the skippiness of the field and kind of all those things that you've got to get right quickly," Yallop said.
TEAM NEWS
• The Quakes thought it was an incredible return to Major League Soccer, getting a goal after two minutes - but it ruled out for offside, though replays showed the call was very close. Then before the game was 10 minutes old, the Galaxy had taken the lead.
• "Obviously it would have been great to score that goal to set the tone for the game," Yallop said. "In the first half, we were very cautious and we let them play. We looked a little nervous. LA actually played pretty well first half. I have to commend the guys for their spirit that they didn't just roll over and die. It just shows were we are at. We aren't a bad team, but we still have a ways to go."
• But the jitters that started pregame were still evident into the match. It's was a regular season game, and it meant something.
• "Guys that don't play together, you can assemble incredible players and it's tough to play," Quakes 'keeper Joe Cannon said. "For us, tonight the pace of the game was a little step up from the preseason games we've been in. It was kind of a baptism by fire. But it's a learning process."
• The team Yallop put out to start the game had a combined 1,119 league appearances entering the game.
• "We didn't start well and played better in the second half but we've got a long way to go," Cochrane said. "The team you saw in the first half wasn't the team we've been used to the last eight weeks or so in the preseason. In the first half, you saw from everybody a lot of nerves and bad plays from everyone's part."
• San Jose now becomes the fourth first-year club in the last four years to not score in their first league match. The Earthquakes did not come close to scoring after the second minute, with just a pair of shots for the game.
• "I think the first half we came out a little timid. The goals we gave away were mistakes. You have to give them credit that they came out with a lot more energy than we did. I think for us, it was a bit of an awakening," Cannon said. "It's always tough to play against teams in their home openers and tonight was no different. They had a good first half. They played like a much better team and a fluent team than they did against Colorado. For us, it's definitely a learning process. Defensively we did all right. Maybe a C-plus, B-minus, but we can do better and we will do better."
• Saturday's home opener will be a homecoming for a number of former Quakes. Yallop, who guided San Jose to both MLS Cup victories, is once again on the sidelines. Cannon, who helped San Jose win their first league title, manned the goal. Longtime defender Ramiro Corrales and fifth-year back Ryan Cochrane also made their way back to San Jose.
• "It's important that the fans have familiar faces who have been there before. You want guys who want to be here and I know that other guys who have been here previously want to be here," Cochrane said. "They love the area. They love the fans. They are excited about starting a new era of Quakes soccer."
CHICAGO FIRE
The Chicago Fire returned home for the first time this season and rolled to an impressive victory, scoring four first-half goals on their way to a 4-0 victory against the New England Revolution at Toyota Park. The Fire have four points from their two matches on the season, good for second place in the Eastern Conference, two points behind both the Kansas City Wizards and New England Revolution.
LAST MATCH
• It was a rematch of last year's Eastern Conference Championship. The Revolution opened their new season with an impressive 3-0 victory against Houston in a rematch of MLS Cup 2008, while the Fire got a late equalizer from Cuauhtemoc Blanco for a 1-1 road draw with Real Salt Lake.
• Just four minutes into the game, the Fire had the lead. Justin Mapp was set free down the left and picked out Chad Barrett with a rolling cross, and the fourth-year striker turned the ball home first-time.
• Then three minutes later the game turned upside down, Revolution midfielder Jeff Larentowicz shown a straight red card by referee Baldomero Toledo for a tackle on Chicago's Brandon Prideaux.
• The home side then exploded for three goals before the half was out. Barrett was able to round the Revolution on the endline, and after the Revolution were unable to clear a loose ball, Tomasz Frankowski poked home from close range for his first MLS goal (22).
• Blanco made it 3-0 when he converted a penalty kick after Sainey Nyassi tripped up Justin Mapp when the Fire winger made a surging run into the area. Then two minutes later the rout was complete, Blanco swinging a long cross-field ball to Barrett, who knocked it back into the mixer for Frankowski and he banged the ball into the net on the turn for his second on the night.
• Fire head coach Denis Hamlett made no changes to the team that came back for a late 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake in the season opener.
• Here's Hamlett's team (4-3-1-2): Jon Busch - Brandon Prideaux, Diego Gutierrez, Bakary Soumare, Gonzalo Segares - Chris Rolfe (John Thorrington 86), Logan Pause, Justin Mapp - Cuauhtemoc Blanco - Chad Barrett (Calen Carr 72), Tomasz Frankowski (Stephen King 46). Substitutes Not Used: Wilman Conde, Andy Herron, Nick Noble, Dasan Robinson
• "It was a great start to the evening," Hamlett said. "Our guys came out ready to play. They were into it from the beginning. We got a great goal early."
TEAM NEWS
• Prior to the Revolution match, Hamlett talked about his team's offensive options. By the end of the first half Thursday night, three of those had given the club a 4-0 lead. Frankowski, a new member of the Fire after years playing in Europe and elsewhere, scored a pair of goals. Chad Barrett had a goal and Cuauhtemoc Blanco nailed a penalty kick as the Fire took a 4-0 lead into halftime.
• The offensive options were even more plentiful. Chris Rolfe, a dangerous scorer with U.S. national team experience, was also in the game, as was Justin Mapp, another U.S. national team member. Andy Herron, acquired before the season, was an unused substitute.
• "We have tough decisions to make every week," Hamlett said. "We have so many options. It keeps the guys on top of their game. It really depends on who is gelling well."
• Frankowski's two goals matched the output a year ago of Costa Rican international Paulo Wanchope, who tallied two goals in 12 games last season.
• "Tomasz has an ability to run in the box," Hamlett said. "He gets a half a chance on goal and he scores it. There's definitely competition. We have options up front."
• In the back, there are similarly plentiful choices. For the second week in a row, Hamlett put out a back four of veterans Gonzalo Segares, Brandon Prideaux and Diego Gutierrez working with second-year defender Bakary Soumare. They have allowed just one goal on the year - an own goal.
• Soumare was moved to his college position of center back after figuring as as a center midfielder last season.
• "When we drafted Baky, we knew he was a center back, but given our situation last year, we had to play him at midfield," Hamlett said. "It was a learning curve for him. This season, with (veteran) C.J. Brown being out and Dasan (Robinson) out, we felt we had a guy ready to play in their place."
• Hamlett could soon face similar decisions about who to play in the back. Robinson, who is in his third season, played 90 minutes in a reserve game last week and could be ready soon (although he picked up a knee sprain in the reserve contest). Brown claims to be on the verge of returning as well.
