Q & A With Quakes Head Coach Dominic Kinnear About Off-Season
There have been a number of players that have left the team this off-season. Can you give some insight into the changes that have taken place so far?
Dominic Kinnear: "It has been a complicated off-season so far. We have made some changes and some changes have happened that we had no control over, i.e. Landon Donovan, Ramiro Corrales. We would have liked to have both players back, but unfortunately we couldn't do anything about it. We did receive an allocation for Landon and that is important for next year. The Ramiro signing took us a bit by surprise."
Was it disappointing to see Ramiro leave?
DK: "Yes, of course it was. He has grown into a good player on the fringe of the national team and he has been a valuable part of our team for the past four years. He wanted to try his luck elsewhere and we thank him for his service and wish him luck."
How do you envision the 2005 Quakes will look on Opening Day once all the changes are complete? What type of players are you looking for?
DK: "All around, we are looking for good players that can help our team, not for exact replica replacements for the players that have left. We want guys that can start for this team and will be strong players in MLS. We have to be flexible and open-minded with any decision about players that come to the team."
Do you anticipate some of the Quakes younger players having increased roles with the team next year?
DK: "When players leave, it gives opportunities to players that remain to fill those places in the lineup. The players that are here now will have a chance to fight for a place in the starting lineup next year with the players we bring in."
With Jeff Agoos gone on the back-line, who are you looking to fill that void on defense both as a player and a leader?
DK: "Jeff has been a strong player for us the past four years and he has been a great leader. We wish him luck and hope that he and his family are happy on the East Coast. Pat Onstad is a great leader and he has always had a good relationship with the defense, so I feel comfortable with him back there. It is also time for young players to be more vocal, like Ryan Cochrane, Todd Dunivant and Eddie Robinson. Those three players have gotten time and have experience so they should be able to step up, not only as players but as leaders."
Right now, Brian Ching is the only forward that saw significant minutes in 2004 that is currently under contract. What are your plans for the forward position?
DK: "We know that we need more depth at forward. We are trying to improve our depth there and we are looking at a number of possibilities and we feel good about some of those options."
Two years ago, the Earthquakes turned over half of the roster and put together a championship team, do you feel that experience helps you in the current situation?
DK: "We obviously do not want to be in this situation, but we need to assure everyone that we are not making moves just to make them. We need to make moves for players that want to be in San Jose and will be a good fit here. We will be patient and make the moves that we feel can best help the team."
Misc. Notes
Interliga Tickets on Sale Now As Chivas To Play Atlante And Santos Faces Tigres At Spartan Stadium
Tickets for The InterLiga(tm) 2005 to be held Wednesday, January 5 at San Jose's Spartan Stadium are now on sale. Spartan Stadium will play host to an exciting Mexican League doubleheader on Wednesday, January 5 as Santos vs. Tigres will play in the first game at 7:00 p.m. PT followed by Atlante vs. CD Guadalajara. Tickets for the January 5 doubleheader at Spartan Stadium are now available starting at $20 for Endzone General Admission, $27 for East Sideline General Admission, $30 for West Sideline Reserved and $40 for VIP Reserved. Groups of 15 or more will receive a $2 per ticket discount, and Earthquakes season ticket holders can also receive the same $2 discount by calling 408-985-GOAL. Fans can purchase tickets by visiting any Ticketmaster location, www.ticketmaster.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at 408-998-TIXS, 415-421-TIXS and 510-625-TIXS. Fans can also purchase tickets at the Earthquakes Ticket Office located at 100 North Almaden Avenue in downtown San Jose.
Alvarez Again With Under-20's
Earthquakes midfielder Arturo Alvarez has been named to the final 30-player roster for training camp with the United States Under-20 National Team. Alvarez will train with the team from Dec. 12-23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. under new head coach Sigi Schmid as the squad prepares for the CONCACAF Under-20 Youth Qualifying Tournament, which will be held Jan. 12-16, 2005 at The Home Depot Center. The U.S. will be attempting to qualify for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, which will be held in Holland from June 10-July 2, 2005. During the training camp, the U.S. will play games against the Canadian Under-20 Team as well as Mexican League club Necaxa. Alvarez played a total of 13 times for the Under-20's in 2004, scoring one goal.
Coaching Staff Returns From College Cup
San Jose Earthquakes General Manager Alexi Lalas, head coach Dominic Kinnear, assistant coach John Doyle and goalkeeper coach Tim Hanley returned from a busy weekend at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA where they took in the NCAA national semifinals and championship. Indiana defeated UC-Santa Barbara in a penalty kick shootout on Sunday to take home the title. The Earthquakes will once again host a college scouting combine of local college talent prior to the Jan. 14 MLS SuperDraft.
Corrales Departs Quakes, Signs With Norwegian Club
Earthquakes midfielder Ramiro Corrales, a nine-year MLS veteran and a member of the first San Jose team in 1996, has left San Jose and signed with Hamar Kameratene of the Norwegian Premier Division. Ham-Kam finished in fifth place in Norway in 2004. Corrales is a Salinas native who played in San Jose in 1996-1997 before playing three seasons with the Miami Fusion and MetroStars, respectively. Corrales re-joined the Quakes prior to the 2001 season and developed into one of the club's most versatile and dependable players. Corrales appeared in 29 games for the Quakes in 2004, scoring a career-high three goals and registering one assist. In his nine-year MLS career Corrales played in 178 games, scoring nine goals and tallying 19 assists. Corrales is currently fourth on the Quakes all-time appearances list with 121 games played.
Agoos Traded To MetroStars, Quakes Now Hold 10 Selections In 2005 SuperDraft
The San Jose Earthquakes traded veteran defender Jeff Agoos to the MetroStars for a fourth round selection in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft on Friday, Dec. 10. Agoos, 36, had been with the Quakes since 2001 and helped the club to two MLS Cup Championships (2001 & 2003). Agoos has played a total of 219 regular season games in nine MLS seasons with D.C. United and the Earthquakes. The former United States National Team player had an immediate impact on the Quakes upon joining the team, as the club enjoyed a 50-35-29 record in his four years in San Jose. In his Quakes career, Agoos appeared in 84 games, scoring five goals and notching eight assists for 18 points, while serving as the team captain. The Earthquakes now hold 10 selections in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, including four third round picks.
Season Tickets on Sale Now
San Jose Earthquakes season ticket packages for the 2005 season at Spartan Stadium are now on sale. The Earthquakes 2005 season ticket package features 18 games, including all MLS regular season games and special bonus games. The Quakes season ticket pricing once again consists of a Youth (14 and younger) and a Senior (60 and over) discount in three price levels. Prices for the 2005 season ticket packages are $198 adult ($162 youth/senior) for Endzone, $252 adult ($198 youth/senior) for East Sideline, $450 ($396 youth/senior) for West Sideline and $720 for VIP seats. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Earthquakes Ticket Office at 100 North Almaden Ave., by logging onto www.sjearthquakes.com or by contacting the Earthquakes Ticket Office at (408) 985-GOAL.
