The Earthquakes moved within a point of clinching the Supporter's Shield by defeating the New England Revolution 2-0 last weekend. The Quakes will look to finish their home schedule undefeated as they take on Real Salt Lake on Saturday, October 8 at Spartan Stadium. The game, which kicks off at 7:00 p.m. PT, will be broadcast live on 1590 AM KLIV (English) and 1370 AM KZSF (Spanish).
Injury Report/Suspensions
Out: Troy Dayak (L - ACL tear); Craig Waibel (R - LCL/ACL tear); Eddie Robinson (red card suspension)
Doubtful: Brad Davis (L - groin strain)
Questionable: Ronald Cerritos (L - ankle sprain)
Last Match
Earthquakes 2, New England 0; Saturday, October 1, 2005; Gillette Stadium; Foxborough, Mass.
The San Jose Earthquakes extended their unbeaten run to 12 games with a 2-0 victory over the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium. Brian Ching and Dwayne De Rosario scored goals in the second half to push the team's road winning streak to five games and put the team within one point of clinching the Supporter's Shield. Pat Onstad posted his league-leading 12th shutout of the year to pass Joe Cannon and move into first on the club's all-time list with the 27th shutout of his career. Taylor Twellman nearly got the Revolution started in the second half as he got free behind the Quakes defense. A cross from the right wing was deflected to the far post and Twellman slid but his shot deflected off the crossbar and out of danger. Ching gave San Jose the lead in the 60th minute on a corner kick. Kevin Goldthwaite, who was making his first MLS appearance, whipped a left-footed cross into the heart of the box and Ching beat his defender to the ball to nod home his seventh goal of the season. One minute after Ching's goal, the Quakes went up a man, as Revolution midfielder Daniel Hernandez was shown a red card for a hard foul on Moreno. De Rosario scored again for the Quakes in the 80th minute after a long run through the Revolution defense. De Rosario picked up the ball in the Quakes own half and De Rosario took the ball upfield in a three-on-one break with Brian Mullan to his right. The Canadian international then beat his man just inside the 18-yard box before blasting a shot past Revolution goalkeeper Matt Reis.
Last Match vs. Real Salt Lake
Earthquakes 1, Real Salt Lake 0; Saturday, August 20, 2005; Rice-Eccles Stadium; Salt Lake City, UT
Mark Chung scored the lone goal of the match late in the first half and the Quakes defense shut down the RSL attack to lead San Jose to the 1-0 win at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Alejandro Moreno had the first big chance of the game 11 minutes from the start as he fought off Nelson Akwari and blasted a shot off the near post. Brian Mullan chipped a ball over the defense to Moreno to set up the chance. A minute later Ronald Cerritos had another opportunity to give San Jose the lead as he snuck behind the defense and found himself all alone with Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Jay Nolly. Cerritos ripped a shot with his left foot, but Nolly went low to make the save. Andy Williams forced Quakes goalkeeper Pat Onstad into an uncomfortable save in the 27th minutes after stealing the ball from Kelly Gray on the left wing. Williams dispossessed Gray and then fired a long-range shot that Onstad could only parry over the bar. Chung scored the first goal of the match in the 41st minute after a great move along the right wing. Following a corner kick, Wade Barrett played a ball to Chung in the corner with one defender to beat. After faking to the corner, Chung came to the inside and ripped a low shot to the near post for a 1-0 lead. Onstad preserved the lead for San Jose with a big save midway through the second half. Robert Scarlett picked up a pass on the left wing and sent a cross to back post, where second-half substitute Adolfo Gregorio was positioned. Gregorio drove a header high to the near post, but Onstad was there for the save. Despite a number of final offensive forays by RSL, the Quakes defense held strong to earn the team's eighth shutout of the season.
Misc. Notes
Onstad Sets Club Record
Quakes goalkeeper Pat Onstad earned his 12th shutout of 2005 and his 27th career shutout on Saturday against the Revolution. He is now the Earthquakes all-time leader in shutouts, surpassing Joe Cannon's 26 San Jose shutouts. Onstad continues to be the top contender for the league's Goalkeeper of the Year. He now leads MLS in shutouts (12), goals against average (0.93) and saves percentage (78.0). If Onstad records shutouts in his next two games, he will set the record for the lowest goals against average in MLS history. The record is held by Kevin Hartmam, who set the record in 1999 with a 0.91 GAA. Twelve shutouts are the second most ever recorded in a single MLS season.
De Ro Makes Statement
Quakes MVP candidate Dwayne De Rosario scored his seventh goal on Saturday against the Revolution with a superb individual effort to seal the Quakes 2-0 win. He also continues to lead MLS in assists with 12, two more than his next closest competitor. The Canadian international is two assists shy of the team's all-time season record. Eddie Lewis holds the record of 14, which he set in 1999. His seven goals are a career high, as he has never scored more than five goals in a season. He has scored four game-winning goals and notched five game-winning assists.
Record Home Unbeaten Streak
The Quakes currently have a 17-game unbeaten streak at Spartan Stadium, as they have not lost since Sept. 8, 2004 in their home stadium. They can make history on Saturday against Real Salt Lake by becoming the only team in MLS history to go through an entire season without a loss at home. Their streak is now the longest home-unbeaten streak in team history. The club had two 15-game unbeaten streaks at Spartan (8/21/99 - 7/4/00 and 8/25/01 - 9/7/02). San Jose is now tied for the MLS record for most consecutive games at home without a loss, tying the Galaxy's record of 17. The Galaxy's record was set from 7/4/04 - 7/16/05. The Quakes have posted a 9-0-8 record at Spartan during the streak. The Quakes are the only MLS team without a loss at home in 2005, posting a 9-0-6 record.
All-Time Points Record
The Quakes became the second team in MLS history to reach 60 points in a season with their win over the Revolution. The team now has an even 60 points with a 17-4-9 record. The Los Angeles Galaxy had 68 points in 1998 and no other team has ever reached 60 points. Dominic Kinnear's squad has broken the club record of 51, set in 2003, when the team finished first in the Western Conference with a 14-7-9 record.
Supporter's Shield in Sight
The Earthquakes magic number to clinch the Supporter's Shield is one point. If the Quakes earn one point in their last two games or the Revolution drop one point in their final two matches, San Jose will win the Supporter's Shield for the first time in team history. The Supporter's Shield is given to the MLS team with the most points in the regular season. San Jose finished second overall in MLS in 2002 and 2003.
Quakes Tie Longest Unbeaten Streak in Team History
The Earthquakes unbeaten run reached 12 games with their 2-0 win over the New England Revolution, tying the club record for the longest unbeaten streak. The Quakes last lost on July 15 against D.C. United. The team's previous 12-game unbeaten streak was set from April 28, 2001 - July 4, 2001 when they posted a 7-0-5 record. The Quakes are 10-0-2 in their last 12 games and 14-1-5 in their past 20 games. The all-time record undefeated streak is 19 games, set by the Columbus Crew from 6/26/04 - 4/2/05, and the Crew posted a 9-0-10 record for 37 points during that streak. The Quakes have already posted 10 wins during their streak and 32 points.
Ching Is Back In A Major Way
Earthquakes forward Brian Ching made his first start on Wednesday, September 21 against Chicago since a May 14 game against FC Dallas at Spartan Stadium. Ching missed a total of 14 games with a right hamstring injury before returning Sept. 3 in Dallas. Ching has proved that he is ready to contribute, recording an assist on September 21 and then scoring the game-tying goal on September 24 against Dallas, before scoring the game-winner on Oct. 1. Ching has now scored a goal or registered an assist in five straight games.
Earthquakes Playoff Tickets On Sale Now
Tickets for the San Jose Earthquakes first home playoff game in the Western Conference Semifinals are now on sale. The Quakes, who were the first team in Major League Soccer to earn a playoff berth, clinched the top seed in the Western Conference Playoffs and will play their first home playoff game on Saturday, October 29 at 7:00 p.m. PT or Sunday, October 30 at 1:30 p.m. PT. Ticket prices for the playoffs remain the same as regular season prices - $13, $16, $30 and $45. Tickets will be available by visiting the Earthquakes Ticket Office at 100 North Almaden Ave., by logging onto 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.
Alejandro Moreno To Venezuela For World Cup Qualifying
Earthquakes leading goal-scorer Alejandro Moreno has been called in to the Venezuelan National Team for two upcoming key World Cup Qualifying matches. Moreno will join the Venezuelan team October 4 in preparation for the October 8 game against Paraguay in Caracas. Moreno will then stay with the team for an October 12 game in Brazil. Moreno has appeared three times in his career for Venezuela, playing against Australia in January 2004 and also appearing against Spain and Uruguay. Venezuela currently has a 5-8-3 record and 18 points in CONMEBOL Qualifying and still has an opportunity to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. In his first season in San Jose, Moreno leads the Earthquakes with a career-high eight goals and four assists in 30 games.
Four Quakes in U.S. Camp
Four San Jose Earthquakes players have been named to the United States National Team's roster for the Saturday, October 8 World Cup Qualifying match against Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica. Forward Brian Ching, midfielder Ricardo Clark and defenders Danny Califf and Wade Barrett will all be a part of the U.S. team that plays Costa Rica at 6:00 p.m. PT at Estadio Ricardo Saprissa. The game will be aired on tape delay at 7:00 p.m. PT on ESPN2. United States National Team head coach Bruce Arena will announce the U.S. roster for the October 12 game against Panama at a later date. The four Quakes players are scheduled to miss San Jose's final home game on October 8 against Real Salt Lake. Ching, 27, makes his return to the national team after missing significant time in 2005 with a hamstring injury. In 2004, Ching emerged as an important forward for the national team, appearing in four games, including three World Cup qualfiers. Ching scored two goals in World Cup Qualifying, finding the back of the net against El Salvador on September 4, 2004 and Jamaica on August 18, 2004. Ching has made eight appearances for the national team. Califf, 25, has made 12 appearances for the national team, last playing 16 minutes in a 1-1 tie against Haiti on March 16, 2004 where he scored his first international goal. Califf started and played in nine games for the U.S. in 2003, appearing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Confederations Cup. Califf made his international debut on January 19, 2002 against South Korea. Barrett, the Earthquakes captain, is making his first appearance with the national team since 2002. Barrett made his only appearance for the U.S. on November 17, 2002 against El Salvador. Clark, 22, has enjoyed a breakout year in 2005 for San Jose since joining the Quakes in an off-season trade with the MetroStars. Clark has never been called into camp with the U.S. National Team, but has played in the U.S. youth system, appearing in five games for the U.S. Under-20 team at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championships. Clark was also a member of the Under-23 National Team in 2004.
Kinnear's Winning Percentage
Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear has increased his career winning percentage to .600 following the Quakes 2-0 win over New England. Kinnear is now second all-time in MLS in winning percentage, trailing only Bruce Arena, who has a .635 percentage.
Road Dominance
-The Quakes have now won five straight road matches after defeating the Eastern Conference's top team, the New England Revolution. That winning streak marks a team record for consecutive road wins by the team. The team's previous record of four was accomplished from Sept. 13, 1998 - April 17, 1999. The Quakes started the streak with a win over the Colorado Rapids on July 20. No MLS team has won five straight road games since DC United accomplished the feat in 1999, en route to the MLS record seven straight road victories.
-Also, the Earthquakes now have eight road wins in 2005, setting a new team record for road wins in one season. The previous record was set in 2003 when the team went 7-3-5 on the road.
-The Quakes longest road unbeaten streak is seven games, set from June 14, 2003 - Aug. 16, 2003.
Fewest Losses
The Quakes currently have only four losses through their first 30 games with two games remaining. If the Quakes finish the regular season with only four losses, they would break the MLS record for fewest losses in a season. The record of five is held by the 2001 Miami Fusion and the 2004 Columbus Crew. However, the Fusion played only 26 games in 2001 and the Crew played 30 games in 2004.
Goal Difference
The Quakes have scored 48 goals in 2005 and allowed only 28 through the first 30 games. The team has a plus-20 goal difference with only two games remaining. The team record for goal difference in a season is 18, set in 2001 when the team scored 47 goals and allowed 29.
Tough D
After shutting out New England, the Quakes continue to lead MLS with the fewest goals allowed (28). The Earthquakes also have the best goals against average (0.93). The Earthquakes 12 shutouts in 2005 are a new team record. If the Quakes post shutouts in the final two games, the team will set the single-season MLS record for fewest goals allowed in a season. The record of 29 was set in 1999 by the Los Angeles Galaxy, and was equaled in 2000 by the Kansas City Wizards and in 2001 by the Earthquakes.
Levesque Wins Championship; Goldthwaite And Dombrowski Return
Earthquakes forward Roger Levesque, who was loaned to the USL First Division Seattle Sounders on April 29, earned his first professional championship with the Sounders as they beat the Richmond Kickers in the USL First Division Final on Saturday. Levesque played the full 90 minutes for Seattle, which tied 1-1 in regulation but won the penalty kick shootout 4-3 to take the championship. Levesque put the Sounders into the championship match for the second year in a row when his 90th minute goal allowed Seattle to upset Montreal 2-1 on September 25. Levesque was a vital cog in the Sounders run to the championship as he scored four goals in the playoffs, including all three goals in the team's first round victory over the Portland Timbers.
Goldthwaite Returns, Assists
Quakes defender Kevin Goldthwaite appeared in his first MLS game on Saturday against the Revolution, entering as a sub in the 55th minute. His first touch was a special one as he curled a corner kick in the box and Brian Ching headed it home for the game's first goal. It was the first assist of Goldthwaite's MLS career.
Quakes On a Roll Against Revolution
The Quakes are 15-8-4 all-time against the New England Revolution in the regular season, and recently have dominated the series. The Quakes have not lost to New England in their last 12 games, putting together an 9-0-3 record since May 5, 2001. The Revs have not beaten the Quakes since July 22, 2000. San Jose has outscored New England by a 54-37 all-time total. The Quakes have also never lost at Gillette Stadium, home of the Revolution, posting a 5-0-1 record there since 2002.
Dominating the West
The Quakes have had good success against conference opponents this season as they have posted a 10-1-7 record against Western Conference foes, including wins in five of their last six games against the West. They have two games remaining against Western Conference foes, Oct. 8 vs. Real Salt Lake and Oct. 15 vs. the Los Angeles Galaxy. Their only loss against the West came on May 21 against Los Angeles (2-1). The Quakes finished the year with a 7-3-2 record against the Eastern Conference.
Vote For The San Jose Earthquakes All-Time Best XI At sjearthquakes.com
In celebration of the 10th season of the team, San Jose Earthquakes fans have the opportunity to select the club's all-time Best XI team. Fans can log onto www.sjearthquakes.com to vote for the best all-time team in Earthquakes/Clash history. Players who had appeared in 25 MLS games by July 15, 2005 are eligible for selection in a 4-4-2 formation. Fifty-three players are available to choose from, including four goalkeepers, 15 defenders, 23 midfielders and 11 forwards. All the players' career stats are available at sjearthquakes.com simply by clicking the players' name. San Jose has been the home to some of the top players in Major League Soccer and this team will feature some of the most legendary players to have ever donned a San Jose jersey. Joe Cannon currently leads the goalkeeper voting, while Jeff Agoos leads the defenders and Landon Donovan leads the forwards. Richard Mulrooney leads in midfield and in overall voting, garnering 80 percent of the votes.
Tight Games
This season, San Jose has now had 23 of their 30 games either decided by one goal or finish in a tie. Also, 19 of the 30 games that the Quakes have played in 2005 have entered the halftime break with the teams tied.
One-Goal Games
In 2004, San Jose had the worst record in MLS in one-goal games, posting a 2-9 record. The team has turned that around in 2005, as they are now 11-3 in one-goal games.
Pitching In
Through 30 games, the Quakes have scored 48 goals and the goals are coming from the entire team. Thirteen different players have scored a goal for San Jose.
In the Community
WHO: Pat Onstad
Date & Time: Monday, October 3rd; 2:00 pm to 2:40 pm
Location: Noble Elementary School, San Jose
Details: Pat Onstad will be visiting the 5th grade class at Noble Elementary School who are participating in the Get A Kick Out of Reading program. He will be reading to the class, signing autographs and answering questions.
WHO: Chris Aloisi, Tighe Dombrowski, and Brett Rodriguez
Date & Time: Monday, October 3rd; 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm
Location: Silver Oak Elementary School
Details: Chris Aloisi, Tighe Dombrowski, and Brett Rodriguez will be visiting the classrooms of Mrs. Tom, Mrs. Jenkis, and Mrs. Bottini at Silver Oak Elementary School. The three players will be reading to the classes who are participating in the Get A Kick Out of Reading Program as well as answering questions and signing autographs.
WHO: Danny O'Rourke
Date & Time: Monday, October 3rd; 1:50 pm to 2:40 pm
Location: Willow Glen Elementary School
Details: Danny O'Rourke will be reading to Ms. Tatum's 3rd & 4th grade classes at Willow Glen Elementary School as well as answering questions and signing autographs. Ms. Tatum's class is participating in the SJ Earthquakes Get A Kick Out Of Reading Program.
WHO: Chris Aloisi
Date & Time: Tuesday, October 4th; 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Location: Graystone Elementary School
Details: Chris Aloisi will be at Almaden Valley Youth Soccer League Practice on Tuesday, October 4th from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm signing autographs.
WHO: San Jose Earthquakes Mascot, Q
Date & Time: Tuesday, October 4th; 12:15 pm to 12:45 pm
Location: Brooktree Elementary School
Details: Q will be at Brooktree Elementary on Tuesday hosting Q's Safety Skills program.
WHO: Eddie Robinson
Date & Time: Thursday, October 6th; 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm
Location: TBD
Details: Eddie Robinson will be at PAL Willow Glen's Youth Soccer practice signing autographs.
WHO: Jon Conway
Date & Time: Thursday, October 6th; 1:20 pm to 2:25 pm
Location: Terrell Elementary School
Details: Jon Conway will be reading to Mrs. Knight's 3rd grade class at Terrell Elementary school. Conway will also be signing autographs and answering questions.
WHO: Kelly Gray
Date & Time: Friday, October 7th; 1:40 pm to 2:15 pm
Location: Matsumoto Elementary School
Details: Kelly Gray will be reading to Mrs.Dihn's 2nd grade class at Matsumoto Elementary School. Gray will also be signing autographs and answering questions.
WHO: San Jose Earthquakes Mascot, Q
Date & Time: Friday, October 7th; 1:45 pm to 2:15 pm
Location: Cedar Grove Elementary School
Details: Q will be at Cedar Grove Elementary on Tuesday hosting Q's Safety Skills
WHO: Player TBD
Date & Time: Saturday, October 8th; 9:30 am to 11:00 am
Location: TBD
Details: A San Jose Earthquakes Player will be at PAL's Jamboree on Saturday, October 8th signing autographs from 9:30 am to 11:00 am
WHO: San Jose Earthquakes Mascot, Q
Date & Time: Saturday, October 8th; 11:30 am to 12:30 pm
Location: Mayor's Volunteer Festival in San Jose
Details: Q will be at the Mayor's Volunteer Festival on Saturday, October 8th congratulating our city's volunteers for all their efforts.
WHO:San Jose Earthquakes Mascot, Q
Date & Time: Saturday, October 8th; 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Location: AYSO 35, Cupertino
Details: Q will be at AYSO 35's Crazy Hair Day to take pictures with the U5 & U6 teams.
League Leaders
-Dwayne De Rosario leads MLS in assists with 12.
-De Rosario is tied for the league lead in game-winning assists with five.
-Pat Onstad is first in the league in goals against average with a 0.93 GAA. He is first in MLS with 12 shutouts on the season and is first in the league in saves percentage (78.0).
-Opponents have fouled forward Alejandro Moreno 99 times this year, placing him first in the league in fouls suffered. Brian Mullan is fourth in the league with 73 fouls suffered.
-The Earthquakes are tied for first in MLS with 57 assists.
-The Earthquakes are first in MLS in fouls suffered with 564.
Fouls, Fouls Suffered
After 30 games in 2005, San Jose leads MLS in fouls suffered (564), and is second in fouls committed (494). However, the Quakes have only received 49 cautions in 2005, ranking ninth in MLS.
Quakes In October
All-time in the month of October, the Earthquakes are 2-3-5 in MLS regular season games and 7-7-5 overall in the month.
Earthquakes - RSL Connections
Salt Lake midfielder Chris Brown was traded to the Quakes in the early part of the 2004 season and played with San Jose for the rest of the year...Salt Lake defender Rustin Pierce played soccer at UNC Greensboro with San Jose forward Alejandro Moreno...Salt Lake's Leighton O'Brien wore a Quakes uniform in 1999, when he played in four games for San Jose...Ricardo Clark and Clint Mathis were teammates on the MetroStars in 2003...Brad Davis played with Mathis on the MetroStars in 2002...Alejandro Moreno and Paul Broome played together on the Galaxy in 2003 and 2004...Ronald Cerritos played with Paul Broome on Dallas in 2002 and 2003...Mark Chung and Jordan Cila were teammates on Colorado in 2004.
Top Real Salt Lake Players vs. Quakes
RSL has only faced the Earthquakes three times this season. In the teams' game on April 30, RSL forward Jason Kreis wasted no time scoring against the Quakes. Kreis scored two goals against San Jose, one on a penalty kick. In his MLS career, Kreis has scored eight goals and dished out six assists in 31 career games against San Jose. However, Kreis is sidelined for Saturday's match with a knee injury.
Top Quakes Performers vs. Real Salt Lake
In their three meetings with RSL, five different Quakes players have scored goals with Brian Ching, Alejandro Moreno, Kelly Gray and Wade Barrett all scoring on goal, while Mark Chung has netted two.
Unbeaten Vs. Expansion Teams
The Earthquakes are unbeaten in 2005 against expansion teams, posting a 4-0-3 record in seven games against Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake.
Quakes Set Unbeaten Streak Record At Home
The Earthquakes set an MLS record with their August 7, 2004 win against D.C. United, extending their unbeaten streak at home to 46 games when scoring first. That streak now stands at 56 games after San Jose's 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire on September 24, 2005. It started on April 3, 1999.
Quakes Above .500
The Earthquakes have now gotten their all-time MLS record above the .500 mark. The Quakes all-time regular season MLS record is 133-125-46 for 445 points. They now have the third-best regular season record in MLS history.
Halftime Success
Despite relinquishing a halftime lead on June 12, 2005 against Chivas USA in a game that ended 1-1, the Earthquakes remain amongst the best in league history in holding on to a half-time lead. Since the beginning of the 2000 season, the Earthquakes are 47-0-7 in games when leading at the half, including 8-0-1 in 2003, 7-0-1 in 2004 and 6-0-2 in 2005.
Making The First One Count
The Quakes scored first and won 2-0 over New England at Gillette Stadium on Oct. 1 to continue their incredible run over the past 71 games when scoring first. Dating back to the 2000 season, the Earthquakes own a 60-3-8 record in their last 71 matches when they score the first goal of the game. In 2005, San Jose remains undefeated at 13-0-4 when scoring first. 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 went 8-1-1 when scoring first, the top mark in MLS. The Quakes gave up their lead and lost to Los Angeles on July 4, 2004 for the first time since July 27, 2002 against Kansas City. The Quakes are also impressive in the playoffs when scoring first, posting a 6-0-0 record.
