CHIVAS USA: SOCCER'S MELTING POT COACHES' ORIGINS DIFFER, BUT THEIR GOALS DON'T.

Byline: MATT ZIMMERMAN Staff Writer

An American, a Mexican, a Serb and an Egyptian walk into a bar. ...

It sounds like the setup for a joke. But that's actually what happens when the Chivas USA coaching staff visits a watering hole together.

In a season that has his name among the three finalists for Major League Soccer Coach of the Year, Bob Bradley assembled a staff that includes holdover Martin Vasquez, the only man to represent both the U.S. and Mexican senior national teams; Preki (Predrag Radosavljevic), whose 79 career goals and 112 assists earned him a spot on MLS' All-Time Best XI; and Zak Abdel, who in seven seasons with the Galaxy helped the development of two of MLS' best goalies in Kevin Hartman and Matt Reis.

``It's an international coaching staff, international locker room,'' Preki said. ``No problem, we all speak the same language: football. That's what this thing's all about: making this club the best it could be.''

Bradley is quick to credit the camaraderie on his coaching staff for Chivas USA's success as it enters today's first-round 5 p.m. playoff game at Houston with a 2-1 aggregate lead. All Chivas needs is a tie to advance to the Western Conference Final.

``Here we are, we're at Chivas USA. We've got Martin, who's Mexican- American, Preki, who's Serbian, and Zak, who's Egyptian,'' Bradley said. ``Yet the idea (is) that we're all in something together, that we all get along, that we work hard together but that we also get on each other and have some really good laughs. It's been a good group.''

Following last season's expansion debacle season, Chivas brought in Bradley, MLS' all-time winningest coach, now with 124 career wins after Chivas went 10-9-13 in the 2006 regular season. One constant as Chivas' four-win season led to coaching turmoil last year was Vasquez, a former Galaxy assistant who played in MLS in its early days.

Bradley saw Vasquez' determination to help change Chivas USA's fortunes, and he invited him to help see it through. ``That has been one of the greatest achievements, because it was very tough lastyear; it was very tough from every standpoint,'' Vasquez said. ``Results, working hard and not being rewarded, it was a long, difficult season. This year, Bob gave me the opportunity to stay, (and) that was one of my main objectives, to turn this around because of the fans, because of the organization.''

Next was Preki, a player Bradley had mainly dealt with as an opponent. While the legend's final two seasons were largely derailed by injury, he studied the game, and when he retired following the 2005 campaign, he took Bradley up on his previous offer of help.

Since Bradley's family was then still in New jersey and Preki's was in Kansas City, the pair shared an apartment in Long Beach in an arrangement Bradley joked was ``two losers, nothing to do but work all the time, then go and get something to eat, wake up early and do it again.'' And Bradley found the outspoken Preki would fit right in.

``It's about having a group that challenges each other every day. I try to challenge all the people around me to have ideas and say what they think,'' Bradley said.

``On the coaching side, it's very much a team effort. I always enjoy having people around who have that kind of personality, who are really into it. I think the players enjoy having guys like that around.''

A guy like that is also Abdel, who is rarely seen without a smile on his face or an idea for how to make his goalies play better. He has been a goalie coach in the United States since 1994, following a 16-year professional career.

``Everywhere you go, soccer unites,'' Abdel said of the international flavor on the staff.

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Bob Bradley, far right, head coach of Chivas USA, leads a diverse coaching staff.

Victor Decolongon/Getty Images

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CHIVAS USA at HOUSTON

- Matt Zimmerman