This Week's Match-Ups
Coming back from the 2004 Sierra Mist All-Star Game held Saturday, the Earthquakes are ready for a two-match week. The team is set to take on the A-League's Minnesota Thunder in the quarterfinal round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday at 5 p.m. PT in St. Paul, Minn., as the Quakes look to reach the tournament's semifinals for the first time in team history. Following the Open Cup quarterfinals, the Quakes will return to MLS play on Saturday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. PT when they host Freddy Adu and D.C. United at Spartan Stadium. The match will be live on the radio on 1590 AM KLIV and 1370 AM KZSF. It will also be televised on Fox Sports World.
Injury Report/Suspensions
Out: Chris Ronér (R - ankle surgery); Eddie Robinson (L - ruptured tendon of left hamstring), Troy Dayak - Red Card (Suspended for Aug. 7 game), Jamil Walker (L - hip strain)
Last Match
Revolution 2, Earthquakes 2; Saturday, July 24; Spartan Stadium; San Jose, CA
The San Jose Earthquakes scored two goals in the game's final three minutes to pull out an improbable 2-2 tie against the New England Revolution at Spartan Stadium. Facing a 2-0 deficit and forced to play down a man due to Troy Dayak's 62nd minute ejection, the Earthquakes stormed back with goals by Landon Donovan and Brian Ching in the final three minutes to come from behind and amazingly tie the Revolution. The Revolution got on the board first in the 25th minute on a goal headed in by Pat Noonan. The Revs pushed their lead to 2-0 in the 53rd minute on a goal from Jose Cancela. Cancela beat a defender and sent a bending shot over a diving Onstad, off the far post and into the net. Already trailing 2-0, the Quakes faced even more trouble when defender Dayak was ejected for colliding with Shalrie Joseph in the 62nd minute as he battled for a header. With San Jose playing down a man for the final 28 minutes, the Quakes picked up the intensity and began bombarding the Revolution net. With the match heading into the final moments both teams picked up the physical play. San Jose finally came through with a goal by Donovan in the 91st minute to make it 2-1. Donovan finished off a brilliant passing sequence with a hard shot from the left side past a sliding Reis. Richard Mulrooney started the play with a long pass from near midfield to Ching at the top of the penalty box. Ching slid a pass to a cutting Donovan on the left, who then powered the shot past Reis. With just a minute remaining in stoppage time, Ching scored his league-leading 10th goal to give the Quakes a 2-2 tie. Dunivant played a long ball out of the Quakes defense that Ching knocked down, allowing Donovan to control it at the 18-yard box. Donovan knocked a pass to his left to Ekelund, who slid and managed to pass the ball to De Rosario on the left wing in the penalty area. De Rosario's low cross found Ching in front of the goal, and he was able to re-direct the ball into the net for the tie.
Last Match vs. Thunder
Earthquakes 2, Thunder 0; Sunday, July 14, 2002; National Sports Center; Blaine, Minnesota.
The San Jose Earthquakes defeated the A-League's Minnesota Thunder 2-0 in an exhibition match that served as a homecoming for former Earthquakes midfielder Manny Lagos. Dwayne De Rosario and Luchi Gonzalez scored for the Quakes. De Rosario scored an impressive goal in the closing moments of the first half. Chris Roner down the right wing sent a one-timed cross to the penalty spot, where De Rosario leapt and side-volleyed a powerful right-footer into the upper corner, freezing the Thunder goalkeeper and giving the Quakes a 1-0 lead at halftime. Gonzalez gave San Jose a two-goal lead with a goal in the 67th minute after a strong buildup in midfield. Former Quake Ariel Graziani slid a pass to Gonzalez just inside the 18-yard box. Gonzalez side-stepped two Thunder defenders before slotting a shot into the corner for a 2-0 advantage.
Last Match vs. United
Earthquakes 1, United 1; Saturday, May 1, 2004; Spartan Stadium; San Jose, Calif.
The San Jose Earthquakes held on for a 1-1 tie with D.C. United at Spartan Stadium. A Troy Dayak goal gave the Quakes a 1-0 first half lead, but United responded with the equalizer in the 66th minute to give the Quakes their second tie of the season. San Jose midfielder Richard Mulrooney made history in the match by starting his 130th career game as he broke assistant coach John Doyle's club record in that category. The Quakes pressured in the 31st minute, forcing Nick Rimando to make a tough diving save. Landon Donovan started the play when he received a pass deep on the right side of the United penalty area and then sent a pass to Ronnie Ekelund. The D.C. defense collapsed on Ekelund, and the ball squirted into the middle of the box, where an open Brian Ching blasted a shot that a diving Rimando was able to deflect out of danger. San Jose finally broke through to take the lead 1-0 in the 33rd minute on Troy Dayak's first regular season MLS goal since May 5, 2001. Jeff Agoos whipped a free kick into the middle of the United penalty box from the right side of the field. A surging Dayak sprinted in towards the goal and beat Bryan Namoff to the ball before powering a header past a diving Rimando to give the Quakes a 1-0 lead they would take into the halftime break. D.C. United tied the game in the 66th minute when Bobby Convey sent a cross from the right side across the field and over the Quakes back line. San Jose defender Craig Waibel jumped in an attempt to knock the ball down, but it went over him and directly to the feet of an open Dema Kovalenko near the left post. With only the goalkeeper to beat, Kovalenko settled the ball and fired a shot past Onstad to knot the game at 1-1.
Misc. Notes
In August
Since 1996, the Quakes have a 18-19-3 regular season record in August. Last season, San Jose went 3-1-1 during the month.
San Jose To Face Minnesota Thunder in U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals
The San Jose Earthquakes began play in the 2004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, July 14 with a 3-0 win over the A-League's Portland Timbers at PGE Park in Portland, Oregon. Ronnie Ekelund, Ramiro Corrales and Dwayne De Rosario scored for the Quakes. The Earthquakes will play the Minnesota Thunder, a 1-0 winner over the Los Angeles Galaxy, in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, August 4 in St. Paul, Minn. at 5:00 p.m. PT. The game will mark the Quakes second-ever match against the Thunder. The teams met on July 14, 2002 in an exhibition match, which the Quakes won 2-0 on goals by Dwayne De Rosario and Luchi Gonzalez. San Jose has now advanced to the quarterfinals six times in their seven Open Cup appearances and is 8-6 overall in U.S. Open Cup play.
Thunder - Quakes Connections
Minnesota defender Michael Wilson played for Stanford University with Earthquakes defender Todd Dunivant. The Earthquakes selected Wilson in the 27th round of the 2004 MLS Superdraft. Earthquakes defender Chris Brown played on the Kansas City Wizards with Thunder players Chris Brunt (2002-03) and Kevin Friendland (2003).
Five Quakes See Stars
Five members of the San Jose Earthquakes started for the Western Conference All-Star team in the Sierra Mist MLS All-Star game on July 31. Landon Donovan, Brian Ching, Richard Mulrooney, Jeff Agoos, and Pat Onstad all represented the Quakes in the starting lineup as the East defeated the West 3-2. Ching scored the first goal for the West in the 43rd minute on assists from teammates Donovan and Mulrooney. Donovan passed the ball to Richard Mulrooney, who sent a cross into Brian Ching. Ching powered a header past Henry Ring to get the West on the board. Donovan recorded his second assist of the game on a Jason Kreis goal in the 89th minute. Donovan, the 2001 All-Star Game MVP, now has five goals and three assists in four career MLS All-Star Games. Agoos was selected to the team for his ninth straight appearance, while Onstad and Ching made their all-star debuts. Mulrooney made his second appearance in the all-star game, and Donovan his fourth.
Nine Players with San Jose Ties Play In All-Star Reunion Match
Before the 2004 Sierra Mist MLS All-Star Game, the MLS USA Legends and MLS World Legends played to a 2-2 tie in a reunion match, which featured players who participated in the 1994 World Cup and who then continued their career by playing or coaching in MLS. Nine players in the reunion match, including current General Manager Alexi Lalas, had ties to the Earthquakes, from both the MLS USA and World Legends teams. Eric Wynalda, who played for the Quakes from 1996-1998, scored the first goal of the game for the USA Legends in the 15th minute and registered an assist on Hugo Perez's goal in the 25th minute. Raul Diaz Arce, a Quakes player in 1999, registered the World Legends first goal in the 37th minute, while former Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop (2001-03) received a caution in the 49th minute.
Donovan, Ching Score in Two Straight
Earthquakes forwards Landon Donovan and Brian Ching have each scored in the Quakes' past two MLS games. Against Colorado on July 17, Ching netted two goals, while Donovan scored one goal and dished out two assists. On Saturday, July 24 versus New England, each player found the back of the net in stoppage time to earn a 2-2 tie. Ching also recorded an assist.
Ching on Top of League Scoring Charts
Brian Ching continued his hot play with a goal and an assist against New England on July 24. He now has 10 goals and three assists on the season for 23 points, putting him just behind league leader Amado Guevara (25 points). Ching is also tied for first in the league in goals with Carlos Ruiz of the Los Angeles Galaxy. Ching, however, has scored all his goals in the run of play, while Ruiz has netted two penalty kicks among his 10 goals.
Quakes Atop Assist Leader Board
With an assist against New England on July 24, Quakes midfielder Richard Mulrooney remains in a tie atop the assist leader board with eight assists. He is tied with Chris Klein of the Kansas City Wizards. Landon Donovan is currently tied for third in assists (7) with three other players. Mulrooney's career high in assists is nine (2000, 2001), while Donovan recorded a personal best 10 assists in 2001.
In the Community
WHERE: Metropolis Theaters in Oakridge Mall; San Jose, CA
WHEN: Tuesday, August 3, 2004 - 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm
WHO: Eddie Robinson and Chris Roner
DETAILS: Robinson and Roner will be at Oakridge Mall where Metropolis Theaters will be showing a highlight video in High Definition. Eddie and Chris will be hosting a Q&A and signing autographs.
WHERE: Washington Elementary School; San Jose, CA
WHEN: Tuesday, August 3, 2004 - 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
WHO: Eddie Robinson and Earthquakes mascot "Q"
DETAILS: Eddie Robinson & Q will be at Washington Elementary School in San Jose participating in National Night Out. Sierra Mist's MLS Dribble, Pass & Score Competition will also be out there for kids ages 6-14 to compete. You must compete by August 21st in order to qualify for the National Competition. DPS will be on site from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Eddie Robinson & Q will be signing autographs from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.
WHERE: San Francisco International Airport
WHEN: Wednesday, August 4, 2004 - 11 am to 2pm
WHO: Earthquakes mascot "Q"
DETAILS: Q will be at SFO from 11 am to 2 pm participating in their Employee Appreciation Day.
WHERE: San Pedro Square; Downtown San Jose, CA
WHEN: Friday, August 6, 2004 - Noon to 12:30 pm
WHO: Earthquakes mascot "Q"
DETAILS: Q will be at the Downtown San Jose's Farmers Market from Noon to 12:30 pm.
WHERE: Red Morton Community Center; Redwood City, CA
WHEN: Saturday, August 7th - 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
WHO: Earthquakes mascot "Q"
DETAILS: Q will be at visiting the kids of Redwood City AYSO Saturday Morning at the DPS Competition.
WHERE: JD Morgan Park; Campbell, CA
WHEN: Sunday, August 8th - 11 am to Noon
WHO: Tighe Dombrowski
DETAILS: Dombrowski will be at Central Valley's Magic Cup Tournament signing autographs.
Limiting Chances
The Quakes have allowed a league-low 193 shots against in 2004.
Alvarez Returns To Quakes
Quakes midfielder Arturo Alvarez returned to the Quakes after the All-Star break after spending time in Northern Ireland with the U.S. Under-20 National Team for the 2004 Milk Cup, which took place July 16-23. Alvarez played 74 minutes for the U.S. in the 2-2 draw against Denmark on July 17 at the grounds of Donegall Celtic FC in Belfast in their first match of the tournament. The U-20s also tied Turkey on July 19 in Ballymena, Northern Ireland with a final score of 0-0. Alvarez played nearly the whole match before being subbed out in second half stoppage time. In the final match of the group, the U.S. tied for the third straight game, earning a 1-1 draw with Wales. Alvarez entered as a sub at halftime of the Wales match. In the 5th/6th place game, the U.S. fell 2-1 to finish the tournament sixth overall. The Quakes 18-year old midfielder played the whole game and notched an assist on the team's lone goal.
August is Donovan Time
In his four-year MLS career, Landon Donovan has dominated in the month of August. In 14 career games in the month, he has scored nine goals and notched five assists for 23 points, making August his highest scoring month.
Starting Line-Up Turmoil
Due to numerous injuries, national team duties and suspensions, the Earthquakes have had 15 different starting lineups in the 17 games they have played in 2004. Landon Donovan missed three games to play with the U.S. National Team, while Dwayne De Rosario and Pat Onstad both missed two games for Canadian National Team duty. Also, the team has lost 67-man games to injury over the first 17 games of the season.
Mulrooney Is Quakes' Only Constant
Earthquakes midfielder Richard Mulrooney is the only member of the San Jose roster who has started and played 90 minutes in all 17 games for the Quakes in 2004. In his 1,530 minutes of play, Mulrooney has scored one goal and notched eight assists for ten points, which is third highest for the Quakes.
Quakes Find Net At Home
The Earthquakes have done well scoring in San Jose in 2004, scoring 20 goals in just nine appearances at Spartan Stadium this year, averaging 2.22 goals per game at home. The team is first in the league in goals scored at home.
D.C. Drought
D.C. United has not beaten the Earthquakes in San Jose for over six years. The last time the Earthquakes lost to D.C. United in Spartan Stadium was on June 3, 1998 in a 4-0 defeat.
Quakes Leaders vs. United
Quakes midfielder Ronnie Ekelund is currently the Quakes leading player against D.C. United, scoring three goals for six points in seven appearances. Forward Landon Donovan has five points against D.C. in six games played, scoring two goals and registering one assist. Midfielder Ian Russell has four points with one goal and two assists against United.
Top United Players vs. Earthquakes
D.C. forward Jaime Moreno has been United's most dangerous player against the Quakes, scoring seven goals and notching five assists for 19 points in 14 appearances. Midfielder Dema Kovalenko sits on six points with three goals against the Quakes, while midfielder Ben Olsen has five points on two goals and one assist.
Quakes vs. United History
The Earthquakes and D.C. United went head-to-head on April 6, 1996 in the historic MLS Inaugural Game before 31,683 fans at Spartan Stadium. San Jose opened the season and league history with a dramatic 1-0 win. Since then, the Earthquakes own a 10-8-2 all-time regular season record vs. United, going 5-6-0 at R.F.K. Stadium in Washington, D.C. The Earthquakes took the season-series vs. D.C. United in 2003 with a 2-1 record. Despite trailing in the series, D.C. United has out-scored the Quakes 36-31 since 1996...D.C. has outscored San Jose 10-1 all-time in the first 15 minutes of games in the series, including a goal in the 12th minute in their 2-1 victory in the season opener on April 3, 2004.
Earthquakes - D.C. United Connections
Earthquakes defender Jeff Agoos played with D.C. United from 1996-2000, winning three MLS Cup Championships. While with D.C., Agoos played with current United assistant coach Mark Simpson... United defender Ryan Nelsen attended Stanford University from 1997-2000 and played soccer with Quakes defender Todd Dunivant ... Earthquakes midfielder Ramiro Corrales played with United defender Mike Petke on the MetroStars from 1998-2000 ... United defender Brandon Prideaux played at the University of Washington with the Earthquakes Wes Hart, Ian Russell and Craig Waibel.
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 112-117-32.
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 39-0-5 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 4-1-1 when scoring first. The Quakes gave up their lead to Los Angeles on July 4, 2004 for the first time since July 27, 2002 against Kansas City. Dating back to the 2000 season, the Earthquakes own a 43-3-4 record in their last 50 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.
