This Week's Match-Up
After opening their 10th season with a 2-2 tie against the New England Revolution on April 2, the Earthquakes look for their first win of 2005 when they host the newest member of Major League Soccer, expansion team Club Deportivo Chivas USA at Spartan Stadium at 1:00 p.m. PT on Saturday, April 9. The game will be broadcast live on the radio on 1590 AM KLIV (English) and 1370 AM KZSF (Spanish) and ESPN2. The first 7,500 fans will receive a special Earthquakes vs. Chivas USA commemorative poster and the first 5,000 fans will receive a Gatorade water bottle.
Earthquakes All-Time Record vs. CD Chivas USA
MLS Regular Season: 0-0-0
Home: 0-0-0
Away: 0-0-0
Shootout: 0-0 (1996-99)
Overtime: 0-0-3 (2000-2003)
Playoffs: 0-0-0; U.S. Open Cup: 0-0-0
All-Time Scoring: San Jose - 0, CD Chivas USA - 0
Earthquakes Schedule for the Week of 4/4/05
Tuesday, April 5: 10:30 a.m. PT - Training at West Valley College
Wednesday, April 6: OFF
Thursday, April 7: 10:30 a.m. PT - Training at West Valley College
Friday, April 8: 10:30 a.m. PT -Training at Spartan Stadium
Saturday, April 9: 1:00 p.m. PT - Earthquakes vs. Chivas USA at Spartan Stadium live on 1590 KLIV (English) and 1370 KZSF (Spanish) and ESPN2
Injury Report/Suspensions
Out: Danny Califf (Right - MCL knee sprain)
Probable: Orlando Ramirez (Right - groin strain)
Suspended: Eddie Robinson (Red Card)
Last Match
Earthquakes 2, New England Revolution 2; Saturday, April 2; Spartan Stadium; San Jose, CA
Despite first-half goals by Brian Ching and Ronald Cerritos staking them to a 2-0 lead, the San Jose Earthquakes were forced to settle for a 2-2 tie against the New England Revolution on Saturday night at Spartan Stadium. Although San Jose had to feel as though it let two points slip away, the Quakes did increase their unbeaten string against the Revs to 11. The Quakes started the game attacking down the left flank, as Brad Davis set up the game's first goal in the 13th minute. Davis, acquired in an off season trade with FC Dallas, whipped in an excellent cross to U.S. national team forward Brian Ching, whose near-post header got past the diving Matt Reis for a 1-0 lead. San Jose pushed the lead to 2-0 on a penalty kick from Ronald Cerritos. Once again, it was one of the new Earthquakes who set up the play, as central midfielder Ricardo Clark drew the penalty, rounding Reis on a breakaway, leaving the goalkeeper no choice but to take him down. Reis, fortunate to have come away with only a yellow card, guessed wrong on the spot kick by Cerritos, who calmly rolled the ball into the lower-left corner from the spot. The Quakes were unable to maintain the hectic pace, as New England began to creep back into the game toward the end of the first half. The Revs carried that momentum into the second half, as forward Pat Noonan brought them back into the game with a 52nd-minute strike to make it 2-1. San Jose was unable to hold off the Revs much longer, especially after losing center back Eddie Robinson to a 70th-minute red card for a hard challenge on New England midfielder Shalrie Joseph. New England tied it just three minutes later as Taylor Twellman gathered in a long ball from second-half substitute James Riley, beat defender Troy Dayak and Onstad with his first touch, and then rolled the ball into the empty net to make it 2-2.
Misc. Notes
Ching Returns With A Bang
Despite missing most of the Earthquakes preseason while training with the United States National Team for World Cup Qualifying, Earthquakes forward Brian Ching seemed to settle right in with his club teammates. Ching, the 2004 MLS Comeback Player of the Year and leading goal scorer, started the season off with a goal in the 13th minute. The Hawaii native scored 12 goals last season, and despite arriving in San Jose late Thursday night after playing 79 minutes vs. Guatemala in a World Cup Qualifier on March 30, started for the Quakes and played 68 hard minutes in the season opener.
Two New Starts For Mullan
Earthquakes midfielder Brian Mullan started the 2005 MLS season on Saturday by playing his usual tough, 90 minutes on the right wing and earning a yellow card against the Revolution. The 27-year old Mullan's play was even more impressive, however, because he had spent the previous evening at the hospital with his wife, Kersten, who delivered the couple's first son, Brady. Mullan left the Quakes locker room immediately following the game and returned to the hospital to be with his family.
Quakes Goal King Strikes Again
Earthquakes forward Ronald Cerritos made his return to Spartan Stadium on Saturday night, starting for the club that he left in a trade following the 2001 season. From 1997-2001, Cerritos scored 55 regular season goals, making him the team's all-time scoring leader. The El Salvadoran added another to his career total against the Revolution, scoring on a penalty kick in the 21st minute. The goal was the first for Cerritos in MLS since May 19, 2004 when he scored for D.C. United, and it was his first strike for the Earthquakes since he scored in the 68th minute of the Quakes 3-0 quarterfinal win over the Columbus Crew on September 26, 2001 at Spartan Stadium. Prior to Saturday, Cerritos' last game for the Quakes was the October 21, 2001 MLS Cup Final, in which he started and played 85 minutes.
Barrett Is Back
Earthquakes defender Wade Barrett also made his return to Spartan Stadium Saturday night against the Revolution. Barrett played for the Quakes from 1998-2002 before spending the next two seasons playing in Denmark and Norway. The 2005 Earthquakes captain made his first appearance at Spartan Stadium since playing in the Quakes 2-1 loss to the Columbus Crew on September 25, 2002 in Game 1 of the MLS Quarterfinals. Barrett's last regular season game at Spartan Stadium was a 1-0 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy on September 21, 2002.
Fit To Be Fouled
In their 2005 season opener, the Earthquakes set a new team record for most fouls in a game. The club was whistled for 30 fouls by referee Baldomero Toledo, breaking the old mark of 27 set on May 26, 2002 against the Chicago Fire. The Quakes received two cautions and one ejection, while the Revs committed 21 fouls and received five yellow cards.
Robinson Sees Red
Earthquakes defender Eddie Robinson was ejected for the first time in his career Saturday night against the Revolution. Robinson was given a straight red card for a tackle on Shalrie Joseph in the 70th minute. The 26-year old will be suspended for the Quakes second game of the season on April 9 vs. Chivas USA. The Quakes also had a player ejected in the opening game of the 2004 season when Craig Waibel was sent off in the 76th minute of a 2-1 loss to DC United.
Four Make Quakes Debut
Four new members of the Quakes made their Spartan Stadium debut with the team on Saturday night against the Revolution, while rookie Danny O'Rourke also made his MLS debut. O'Rourke, the Quakes first round pick in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft started his first MLS game in center midfield, playing 90 minutes. Brad Davis played his first MLS game in a San Jose uniform, and responded with an assist on the first goal of the game in the 13th minute. Ricardo Clark also saw his first MLS and Spartan Stadium action as a member of the Earthquakes, playing 86 minutes in the midfield and receiving a yellow card.
Starting Young
Earthquakes midfielder Danny O'Rourke became the first San Jose rookie to start a season opener since Todd Dunivant did it on April 12, 2003. Since 2001, O'Rourke and Dunivant are the only two Earthquakes rookies to start in a season opener.
Quakes On Opening Day
The Earthquakes began the MLS season at home for the first time since 1999 with a 2-2 tie with New England. San Jose now owns a 5-4-1 record in season-opening games since 1996 and are 2-1-1 at home in season-openers. The team has compiled a 4-3-3 all-time record in home-openers.
Quakes All-Time in April
The Quakes are now 17-16-7 all-time in the month after the Quakes 2-2 tie on Saturday.
Home in April
The Earthquakes have three of their first four games at Spartan Stadium, where they have posted a 32-9-17 record over the past five seasons. 2005 marks the first year since 2000 that the Quakes have enjoyed three games in April at home and the first time since 1999 that they have opened with three out of four at home.
Quakes On a Roll Against Revolution
The Quakes are now 14-8-4 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 eleven games, putting together an 8-0-3 record since May 5, 2001. The Revs have not beaten the Quakes since July 22, 2000. San Jose has outscored New England by a 52-37 all-time total. The Quakes have also never lost at Gillette Stadium, home of the Revolution, posting a 4-0-1 record there since 2002.
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 116-121-38.
Halftime Success
Despite relinquishing a halftime lead on April 2 against the New England Revolution in a game that ended 2-2, 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 42-0-6 in games when leading at the half, including 8-0-1 in 2003 and 7-0-1 in 2004.
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 went 8-1-1 when scoring first, the top mark in MLS. 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 47-3-5 record in their last 55 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.
Quakes Set Unbeaten Streak Record At Home
The Earthquakes set an MLS record with their August 7 win against D.C. United, extending their unbeaten streak at home to 46 games when scoring first. That streak now stands at 48 games after San Jose's tie with the New England Revolution on April 2, 2005. It started on April 3, 1999.
First Time The Charm?
The Earthquakes face new MLS expansion team Chivas USA for the first time ever on Saturday when Chivas comes to Spartan Stadium. Chivas USA played its first-ever MLS game on Saturday and lost 2-0 to D.C. United at The Home Depot Center, which they are sharing with the Los Angeles Galaxy. The last time the Earthquakes faced expansion teams for the first time was 1998. San Jose defeated the Miami Fusion 2-0 at Spartan Stadium on May 16, 1998 in the teams first-ever meeting, and also downed the then-expansion Chicago Fire in the teams first meeting 1-0 on April 11, 1998.
New Team, Familiar Look
Chivas USA is an extension of the popular Mexican First Division club, CD Chivas Guadalajara. Chivas USA is co-owned and operated by Jorge Vergara, the Mexican businessman who also owns Chivas Guadalajara and the Costa Rican team, CD Saprissa. Chivas Guadalajara is a frequent visitor to the Bay Area, having played numerous times at Spartan Stadium and various other stadiums in the area. The Earthquakes have played CD Chivas Guadalajara in exhibitions twice, tying 1-1 on May 5, 1998 (in Portland, Ore.) and losing 2-0 on October 14, 2003 at Spartan Stadium.
Initial Impression
The Earthquakes and Chivas USA did play each other before the season started in a March 4 exhibition match at The Home Depot Center. The Quakes pulled out a 3-0 win in the 90-minute game that was divided into three 30-minute periods. Wes Hart, Ricardo Clark and Julian Nash all scored for San Jose in the preseason win.
Earthquakes - Chivas USA Connections
Chivas USA midfielder Victor Arbelaez was drafted by the Earthquakes in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft and participated in a portion of preseason training before the Quakes traded his rights to Chivas USA...Chivas USA defender Ryan Suarez attended San Jose State University...Chivas USA defender Ezra Hendrickson was a seven-year member of the Los Angeles Galaxy, playing with former Galaxy teammates and current Quakes Danny Califf, Brian Ching, Alejandro Moreno, Brian Mullan, Craig Waibel and Earthquakes President & General Manager Alexi Lalas...Francisco Gomez of Chivas USA is from Watsonville, Calif.
Chivas USA Leaders vs. Earthquakes
While this is the first ever game between CD Chivas USA and the Earthquakes, CD Chivas boasts several veteran MLS players that have enjoyed success vs. the Quakes in the past. Defender Ezra Hendrickson has played in 19 games against the Quakes, scoring one goal and registering three assists...Defender Ryan Suarez has played in 10 games vs. San Jose...Arturo Torres has appeared five times against the Quakes, scoring one goal...Antonio Martinez has played in eight games against the Quakes, registering one assist.
Earthquakes In The Community
WHEN: Wednesday, April 6
WHO: Wes Hart
WHERE: Milpitas Christian School in Milpitas, CA
WHAT: Wes Hart will be showing the kids at Soccermania a few soccer drills, talking about soccer, and signing autographs.
Player "29" Pate Introduced Against The Revolution
The San Jose Earthquakes Player "29", Joe Pate, was introduced along with the Quakes starting line-up to the Spartan Stadium crowd on Saturday against the New England Revolution. Pate is the winner of an incredible sweepstakes that the Earthquakes conducted to find a fan to be the 29th player on the roster for the upcoming season. As part of the contest Pate participated in a special signing ceremony with Earthquakes President & General Manager Alexi Lalas and received his own official game jersey including name and number. After introductions on Saturday, Pate viewed the game from a special bench seating area and received an official Earthquakes warm-up suit. Pate is also featured in the club's official 2005 team photo and media guide.
Earthquakes Announce 2005 Television Schedule
The San Jose Earthquakes announced the club's television schedule for the 2005 Major League Soccer season. For the seventh straight season, Fox Sports Net will be the home of Earthquakes soccer in the Bay Area, as the Quakes will broadcast seven road games on the station. In addition, the Quakes will have four games broadcast on ESPN2, four more aired in high definition on HDNet and 13 games on the MLS Direct Kick package. In all, 26 Quakes games will be available on television in 2005. The Quakes also announced that former Miami Fusion and D.C. United head coach Ray Hudson will join long-time Quakes play-by-play announcer John Shrader in the booth as the team's color analyst on Fox Sports Net broadcasts. The Quakes first game on Fox Sports Net will be the team's first road game on Saturday, April 16 against the Chicago Fire. The match will be aired on tape delay at 8:00 p.m. PT. Additional television broadcasts may be added in July, August, September and October based on availability.
Earthquakes Sign Six To Developmental Contracts
The San Jose Earthquakes signed six players with California ties to developmental contracts for the 2005 season. Robbie Fulton, Julian Nash, Orlando Ramirez, Brett Rodriguez, James Twellman and Chris Wondolowski will be placed on the Quakes 10-player developmental roster this season. Wondolowski, Rodriguez and Fulton were selected by the Quakes in the February 4 MLS Supplemental Draft, while Ramirez and Twellman were chosen by the Quakes in the third round of the MLS SuperDraft on January 14. Nash arrived in a trade last March 25. In keeping with club policy, terms of the deals were not disclosed.
Individual Tickets Now on Sale
Individual tickets for 2005 San Jose Earthquakes games are now on sale. Individual ticket prices for the Earthquakes 2005 regular season are $45 (VIP), $30 (West Sideline), $16 (East Sideline and Corners) and $13 (Endzone). Tickets can be purchased 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.
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.
