Dan Kennedy

Chivas USA Re-Signs Dan Kennedy to Multi Year Contract

Kennedy is the Goats 2011 MVP and was nominated for MLS Comeback Player of the Year

On Tuesday, December 6, Chivas USA announced that team MVP for 2011, goalkeeper Dan Kennedy, had signed a new multi-year contract with the club. Per league and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“Dan was our MVP this year, there was never a doubt that we wanted him back,” said Jose Domene, Chivas USA General Manager. “His consistency and leadership both on and off the field were exemplary last season, and now moving towards the club’s [Chivas USA] objectives for 2012 of building a championship caliber team, securing Kennedy to a new contract was one of our priorities this offseason.”

A proven goalkeeper in both the collegiate and professional ranks, Kennedy was selected by Chivas USA in the fourth round of the MLS Supplemental Draft prior to the Red-and-White’s first season in 2005 after a stellar career at UC Santa Barbara. The goalkeeper opted to play professionally in Puerto Rico and Chile before returning to the Red-and-White in the 2008 season.

In 2011, the twenty-nine year old Kennedy had a stellar MVP campaign for the Goats. He appeared in thirty-two matches, all as a starter, in which he tallied nine shutouts and one-hundred saves with a total of 2880 minutes. These stats are a clear reflection of why Kennedy is consistently among the top five goalkeepers in the league all season long.

Pro Soccer News: Interview with Chivas USA goalkeeper Dan Kennedy

Goal keepers are often the unsung heroes of the game and can see everything that happens as the action unfolds on the field. Dan Kennedy has been the last line of defense since he began playing Goalie for Strikers FC in Irvine, California.

Unlike famous strikers around the world such as Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast & Chelsea), Wayne Rooney (England & Manchester United) David Villa (Spain & Barcelona), Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon & Anzhi Makhachkala), Fernando Torres (Spain & Chelsea), Carlos Tevez (Argentina & Manchester City), goalies do not receive the same elevated hype in the media. Strange when games are lost based upon their abilities (along wtih a team's defensive capabiltiies). Goalies are a team's last line of defense. The pressure is always on as this position has no back up and is unforgiving. Clearly goalies deserve recognition for their significant contribution to the game.

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About Chivas USA: Founded in 2004, Los Angeles-based Club Deportivo Chivas USA has achieved remarkable success in seven full seasons in Major League Soccer. From 2006-2009, the Mexican-owned club qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs in four consecutive seasons, to the delight of its passionate supporters. In addition, Chivas USA’s innovative grassroots programs demonstrate its deep commitment to the Southern California community, while the club’s youth teams and Soccer Academies offer unprecedented opportunities to the region’s best young talent. For more information on Chivas USA, please call 1-877-CHIVAS-1 or visit cdchivasusa.com.

Related Articles: Chivas USA on SoccerNation