I want to say I’ve read somewhere that Suarez is definitely retiring here but couldn’t find it…maybe he’s playing again this year?)

If Vasquez even wants to compete in the highly competitive western conference he will have to improve this area of his team. Looking at clubs like Houston, Seattle, LA and even Dallas and RSL there are too many good clubs with talent in the back. Chivas has a couple good players like Bornstein but we know he’ll be gone most of this season with the national team. Improvement has to be made to get younger and better.

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Midfield

Who they have: Mariano Trujilo, Marcelo Saragosa, Jesse Marsch, Sacha Kljestan, Sasha Victorine, Jorge Flores, Gerson Mayen, Michael Lahoud, Cesar Zamora, Blair Gavin, and Osael Romero.

Notes: Not sure if Marsch really will be with this group this season or not but I think this group is still pretty underrated. I do see Kljestan having a better season than last year, he’s too talented not to bounce back this year. With young guys like Gavin, Lahoud, Flores and Mayen I see a lot of promise from this bunch.

One thing I do still worry about is who will create the offense for this bunch. A playmaker is still really needed here and I’m sure that has to be on the top of Vasquez’s to-do list here this winter. He’s been around that club long enough to know that they need some sort of stability in the midfield or else they’ll get passed up easily out west.

I am eager to see the development of those young guys under Vasquez. With someone like Christian Gomez likely on the market who he be worth a look at? Maybe if he comes in with his head on right for a change. I wouldn’t mind seeing this club look south to Mexico for a playmaker.

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Forwards

Who they have: Ante Razov, Jesus Padillia, Maykel Galindo, Justin Braun, Macion Santos, Chukwudi Chijindu, and Eduardo Lillingston (currently on loan to Tijuana).

Notes: A pretty interesting bunch. On paper they should be set in this department but a closer look makes to think otherwise. First of all Razov will likely be gone at some point. I just wonder if they can ever get him back to his level of play and get a Jeff Cunningham type of renaissance out of him.

I like Padilla, Galindo and Santos but I don’t particularly love them all. If Padilla can step up and be the scorer that we think he should be and Galindo stays healthy long enough then they will be fine.

I think one more addition here may help them out.

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Overall:

Chivas got out to such a hot start last year with very minimal talent doing so. They were gritty and found ways to win that most clubs couldn’t figure out. By the summer it fizzled out and the scoring dried up. Luckily enough guys like Santos came in and they were set straight enough to reach the post season.

For another good season this club still needs a lot of patching up in the back and in the midfield. They’re young enough to be dangerous yet old enough at the same time to get passed up by clubs below them.

It will be interesting to see what Vasquez and company do with these next couple months to prove people like me wrong. Right now I just wonder if they have what it takes to be a playoff club again. If the right parties step up (Kljestan, Padilla, etc.) then playoffs should be no issue but its getting those guys to step up that seems to be a challenge sometimes.

Chivas USA is set to name a new head coach tomorrow afternoon at the Home Depot Center and according to both SBI and Steve Goff that man will be Martin Vasquez.

Vasquez apparently beat out former LA Galaxy and USMNT head coach Steve Sampson for the gig. Obviously his roots were a big factor for this hire, not to mention his background with clubs in Mexico and with Bayern Munich in Germany helped him out.

He has spent time as an assistant coach for Sigi Schmid in Los Angeles and with Bob Bradley at Chivas USA. This is Vasquez’s first professional head coaching position.

With the Chivas USA out of the coaching search game, Chicago, DC and New York are still without a head. According to reports all three are expected to be filled in the next two weeks.

A change is coming to Chivas USA as Preki is set to leave the club. (Getty Images)

Don’t say we didn’t tell you so. Preki is not be coming back as Chivas USA’s manager next season as his contract option for 2010 is not being picked up. Goal.com is reporting that with Preki leaving assistant Martin Vasquez is likely to get the top spot as Chivas’ front man.

Vasquez has been an assistant with the club since 2005 and should become the first Mexican-American coach in league history.

Interestingly enough, something I’ve been saying here for a few weeks is that Preki is also likely to join Bob Bradley with the US National team as an assistant now that John Hackworth has left the USMNT to join Peter Nowak in Philadelphia. Remember before Bradley left for the USMNT he had Preki as an assistant at Chivas USA, along with Vasquez.

No official word has come from the team but I’d imagine we will hear something by the end of the week on this. Once we get more details on this we will pass it along to you.