New Chivas Coach Runs Show

Things are changing fast at Chivas USA.

Hans Westerhof has not even been officially installed as coach and already there is electricity in the air. The 56-year-old Dutch coach ran the players through two training sessions Tuesday, an almost unheard-of practice the day before a game.

Today, only hours before Chivas USA plays the Kansas City Wizards at the Home Depot Center, the players will be out there again, fine-tuning Westerhof’s lessons.

“He’s definitely demanding concentration, which is what we’ve been lacking on this team,” defender Ryan Suarez said.

“He thinks fitness is an issue, so we’re doing a lot more stuff physically as well. Practices are a lot sharper, a lot harder, a lot more physically and mentally demanding on the players.

“That can only improve you as a team. It’s nice to see a little bit of fire under some boys’ bellies.”

Fire and a little fear.

Westerhof, replacing Thomas Rongen, acknowledged that new players were needed and that changes were forthcoming, but said there were more urgent and immediate needs.

“Most of all we need some victories, because that would make our self-confidence a little bit higher,” he said.

Defender Ezra Hendrickson said the Chivas USA players, 1-8-1 in their inaugural Major League Soccer season, hope that history is on their side against Kansas City.

“History shows that in the first game after something like this happens, the team comes out with a great intensity,” he said. “I hope that stays true.” Hendrickson said the players were sorry to see Rongen bumped from coach to sporting director.

“Thomas is a coach who really, really put a lot of effort into it,” he said. “It’s really hard to see the coach take the fall for basically our lack of performance. That’s what it boiled down to.”

The players aren’t sure yet what to make of Westerhof, whose coaching resume shows stints with FC Groningen, PSV Eindhoven, Ajax Amsterdam and Willem II in the Netherlands and with Chivas de Guadalajara in Mexico.

“It’s untested waters right now,” Suarez said. “The boys are still kind of walking on shells a little bit.” Westerhof, who will retain his title of director of football for all three of owner Jorge Vergara’s teams -- Chivas de Guadalajara, Chivas USA and Saprissa in Costa Rica -- plans to implement a more direct approach.

“We have to change a little bit our way of playing, but it’s only one step back,” he said. “The idea is in a couple of months [presumably when new players arrive] to return to what we want to do.”

In the meantime, new directions have been delivered.

“He likes a very fast-paced game,” Hendrickson said. “He likes to get the ball forward very quickly.... Get it up to the forwards as quick as possible.... Don’t just play negative and play back or square all the time.”

*

TONIGHT

vs. Kansas City, 7:30

Site -- Home Depot Center.

Radio -- 830.

Records -- Chivas USA 1-8-1, Kansas City 4-2-3.

Record vs. Kansas City -- First meeting.

Update -- Chivas USA will be without defender Douglas Sequeira, who is with Costa Rica’s national team for its World Cup qualifying games against the United States and Guatemala. The Wizards will be without forward Josh Wolff and midfielder Kerry Zavagnin, who are with the U.S. national team for its World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Panama.