This Week's Match-Up
The Earthquakes hit the road for the upcoming holiday weekend to take on the Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home Depot Center on Sunday, July 4 at 7:00 p.m . PT. The game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Net and 1590 KLIV (English). The Quakes currently sit in third place in the Western Conference, seven points behind the first-place Galaxy; however, San Jose has played three fewer games than the leaders. San Jose took the first game of the season series against Los Angeles 4-2 on May 22.
Earthquakes All-Time Record vs. Los Angeles Galaxy
MLS Regular Season: 9-18-4
Home: 6-8-2
Away: 3-10-2
Shootout: 1-4 (1996-99)
Overtime: 0-0-4 (2000-2003)
Playoffs: 3-3-0; U.S. Open Cup: 0-3-0
All-Time Scoring (Incl. Playoffs and Open Cup): San Jose - 49, Los Angeles - 63
Earthquakes Schedule for the Week of 6/28/04
Tuesday, June 29: 10:15 a.m., Training at West Valley College
Wednesday, June 30: Off
Thursday, July 1: 10:15 a.m., Training at West Valley College
Friday, July 2: 10:15 a.m., Training at West Valley College
Saturday, July 3: Travel to Los Angeles
Sunday, July 4L 7:00 p.m. PT, Earthquakes vs. Galaxy live on Fox Sports Net and 1590 KLIV.
*All times Pacific
Injury Report/Suspensions
Out:
Chris Ronér (R - ankle surgery)
Eddie Robinson (L - ruptured tendon of left hamstring)
Troy Dayak (upper back strain)
Questionable:
Jamil Walker (R - ankle sprain)
Last Match
Earthquakes 1, Wizards 1, Saturday, June 26
Spartan Stadium; San Jose, Calif.
The San Jose Earthquakes used a dramatic late goal from Richard Mulrooney to rally for a 1-1 tie against the first place Kansas City Wizards (6-4-4, 22 pts.) on Saturday night at Spartan Stadium. In the first match-up between the teams since the Quakes thrilling overtime win in the 2003 Western Conference Championship, San Jose (4-3-5, 17 pts.) was forced to come from behind yet again following an incredible Jose Burciaga Jr. goal that gave the Wizards the lead just seconds before halftime. Mulrooney's goal in the 79th minute extended the Quakes unbeaten streak to seven games overall at home and they remained undefeated at Spartan Stadium with a 2-0-4 record in 2004. Kansas City took a 1-0 lead in the final seconds of the first half on a goal by Burciaga Jr. At the top of the box, Chris Klein slipped a pass to an open Burciaga Jr. trailing the play on the left side of the box. Burciaga Jr. unleashed a one-time blast that soared over a diving Onstad and into the left upper corner of the net for a 1-0 lead. The Quakes managed to tie the game at 1-1 in the 79th minute on Mulrooney's first regular season goal since June 8, 2002. Mulrooney received the ball in the middle of the field about 22 yards away from the Wizards goal following a string of beautiful passes by Donovan and Mullan, moving the ball from the right side. Mulrooney took a dribble before hitting a rocket of a shot into the left corner past an out-stretched Meola to even the game at 1-1.
Last Match vs. Galaxy
Earthquakes 4, Galaxy 2, Saturday, May 22, 2004
Spartan Stadium; San Jose, Calif.
The San Jose Earthquakes earned their first home win of the season on Saturday, downing their archrival the Los Angeles Galaxy 4-2 behind two goals from Brian Ching, four points from Dwayne De Rosario, and a record-setting night from midfielder Richard Mulrooney. Mulrooney established a new Earthquakes club record for assists with his second assist of the night, giving him 39 in his career, breaking the old record held by Ronald Cerritos. San Jose was rewarded with the first goal of the game in the 45th minute when Ching headed in a Mulrooney corner kick from the left corner directly past Hartman to give the Quakes the lead. San Jose started the second half strong, and pushed their lead to 2-0 in the 47th minute on another goal from Ching and a record-setting assist by Mulrooney. With the assist, Mulrooney set the Earthquakes' all-time club assist record with his 39th career assist. In the 54th minute San Jose extended its lead to 3-0 on a Brian Mullan goal. After the Quakes played a long ball up field, De Rosario flicked a header to an on-rushing Mullan open on the right side. Mullan carried the ball into the penalty box before firing a strong blast part Hartman. The Galaxy managed to pull within 3-1 on a Andreas Herzog goal. Chris Albright sent a pass over the San Jose defense allowing Joseph Ngwenya to run onto it before sending a cross to an open Herzog on the left side of the box about 16 yards out. Herzog one-timed a blast past Onstad. Los Angeles closed the gap to 3-2 when Ned Grabavoy launched a free kick from the right side into the Quakes penalty area, where a leaping Ngwenya was able to head the ball into the goal. With the game picking up intensity, the Earthquakes extended their lead to 4-2 in the 79th minute on a brilliant effort from De Rosario. The Canadian international collected the ball at the left corner of the Galaxy penalty area surrounded by several L.A. defenders. De Rosario maneuvered past the defenders and then cut into the box, moving past the Galaxy's Ryan Suarez and then unleashing a wicked shot that beat Hartman to the near post to give San Jose a two-goal cushion.
Misc. Notes
In July
The Earthquakes are looking to improve on their play in the month of July. Since 1996, the Quakes have a 16-22-4 MLS regular season record in the month, while posting a 22-25-5 overall record in July. Last season, San Jose went 2-1-2 during July.
Quakes On The Fourth of July
The Earthquakes own an all-time record of 1-2-2 in games played on the Fourth of July Holiday. San Jose last played on July 4th in 2002 when they lost to the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 at the Rose Bowl.
Returning To The Memories
The Earthquakes return to The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. for the first time since winning the MLS Cup Championship there against the Chicago Fire on Nov. 23, 2003. Overall, the Quakes have posted a 1-2-1 record at the second-year facility, and have never beaten the Galaxy on their new home field.
Still Unbeaten At Home
With the 1-1 tie against the Wizards on June 26, the Earthquakes extended their unbeaten streak at Spartan Stadium to seven in a row, holding strong at home from October 25, 2003 to June 26, 2004. The Earthquakes are the only MLS team to remain unbeaten at home this season with a 2-0-4 record in 2004.
Quakes To Host Hawaiian Night on July 7
The Earthquakes will host Hawaiian Night at Spartan Stadium on July 7 when the Quakes take on the Dallas Burn at 7:30 p.m. PT. The game will feature special ticket and food discounts, a pre-game luau, and a trip for two to Hawaii, courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines and Aston Resorts. The pre-game Hawaiian Luau Buffet, catered by the Hukilau restaurant, is limited to the first 250 participants and will begin at 5:00 p.m. on game day. Four lucky fans will be selected to participate in a halftime contest at Spartan Stadium with the winner of the contest receiving a trip to Honolulu. The winner will receive roundtrip airfare on Hawaiian Airlines and a three-night stay at the Aston Waikiki Beach Hotel. The Earthquakes will also distribute leis to the first 7,500 fans at the game and Brian Ching, the first Hawaiian player in MLS history, will don a lei on the field for pre-game introductions. Halftime will feature a Polynesian-themed band. The match on July 7 also features special values on tickets and food. All sodas and hot dogs will be one dollar and special six-dollar tickets will be available for the South End Zone. Tickets for groups of 15 or more in the South End Zone will be available for five dollars. Tickets for the July 7 match against the Burn and for the Hawaiian Luau Buffet are on sale now and can be purchased by visiting the Earthquakes Ticket Office at 100 North Almaden Ave. in downtown San Jose, by logging on to www.sjearthquakes.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at 408-998-TIXS, 415-421-TIXS, 510-625-TIXS, 925-685-TIXS, or by visiting any Ticketmaster outlet, including Tower Records, Rite Aid, and Ritmo Latino. Discounted tickets for groups of 15 or more are available by calling 408-985-GOAL.
Mulrooney Continues June Hot Streak With Goal
Earthquakes midfielder Richard Mulrooney's goal against Kansas City on June 26 was his first MLS regular season goal since June 8, 2002. Mulrooney has historically been hot in June throughout his career, as he has notched 13 of his club-record 41 assists in the month and scored two goals, for a total of 17 points.
Donovan Returns, Assists Quakes To Draw
The game against the Wizards on June 26 was Earthquakes midfielder Landon Donovan's first MLS game since May 29, as he missed time with the Quakes to play for the U.S. National Team in World Cup Qualifying. Donovan, the Quakes most dangerous player with 10 career points against the Wizards, once again found success against Kansas City in his return to MLS play. After a great passing sequence with Brian Mullan, Donovan notched an assist in the 79th minute on a pass to midfielder Richard Mulrooney, who fired the ball into the net for the Quakes' equalizing goal against the Wizards.
Ching Is Goal-Scoring King
Earthquakes forward Brian Ching still reigns as goal- and point-scoring king atop the MLS leader boards. Ching leads the league in scoring with seven goals, and is also first in MLS for total points scored with 15. The seven goals are an MLS career high for Ching, even though it is still the first half of the season. Last season, Ching scored six goals in an injury-shortened season with the Quakes. He scored 16 goals for the A-League Seattle Sounders in 2002.
Quakes In the Community
When: Monday, June 28 - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: Gordon Biersch - 2 Harrison Street, San Francisco
Details: Earthquakes players and staff will meet with fans and sign autographs at a Bay Area SCORES event.
Who: Eddie Robinson, Brian Ching, and Alexi Lalas
When: Thursday, July 1 - 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Where: St. Mary's Park and Recreation Center - 95 Justin Drive, San Francisco
Details: The Earthquakes, along with the YES Foundation, will donate soccer cleats to 50 participants in the Bay Area SCORES summer program. Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Conway will hand out the cleats and speak to the children about achieving their goals.
Who: Jon Conway
Goalscoring at Home
The Earthquakes are currently on a hot streak at Spartan Stadium as they have scored 13 goals in their past four home matches. The team is tied for second in MLS with 14 goals scored at home in 2004.
Earthquakes - Galaxy Connections
Earthquakes forward Brian Ching, midfielder Brian Mullan, and defender Craig Waibel were teammates on the Galaxy in 2001, and Waibel and Mullan also played together in L.A. in 2002 ... Earthquakes defender Jeff Agoos was teammates with Galaxy forward Chris Albright on D.C. United during the 1999 season ...Earthquakes President & General Manager Alexi Lalas played for the Galaxy from 2001-2003 ... Galaxy defender Ryan Suarez played college soccer at San Jose State ... Galaxy midfielder and long-time U.S. National Team veteran Cobi Jones has played on the National Team regularly with Agoos, Quakes forward Landon Donovan and Lalas.
History vs. Galaxy
The Earthquakes defeated the Galaxy in a dramatic 5-2 overtime victory in the 2003 Western Conference Quarterfinals at Spartan Stadium that saw San Jose recover from a 4-0 aggregate goal deficit to win what has been called the "greatest MLS game ever played" ... The Quakes and Galaxy have met a total of 40 times, the most of any other MLS opponent, including MLS regular season games, playoff games and U.S. Open Cup matches. The Galaxy owns a 24-12-4 record overall in the series ... In the regular season series, the Galaxy have scored 16 of their 50 total goals in the last 15 minutes of games ... Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Conway made his MLS debut against L.A. on May 17, 2000 in a 0-0 tie ... Ramiro Corrales made his MLS debut against L.A. on April 26, 1996, playing three minutes in a 2-1 loss ...Dwayne De Rosario made his MLS debut against L.A. on April 7, 2001 and scored his first MLS goal on the same day in a 3-2 win ... Landon Donovan made his MLS debut against the Galaxy on April 7, 2001, playing 17 minutes ... Ronnie Ekelund registered his first MLS assist vs. L.A. on June 9, 2001 in a 3-1 win ... Richard Mulrooney made his first MLS start against the Galaxy on April 3, 1999 in a 1-1 tie ... Jamil Walker scored his first MLS goal against the Galaxy on June 18, 2003 in a 1-1 tie in the Quakes first-ever game at The Home Depot Center.
Top Earthquakes Against Galaxy
Landon Donovan is the Quakes current leading scorer vs. the Galaxy with eight points on four goals in nine career regular season games ... Dwayne De Rosario had a multi-point game vs. L.A. on May 22, 2004 with one goal and two assists, improving his career numbers against the Galaxy to seven points on two goals and three assists ... Brian Ching scored two goals in the Quakes last meeting with Los Angeles on May 22 ... Ian Russell and Jamil Walker each have four points vs. the Galaxy, Russell in 12 regular season games and Walker in two.
Los Angeles Leaders vs. San Jose
Cobi Jones is the Galaxy's current leading scorer vs. the Earthquakes with 15 points on two goals and 11 assists in 27 career games ... Carlos Ruiz has registered four goals and two assists in eight career regular season games vs. San Jose ... Sasha Victorine has eight points on three goals and two assists in 14 career regular season games.
Quakes Closing In On .500
The Earthquakes are closing in on bringing their all-time regular season MLS record to the .500 mark. The Quakes all-time regular season MLS record is 111-114-31.
League Leaders
Earthquakes midfielders Landon Donovan and Richard Mulrooney are tied with three other MLS players for second in the league with five assists ... The Earthquakes are third in the league with 21 goals.
Halftime Success
If the Earthquakes enter the half-time break with the lead, recent history suggests they will keep it. Since the beginning of the 2000 season, the Earthquakes are 38-0-5 in games when leading at the half, including 8-0-1 in 2003.
Making The First One Count
The Earthquakes were 25-2-2 in 2001 and 2002 when finding the back of the net first. The Quakes only gave up leads two times in 2002, losing 2-1 to Los Angeles on July 4 and falling 2-1 to Kansas City on July 27. The team continued that trend in 2003, possessing an 11-0-1 mark in the regular season when they scored the first goal. In 2004, the Quakes are 3-0-1 when scoring first. Dating back to the 2000 season, the Earthquakes own a 42-2-4 record in their last 48 matches when they score the first goal of the game. The Quakes are also impressive in the playoffs when scoring first, posting a 6-0-0 record.
"We Believe" - The Story of the 2003 San Jose Earthquakes DVD on Sale Now
For the first time ever, Earthquakes fans can relive the Quakes incredible ride to the 2003 MLS Cup Championship with "We Believe, The Story of the 2003 San Jose Earthquakes." This special two-disc DVD set captures all of the drama and excitement from the Earthquakes unbelievable season. In addition to a 33-minute season in review that includes player interviews and game action, Disc One features an exclusive behind the scenes package as well as a highlight reel. Disc Two of this one-of-a kind set is the original television broadcast of the "Greatest Game In MLS History," the Earthquakes dramatic 5-2 win over Los Angeles in the Western Conference Semifinals on Nov. 9, 2003. Earthquakes fans can Believe Again with this extraordinary two-disc DVD set. Fans can purchase this special two DVD set on the Earthquakes website at sjearthquakes.com or by calling 408-985-GOAL.
