US Soccer Players - Facing a struggle against relegation, Chivas Guadalajara received what looked like a boost in the offseason. Fresh off a 15-goal season with a bad Chivas USA side, Erick “Cubo” Torres seemed like a godsend. The talented 21-year-old who had earned rave reviews along with a call up from the Mexican National Team was theirs on loan for the 2015 Liga MX Clausura season.

However, with a quarter of the schedule gone, Torres has had no impact on the club’s most important season in recent history.

Torres’s return to Guadalajara has not yielded anywhere near the impact many MLS observers would have guessed. His quick rise within MLS made him a sought-after commodity, particularly after Chivas USA folded, but to Chivas manager Jose Manuel “Chepo” De La Torre, Torres is excess weight.

What makes this more maddening is not his idle time on the bench during league matches but where he gets playing time. Torres has scored goals for both Chivas’ U-20 team as well as in a Copa MX match. His latest tally was an 80th-minute header against Lobos BUAP in a 2-0 win on Tuesday, his first goal in three Copa MX matches

Certainly, Torres has talent. Experience too. How about an opportunity?

Were he trying to win a spot with America or Santos or another successful club, Torres’ situation would be understandable. Those clubs are not in the position Chivas are in. Chivas are desperate. The club has earned its spot near the bottom of the relegation table with years of poor results, which has led to a lot of turnover both on the roster and within the coaching staff.

Yet, De La Torre is unwilling to take a chance on Torres. A chance is what Torres would be, not a risk. Torres showed in less than two seasons what he could do. He scored seven goals after joining Chivas USA in the middle of the 2013 season and finished tied for seventh in the league in goals. He also scored a goal for Mexico in a friendly against Panama in October.

De La Torre has counted mostly on Omar Bravo for goals. Bravo had a lackluster campaign a season ago, scoring just four times. Sure, Chivas were poor and that contributed to his low output but Torres has been in a similar situation and found a way to succeed. Also having chances to play are Carlos Fierro and Isaac Brizuela, but neither has found the back of the net. Fierro was involved in a bit of controversy on the weekend. Fierro drew a penalty which led to the winning goal in the 1-0 triumph over Pachuca on the weekend, but was subsequently suspended a match for having feigned a foul on the play.

Torres may well be victim of a logjam in the attacking third, even though he has a lot of qualities in his favor. That he came from MLS is likely of no significance, since former Real Salt Lake defender Carlos Salcedo has stepped right into a starting spot and has looked quite strong for the club since his arrival.

Perhaps the black cloud of despair that hung over Chivas USA clings to Torres. After all, Chivas USA players who left MLS for Mexico never had great success - Francisco Palencia notwithstanding. Francisco Mendoza and Juan Pablo Garcia had success in MLS but crashed and burned when heading south of the border. Isaac Romo managed to piece together a decent career, decent only for its longevity, but otherwise the returns have been few.

Regardless, Torres’ plight will only last a short amount of time, of course. Torres is on loan to Guadalajara from Houston Dynamo. Should the pattern continue the club could receive a hungry and fresh player over the summer.

Torres himself seems to be content with his place on the squad. After scoring his goal against Lobos, Torres raced to a corner flag, a large smile spread across his face, twisted and twirled like a robot, and then kissed the Chivas shield on his jersey.

Source

REPORT AN ERROR

First Ever ISA World Championship To Be Held In Mexico

If you happen to be in Puerto Vallarta or Riviera Nayarit on Super Bowl Sunday, February 1, 2015, we've put together a sampler of sports bars and restaurants around Banderas Bay that will be hosting Super Bowl parties as the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks go head to head for the Lombardi Trophy.

Four D-1 softball teams will compete in inaugural Triple Crown Sports college tournament

The good news is filtering little by little as the New Year rolls on and with it comes the requisite golf update:

Karen Jacobson is a beautiful native Vallarta surfer who, with the support of Fidetur (Puerto VallartaTourism Trust), promotes Vallarta-Nayarit region at all the events in which she participates.

Puerto Vallarta, Jal. - St. Regis Punta Mita Resort, located in one of the most exclusive beaches in Mexico, along the gold coast of the Riviera Nayarit, hosted the Punta Mita International Golf Club Challenge; with the presence of Corey Pavin, 1995 US open Champion, captain of the Ryder Cup and fifteen times winner of the PGA Tour. The golfers enjoyed the exquisite gastronomy from chefs like Maycoll Calderon of J&G Grill by Jean-Georges Vongerichten of The St. Regis Mexico City, and resident chefs Sylvain Desbois and Pato Persico.

“We are very happy with the success of the first event of the year.  This is the fourth occasion we get to welcome golf celebrity Corey Pavin” stated Carl Emberson, general manager of The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort. “Punta Mita Golf Challenge had more than 50 participants, who hand in hand with Pavin, took pleasure in playing in the two Jack Nicklaus golf courts and, at the same time, enjoy the unforgettable culinary experiences at ST. Regis style”.
“It is a pleasure to return to St. Regis Punta Mita for the fourth time, and to participate in these events, which are really unique and capture the best of golf.  It is fascinating to play in these fields under perfect conditions, and to enjoy golf with the fans in this Paradise which is Punta Mita”, mentioned Corey Pavin, special guess of Punta Mita Golf Challenge.

Punta Mita International Golf Club Challenge was initiated on January 14 with an opening cocktail and a Corey Pavin private golf clinic.
 
 On Thursday, the golfers gather to play the first round at Pacific Club, famous for its nineteenth hole, the “Cola de la Ballena” (the whale’s tail); followed by a golf clinic by the famous Corey Pavin and ending with an exquisite dinner prepared by Chef Sylvain Desbois, at Carolina, AAA five diamonds restaurant.
 
On Friday, the golfers play the second round at the Bahia field, were the couple, Drew Weaver and Michael Williams, broke the record with a total of 66 points. In the evening, the golfers enjoyed dinner by the sea en Marietas Beach. Dinner was prepared by the visiting chef Marcoll Calderon of the J&G Grill by Jean-Georges Vongerichten of the St. Regis Mexico City.

“It was my pleasure to be the visiting chef of Punta Mita Golf Challenge; it was a unique experience to cook dinner at this remarkable beach. What a better way to start the year than with an explosion of flavors inspired by the evening colors.  This is without a doubt, the best ocean view in the Riviera Nayarit”, Chef Maycoll Calderon said.

To close the event, golfers return to Campo Pacifico for their third round. This concluded with a lunch and the awards at Sea Breeze restaurant. In the afternoon the participants enjoy the Remede Spa and the Resort’s peaceful beach. The day ended with the closing dinner, prepared by Chef Pato Persico, at Mira Mary Boat Bistro.

Out of More than 50 participants who came to Punta Mita to represent their local club, the winners of Punta Mita Gold Challenge are:

1. Drew Weaver  and Michael Williams with 57 points
2. Scott Nagy  and Scott Warman, with  49 points
3. Chaz Hamman and J.P Mahony, with 35 points

REPORT AN ERROR
 

[readon1 url="http://notivallarta.com/2015/01/20/concluye-con-exito"]Source:notivallarta.com-Translated by MAR Translation Services[/readon1]

There was no mistaking the elephant in the room at this week's Pan American Sports Organization (PASO) General Assembly in sunny Puerto Vallarta: it was the elephant not in the room.

Mario Vázquez Raña, the 82 year-old Mexican newspaper magnate, has presided over PASO since 1975, the year of Margaret Thatcher's election as leader of Britain's Conservative party and the fall of Saigon.

He has marked the body with an indelible stamp: scarcely 10 minutes went by in and around this week's meetings without someone commenting, publicly or privately, on Don Mario's negotiating skills, business acumen, generosity or autocratic management style.

But the last few months are forcing PASO to face up to the fact that a remarkable era is nearly over.

First, last September, this Puerto Vallarta General Assembly was postponed after Vázquez Raña underwent surgery; then in November he missed a PASO Extraordinary General Assembly in Bangkok; and now this week, having been hospitalised for six days in mid-December, he was unable to make it to Mexico's palm-fringed Pacific coast.

Happily, PASO's most pressing current concern - the 2015 Toronto Pan American and Parapan American Games - looks to be in good shape; and the vastly experienced, not easily impressed eye of Michael Fennell, President of the PASO Technical Committee, is available to make sure it stays that way.

But it seems inevitable that there will now follow a (potentially lengthy) period when nothing more strategic than the succession issue will be at the forefront of many PASO members' minds.

Mario Vázquez Raña has presided over PASO for almost 40 years but the last few months are forcing PASO to face up to the fact that a remarkable era is nearly over PASO

First vice-president Ivar Sisniega, who chaired the General Assembly after learning just two days before the event that Vázquez Raña would be absent, may have been justified to say that he was "gratified to see the level of mature and serious debate that took place in a very responsible fashion".

It is hard to imagine, though, that the agenda would have been wrapped up inside a day (albeit quite an intensive one) had Vázquez Raña been in the hot seat.

And with so many major international events, including an Olympics and a Youth Olympics, coming to the Americas from this year onwards, it would be highly preferable if the long-term leadership question were not left hanging for too long.

Nobody, at least that I met, expects Vázquez Raña to remain as President beyond 2016.

But the date of that General Assembly is not yet known - and given that what was to have been the 2014 Assembly did not take place until January 2015, that could leave the Mexican in situ for up to another two years.

Equally, the transition may come considerably earlier than that.

An Executive Committee meeting set for March was announced with the comment, "At that time, decisions will be made for the future leadership of our organisation".

I was subsequently advised, however, that this was a reference to a statute review process that is currently in train, rather than anything more dramatic.

Carlos Nuzman, President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee and the man at the helm of Rio 2016, is a leading candidate for the succession of PASO Getty Images

This may itself have an important bearing on the outcome of a future Presidential election, since it may lead to a change in voting entitlements.

At present, as it was explained to me, each of the 41 PASO National Olympic Committees (NOCs) has a vote, and an extra vote is granted for each time a country has hosted the Pan American Games.

This, of course, increases the voting power of larger nations, particularly Mexico, which has hosted on three occasions.

Should the system revert to a straight one country one vote, the influence of the Caribbean members in particular would be increased, especially if they were to vote en bloc.

Based largely on my attempted straw poll around the wide, airy corridors of the conference hotel, I would say that the leading candidates for the succession seem to be as follows:

Carlos Nuzman, PASO's second vice president, from Brazil; Sisniega, another Mexican; and José Joaquín Puello from the Dominican Republic.

It is very possible that another Caribbean candidate may also emerge, with Keith Joseph, PASO's third vice president, from Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Richard Peterkin, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) member from Saint Lucia, those most frequently mentioned in this connection.

Conceivable dark horses include José Quiñones, if he can overcome his domestic difficulties in Peru, any US or Canadian candidate, and perhaps others.

Neither Nuzman, 72, or Puello, 74, are spring chickens exactly; Nuzman, moreover, will presumably have his hands full until Rio 2016 has come and gone.

But it could be argued that a transition candidate may be in PASO's best interests, while the body transforms itself from a creature, essentially, of a single individual into something much more modern and transparent.

An interesting presence in Puerto Vallarta was Pere Miró, IOC director of relations with NOCs and Olympic Solidarity Getty Images

An interesting presence here in Puerto Vallarta was Pere Miró, IOC director of relations with NOCs and Olympic Solidarity, who acknowledged it was his first PASO General Assembly since Vázquez Raña resigned as President of the Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) and head of Olympic Solidarity in March 2012.

This seemed a signal that the first rays of light on PASO's new era are just starting to creep over the horizon.

While the immediate future for PASO looks uncertain in many ways, one thing I would not be worried about, based on what I have seen here, is the organisation's ability to make a success of the post Vázquez Raña era.

The body seems to have an excellent multicultural balance, notwithstanding a big wealth gap between its richest and poorest NOCs; it is also imbued with plenty of men - and women - who have already shown themselves to be able sports administrators, with skills in a variety of areas.

I have little doubt, for example, that the more media savvy could quickly engineer a profile boost for the Pan American Games - and for that matter PASO itself - if given a freer rein.

They have plainly waited a long time, some of them, for additional responsibilities to be thrust upon them.

For a few, opportunity will shortly knock.

David Owen worked for 20 years for the Financial Times in the United States, Canada, France and the UK. He ended his FT career as sports editor after the 2006 World Cup and is now freelancing, including covering the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the 2010 World Cup and London 2012. Owen's Twitter feed can be accessed here.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

[readon1 url="http://www.insidethegames.biz/blogs/1024909-david-owen-paso-starts-to-face-up-to-a-potentially-bright-new-era"]Source:www.insidethegames.biz[/readon1]

The Pan American Sports Organization, chaired by Mr. Mario Vázquez Raña, met in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on January the 10th thru the 13th, 2015.

A meeting in Puerto Vallarta Mexico will decide if Peru is up to the task

The Pan American Sports Organization (Odepa) will discuss today and tomorrow, whether or not Peru will in fact host the 2019 Pan American Games, after multiple questionable incidents have suggested troubles.

Just over a year ago, on Oct. 11 2013, Peru was chosen to host the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima. One of the largest sporting events the world has seen will be hosted in the Peruvian capital- if proves it’s up for the challenge. After questions of embezzlement by José Quiñones, president of the Peruvian Olympic Committee (COP), and the delayed approval of the structural implementation (or Master Plan for the project), the event’s authorities will be discussing Peru’s seat in a formal meeting.

In Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Odepa is meeting today and tomorrow to determine the future of Peru to host the Pan American Games in 2019. As Chile was second in line to host the sporting event, it will ask to host if Peru is declared incapable of hosting.

Last Thursday, the former president of COP, Quiñones, resigned after he was denounced for counts of embezzlement. Accused by congressman Daniel Abugattás of wasting nearly S/. 1.5 billion to remodel the offices of administration of COP in the Villa Deportiva Nacional (Videna), the president resigned that very same night.

Secondly, the government is facing criticism for not paying due attention to the projects infrastructural necessities to carry out the event. The master plan has not been approved by the President of Council (PCM), delaying the process since it was first assigned in Aug. 2013.

However, according to the Minister of Education, Jaíme Saavedra, “the games are of priority,” he told El Comercio. Saavedra argues that the plans have not been confirmed as the numbers have not been completely approved by the COP organizers themselves.

According to COP, the total cost Peru will face to host the Pan American Games would add up to nearly S/. 710 million.

 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

[readon1 url="http://www.peruthisweek.com/news-odepa-to-examine-peru-as-host-of-panamerican-games-2019-104956"]Source:www.peruthisweek.com[/readon1]

When your team wins 9-1, you need to start being creative with your celebrations to stop them getting boring.

At least, that’s what the Mexican under-20s side did after bagging their third against the hapless Cuba in the CONCACAF Championships.

Five members of Mexico’s side combined to form a bike, and you have to appreciate their eye for detail – they’ve got pedals, handlebars and…what appears to be a bloke taking a leak at the back.

The Mexican youngsters went on to put six more past their Cuban opponents, but it’s pretty unlikely that they managed to top this celebration.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The rumor mill stopped churning Tuesday night. And of all people, Carlos Salcedo put an end to the speculation around what was theorized as the next step in his professional career.