Chivas USA today acquired Mexican forward Jesús Morales as a Youth International player. A native of Uruapan, Michoacán, the 20-year-old is Chivas USA's first signing during Major League Soccer's midseason international transfer period. Morales joins the club's 18-player Senior Roster as Chivas USA's second Youth International (non-U.S. nationals or greencard holders 24 and younger), alongside Mexican midfielder Francisco 'Panchito' Mendoza.
"We are happy to have a talented young Mexican player like Jesús join our club as we begin our push for the playoffs," said Chivas USA President and Co-Owner Antonio Cué. "The signing of Jesús reaffirms the common goal of Chivas USA and Chivas Guadalajara to provide new opportunities to promising young players."
Morales joins Chivas USA from the youth ranks of sister team Club Deportivo Guadalajara, where in three seasons from 2005-2006 (Apertura 2005, Clausura 2006, Apertura 2006) he was a standout for Tapatío (formerly Chivas Coras), scoring six goals in 19 games for Chivas' second-tier team. Morales has also played two games for Guadalajara's first team, making his Mexican Primera División debut on April 9, 2005 as a halftime sub for Francisco Javier Rodríguez against Jaguares Chiapas. In Guadalajara's first game of the current Apertura 2006 season at Toluca, he came on as a 69th-minute sub for Edwin Borboa.
