Last week the San Jose Earthquakes made their long awaited return to MLS. One week later, the Quakes' long-suffering fans get to join in on the fun. Of course, it will be a lot more enjoyable if San Jose can fashion a home victory this Saturday when they take on Cuauhtémoc Blanco and the Chicago Fire.
It's a game that will be extra special for those players returning to San Jose. Defender Ryan Cochrane is among several members of the Quakes roster who played during the team's previous incarnation, and he admitted there will be more excitement than usual when he steps onto the field at Oakland's McAfee Coliseum.
"It's been a long time coming," said Cochrane of this weekend's match. "I never really did think that I'd end up back here but I'm so glad that I am. It will finally be good to get back in front of some home fans and see a lot of familiar faces in the stands."
Although the faces might be familiar, the surroundings at McAfee Coliseum won't be. The old Quakes made the tight dimensions of Spartan Stadium one of the biggest home-field advantages in the league, but the unfamiliarity of McAfee will negate that benefit. All the more reason for the Quakes to get the crowd -- some of whom will be there just to see Blanco -- behind them.
"We want to make any stadium we play in our home," said Quakes manager Frank Yallop. "And make the fans cheer us on for the way we play. We have to make them fans. They're not just going to turn up and watch a team that is not trying and playing poorly. It's up to us to get them going and get them behind us."
Given the way things went for San Jose in last week's opener against the Los Angeles Galaxy, the Earthquakes are especially eager to impress the home folks. It was a match where San Jose's preseason success quickly gave way to regular season reality. Mistakes were punished, and the team found it difficult to cope with the greater tempo and intensity that the league campaign brings.
While San Jose will be going up against a Chicago side that has enjoyed a bright start to the season, Yallop is intent on the blue collar attitude of his team shining through.
"We didn't make it difficult for L.A. to play. We're going to try and do that [Saturday], play in their half, and force the issue," Yallop said.
That will require a greater level of defensive intensity on the part of San Jose, as they attempt to cope with players like Blanco, Justin Mapp and Chris Rolfe. But it is Blanco's ability to drift into dangerous positions that will require the most vigilance.
"It's tough to follow [Blanco] on the field everywhere he goes, because he goes to so many different places," said Cochrane. "But you always have to be aware of him. You can't let your guard down and let him get away from you or else he'll put in the back of the net."
Yallop will also be hoping that the greater level of intensity will help the San Jose attack as well, with players like Ronnie O'Brien and Ned Grabavoy getting into the kind of advanced positions that will allow them to do some damage. That will also require playing with the kind of confidence that went missing against L.A., although Yallop expects his team to have that trait in abundance.
"We're not worried," said Yallop. "We're not going to sit back and see what happens. We're going to get at them and hopefully score first and have a good home result."
Jeff Carlisle is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
