This Week
The San Jose Earthquakes make their return to Major League Soccer this week against their biggest rival, the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Quakes travel to Southern California to take on the Galaxy on Thursday, Apr. 3 at 7:30 p.m. PT. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2 and on the radio in Spanish on KLOK 1170 AM. Los Angeles opened the season last weekend with a 4-0 loss on the road against the Colorado Rapids.
Earthquakes vs. Los Angeles Galaxy All-Time
MLS Regular Season: 12-21-5
Season Series: First Meeting
Home: 8-8-3
Away: 4-13-2
Shootout (1996-99): 1-4
Overtime (2000-05): 0-0-5
Playoffs: 3-5-0; U.S. Open Cup: 0-4-0
All-Time Scoring: San Jose - 63, Los Angeles - 77
Earthquakes Schedule for the Week of 3/31/08
Monday, Mar. 31 - 10:30 a.m. PT - Training at Stanford
Tuesday, Apr. 1 - 10:30 a.m. PT - Training at PAL Stadium
Wednesday, Apr. 2 - Travel to Los Angeles
Thursday, Apr. 3 - 7:30 p.m. PT - Earthquakes vs. Galaxy at The Home Depot Center, live on ESPN2 (English) and KLOK 1170 (Spanish)
Friday, Apr. 4 - 10:00 a.m. PT - Earthquakes reserves vs. Galaxy reserves at The Home Depot Center
Saturday, Apr. 5 - OFF
Injury Report
Probable: Ramiro Corrales (R - Achilles strain); James Riley (L - ankle sprain)
Misc. Notes
Last Game and Last Match vs. Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy 4, Earthquakes 2 (aggregate goals series); MLS Cup Playoffs - Western Conference Semifinals; Oct. 23 & 29, 2005
Following the Earthquakes best regular season in club history, the Los Angeles Galaxy eliminated the 2005 Supporters Shield winners from the MLS Cup Playoffs 4-2 on aggregate goals in the Western Conference Semifinals. The first leg was held on Oct. 23 at The Home Depot Center. Los Angeles' Herculez Gomez opened the series scoring a free kick goal in the 13th minute. The Galaxy extended their lead to 2-0 in the 39th minute when Landon Donovan scored a goal after a deflection in the box left him with an easy strike. The Earthquakes cut the deficit in half when Ricardo Clark scored in 68th minute on a left-footed shot from just inside the box. The Galaxy fought back as Donovan turned in his second goal of the game on the 87th minute with the help of teammates Cobi Jones and Chris Albright. The Galaxy led the series 3-1 after the first leg. The second leg was played Spartan Stadium a week later. The Quakes struck first and cut the overall score to 3-2 on a goal from Brian Ching late in the first half. Brian Mullan intercepted a poor clearance and lifted a cross into the box, where a diving Ching headed the ball past Hartman. The Quakes began to try tirelessly tie the series up in the second half. Ching came close on another header, Alejandro Moreno took a shot and missed while Chung took a volley across the post. But the Galaxy put the series away in the 67th minute, as Donovan found Ned Grabavoy with a through ball and Grabavoy found the back of the net.
Misc. Notes
Corrales Back in San Jose
San Jose midfielder Ramiro Corrales returns to his hometown team in 2008 after spending three seasons in Norway from 2005-07. A resident of Salinas, Calif., Corrales is the only player from San Jose's inaugural 1996 team that is still active in Major League Soccer. He is one of nine active MLS players who was on an MLS roster in 1996 and one of four players on the same team as 1996. He played for San Jose from 1996-98, before being selected in the Expansion Draft by the Miami Fusion. He was later traded to the MetroStars, where he played in 1999 and 2000. He returned to San Jose to help the Quakes win championships in 2001 and 2003. He left the team following the 2004 season to sign in Norway. Corrales is seventh all-time in appearances in club history with 121 games played for San Jose. He has scored nine goals and dished out 14 assists with San Jose, while playing left back, left midfield and center midfield.
Three Straight vs. Galaxy
The San Jose Earthquakes have won three straight games in the series with the Galaxy in the regular season. The Quakes won 3-0 on June 25, 2005, 2-1 on Aug. 27, 2005 and 3-1 on Oct. 15, 2005 to win the 2005 season series.
Records Intact
When the San Jose Earthquakes were relocated to Houston on Dec. 15, 2005, Major League Soccer announced that the team's records and history would remain in San Jose if a team returned to the Bay Area. The expansion Earthquakes still own the 2001 and 2003 MLS Cups as well as the 2005 MLS Supporter's Shield. The team also had a couple of streaks going at the time of the club's relocation.
-San Jose is currently riding a 14-game unbeaten streak in the regular season. The Quakes last loss came on July 15, 2005 against D.C. United. Following that loss, San Jose posted an 11-0-3 mark to close the 2005 regular season.
-San Jose is also currently riding a league record 18-game home unbeaten streak. The streak stretches from Sept. 25, 2004-Oct. 8, 2005.
2005 - A Memorable Year for the Quakes
San Jose's final season in MLS before being relocated to Houston was a memorable one for the club. The Quakes won the Supporter's Shield for the first time after finishing with the league's best regular season record. San Jose went 18-4-10 to become only the second team in league history to surpass 60 points in a season with 64. The team also set a number of club and league records.
-San Jose finished 2005 with a 9-0-7 record at home, becoming the first team in league history to complete a regular season without a loss at home.
-San Jose posted a club record 14-game unbeaten streak from July 20-Oct. 15.
-San Jose lost only four matches on the season, a league record for fewest losses.
-San Jose won a club record nine matches on the road.
-San Jose posted the best goal difference in team history (+22, 53 GF, 31 GA), a league record at the time.
-San Jose posted a club record 12 shutouts on the season and a club record four road shutouts.
San Jose in April
The Quakes are 18-17-9 all-time in April in MLS play.
Quakes in Season Openers
San Jose is 5-4-1 all-time in season openers.
Déjà Vu
In 2001, San Jose had a new coach, Frank Yallop, and opened the season on the road against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Apr. 7. The Quakes pulled out a 3-2 victory at the Rose Bowl after breaking out to a 3-0 lead in the game. This season, the Quakes again open the season on the road against the Galaxy with Yallop again leading the team. Joe Cannon started that game in 2001 and is expected to be in the net for San Jose on Apr. 3 to open the 2008 season. Current Quakes assistant coach Ian Russell notched an assist for the Quakes in the 2001 match against the Galaxy.
Yallop Back With Quakes
When John Doyle was named General Manager of Soccer Operations for the Earthquakes in October 2007, he wasted little time finding the right man to build the new Earthquakes on the field, bringing back Frank Yallop to become the Quakes head coach after coaching a season and a half with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Yallop coached the Quakes from 2001 to 2003 and brought two MLS Cup Championships in three years to San Jose. He posted a 41-25-17 record over those three seasons, the best mark in MLS over that time. He left the Quakes following the 2003 season to take over as head coach of the Canadian National Team.
Current Quakes With Galaxy Connections
Four members of the current San Jose Earthquakes have connections to the Los Angeles Galaxy. Forward Gavin Glinton, goalkeeper Joe Cannon, midfielder Ned Grabavoy and assistant coach Ian Russell all spent time with the Galaxy in their careers. Glinton was picked by the Quakes in the ninth round of the 2007 MLS Expansion Draft after playing the 2006 and 2007 seasons with the Los Angeles Galaxy. Glinton scored four goals for Los Angeles in 2007. He also played for the Galaxy during the 2002 and 2003 seasons. Cannon played one year for the Galaxy in 2007, appearing in 29 games and posting nine wins. Grabavoy was originally drafted by the Galaxy in 2004 and he played parts of three seasons with Los Angeles, scoring one goal and recording six assists in his Galaxy career. Russell played three games for Frank Yallop with the Galaxy in 2007.
Quakes Trade Pozniak to Chivas USA for Cunliffe
On March 28, a day before MLS' opening day, the Quakes announced that the team traded midfielder Chris Pozniak to Chivas USA for forward John Cunliffe. Entering his second season in MLS, Cunliffe made 15 appearances for Chivas USA in 2007, scoring three goals and notching one assist.
Lalas Faces Former Team
Current Galaxy General Manager Alexi Lalas got his start as an executive in Major League Soccer with the San Jose Earthquakes. After retiring following the 2003 season, Lalas was named President and General Manager of the Quakes on Jan. 27, 2004. He spent parts of two seasons with San Jose, before leaving the Quakes to become president and general manager of the MetroStars on June 13, 2005.
History of the Quakes-Galaxy Rivalry
As the two original MLS teams in California, the Earthquakes (then known as the Clash) and the Galaxy met for the first time in league history on April 28, 1996 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. In front of a crowd of 40,347, the Clash fell to the Galaxy 2-1. From 1996-2005, the two teams met each other more than any other teams in the league. Along with playing each 38 times in the regular season, the Quakes and the Galaxy have also met eight times in the playoffs and four times in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The teams squared off in the playoffs in 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2005 ... The Galaxy captured the 1996 three-game series two games to one, winning the final two games of the series at the Rose Bowl ... In 2001, the two teams met in MLS Cup with the Quakes earning a 2-1 overtime win. Dwayne De Rosario scored the winning goal in overtime for San Jose ... The 2003 playoff series between the Galaxy and the Quakes produced one of the most memorable games in league history. After losing the opening game of the two-game aggregate goal series 2-0, San Jose fell behind 2-0 in the second game to trail 4-0 overall in the series. However, the Earthquakes responded with four goals in regulation to tie the series 4-4. Chris Ronér tied the series in the 90th minute. Rodrigo Faria then scored six minutes into overtime to send San Jose to the Western Conference Championship game. The Quakes would go on to win the 2003 MLS Cup ... 2005 marked the end of the line for the Quakes. After losing the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinals 3-1 at The Home Depot Center, the Quakes needed another two-goal comeback to win the series. After going up 1-0 on a Brian Ching goal in game two on Oct. 29, 2005, Ned Grabavoy scored for the Galaxy to end the Quakes hopes. That match marked the Earthquakes final game and the team was relocated to Houston on Dec. 15, 2005.
Galaxy All-Time Leaders vs. Quakes
Galaxy forward Carlos Ruiz is the Galaxy's all-time leading scorer against San Jose with six goals in his career for Los Angeles against San Jose.
Cochrane Returns
Quakes defender Ryan Cochrane is the only member of the 2005 San Jose Earthquakes that has returned to play for San Jose in 2008. Cochrane played for San Jose in 2004 and 2005, before moving with the team to Houston following the 2005 season. He was the first pick in the 2007 MLS Expansion Draft by the Quakes.
Cannon Amongst All-Time Leaders
Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon is among the all-time league leaders in a number of goalkeeping categories. He previously played for San Jose from 1999-2002. He enters the 2008 season fourth all-time in saves (902), fourth all-time in shutouts (56), fifth all-time in wins (84) and eighth all-time in goals against average (1.30). For San Jose, Cannon is first in club history in appearances (101), first in minutes played (9,261), first in saves (434), first in wins (46) and second in goals against average (1.25), shutouts (26) and saves percentage (74.6). He also holds the team's all-time record for saves in a game with 12 on July 8, 2000 at Colorado.
Donovan: A Familiar Face Meets a Familiar Team
Galaxy forward Landon Donovan will meet the Earthquakes for the first time since the 2005 playoffs. Donovan, who played for the Quakes from 2001 to 2004, helped the Galaxy eliminate the Quakes from the playoffs in 2005 Western Conference Semifinals by scoring two goals in the first leg and recorded an assist on Ned Grabavoy's goal in the second leg. Donovan scored 32 goals and notched 29 assists in his Earthquakes career and is still the club's all-time leader in playoff goals with 10. For the first time in his career, Donovan will see Quakes head coach Frank Yallop coaching the opposing team. With the exception of Yallop coaching the Canadian National Team in a friendly game against the Quakes in 2004, Yallop coached Donovan his entire MLS coaching career.
Galaxy on a Slump During Quakes Absence
While the Quakes were on hiatus for the 2006 and 2007 seasons, the Galaxy did not qualify for the playoffs either season. With the Earthquakes in the league, the Galaxy qualified for the postseason every season from 1996-2005.
Earthquakes and Galaxy Each Own a Pair of MLS Cups
Since the 2001 season, the Earthquakes and the Galaxy have each won two MLS Cups. The Quakes defeated the Galaxy 2-1 in a dramatic fashion to capture the 2001 MLS Cup in overtime. The following season, the Galaxy defeated the New England Revolution 1-0 in overtime to claim their first MLS Cup Championship. The Quakes would return to the top in 2003 when they defeated the Chicago Fire 4-2 at The Home Depot Center. The Galaxy would claim their second championship in 2005 when they defeated the Revolution again in overtime.
Preseason Ends With Success
The San Jose Earthquakes finished the preseason with a seven-game unbeaten streak after losing their first match 1-0 to the Houston Dynamo. The Quakes went 5-0-2 in their final seven matches, including four straight wins to close out the preseason. The Quakes captured the Carolina Challenge Cup for the second time in club history with wins over Toronto FC, Charleston Battery and New York Red Bulls. The team also won the title in 2005.
Preseason Schedule and Results (5-1-2)
Feb. 13 - 1-0 loss vs. Houston Dynamo at PAL Stadium in San Jose, Calif.
Feb. 16 - 0-0 tie vs. Houston Dynamo at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco, Calif.
Feb. 22 - 2-1 win vs. Columbus Crew (Kamara (2) at Alex G. Spanos Stadium in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Feb. 24 - 0-0 tie vs. D.C. United at Alex G. Spanos Stadium in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Mar. 15 - 1-0 win vs. Toronto FC (Hernandez) at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C.
Mar. 19 - 2-1 win vs. Charleston Battery (Kamara, Glinton) at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C.
Mar. 19 - 3-0 win vs. New York Red Bulls (Kamara, Glinton, Own Goal) at Blackbaud Stadium in Charleston, S.C.
Mar. 28 - 2-1 win at Portland Timbers (Kamara, Salinas) at Clive Charles Soccer Complex in Portland, Ore.
Quakes Looking to Improve Against Galaxy at The Home Depot Center After First Win in 2005
Since the Galaxy moved into The Home Depot Center in 2003, the Earthquakes are 1-6-1 against their rivals down south at HDC. In their first match at The Home Depot Center, the Quakes earned a 1-1 tie on June 18, 2003 and then lost five straight at the Galaxy's home. The Quakes picked up their first win ever at The Home Depot Center on Oct. 15, 2005 when the Quakes topped the Galaxy 3-1 in front of a sellout crowd of 27,000. Dwayne De Rosario's goal in that victory would later be named the Sierra Mist Goal of the Year.
National Team Duty Calls
Two members for the Earthquakes squad recently spent time with their respective national teams. Ivan Guerrero was named to the roster for Honduras' friendly match against Colombia on Wednesday, Mar. 26 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Honduras earned a 2-1 win over its South American rival. Guerrero did not see action for Honduras. Glinton and Turks and Caicos fell 2-0 to St. Lucia in the second leg of World Cup qualifying, eliminating them on aggregates goals 3-2. Glinton had scored the game-winning goal in the first leg of the series in February, a 2-1 Turks and Caicos win. Glinton played 90 minutes at forward on Mar. 26 against St. Lucia in the defeat.
Colonel's Corner
The San Jose Earthquakes announced last Monday that the team has partnered with KFC to launch the Colonel's Corner promotion at every home game for the 2008 season. The promotion will give fans the opportunity to purchase great seats for only $15-the most affordable Earthquakes tickets in town. The Corner View Section 107 at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara and sections 231 and 232 at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland will be officially branded as the KFC Colonel's Corner. Fans can purchase tickets regularly priced at $22 for Buck Shaw Stadium and at $30 for McAfee Coliseum for only $15 at participating KFC restaurants. The Colonel's Corner vouchers can be purchased at 26 participating KFC restaurants across the South Bay and will be redeemable for any game, subject to availability. The vouchers can be redeemed at Earthquakes Offices or at the stadium on the day of the game. KFC will have 500 tickets available for each game. For more information on KFC Colonel's Corner promotion and participating stores please visit sjearthquakes.com.
Open Cup Begins
The Earthquakes begin play in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Wednesday, Apr. 30 against Real Salt Lake. The play-in match will take place on the road at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City at 6 p.m. PT. The winner advances to play the Columbus Crew in Columbus, Ohio.
Quakes Above .500
The Earthquakes all-time MLS record is above the .500 mark. The Quakes all-time regular season MLS record is 134-125-47 for 449 points. They had the third-best regular season record in MLS history at the conclusion of the 2005 season.
Halftime Success
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 48-0-8 in games when leading at the half, including 8-0-1 in 2003, 7-0-1 in 2004 and 7-0-3 in 2005.
Making The First One Count
The Quakes scored first and beat the Galaxy 3-1 on Oct. 15, 2005 at The Home Depot Center to continue their incredible run over the past 73 games when scoring first. Dating back to the 2000 season, the Earthquakes own a 61-3-9 record in their last 73 matches when they score the first goal of the game. In 2005, San Jose went undefeated at 14-0-5 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.
Scoring First Under Yallop
During Frank Yallop's first tenure with San Jose, the Earthquakes were one of the best teams in the league when scoring the first goal. The team went 36-2-1 from 2001-03 when scoring the first goal of the game. 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.
Individual Tickets on Sale Now
Individual tickets for 2008 San Jose Earthquakes games are now on sale. Tickets for the Earthquakes long awaited return are available online at sjearthquakes.com, by calling (800) 225-2277 or by visiting your local authorized Tickets.com outlets. Prices for individual tickets range from $20 to $70. The 2008 Earthquakes season schedule is highlighted with three games being played at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, including the home opener on Saturday, April 12 against Cuauhtémoc Blanco and the Chicago Fire. David Beckham and the Los Angeles Galaxy come to the Bay Area June 14 and August 3. The first game at newly renovated Buck Shaw Stadium will be May 3 against Duilio Davino and FC Dallas.
Season Tickets on Sale Now
San Jose Earthquakes season ticket packages for the 2008 season are now on sale. The Earthquakes 2008 season ticket package features 17 games, including all MLS regular season games and special bonus games. Prices for the ticket packages are $306 for Goal View, $340 for Corner Flag, $595 for Field View and $595 for Sideline. Tickets for the Earthquakes long awaited return will be available online at sjearthquakes.com, by calling (800) 225-2277 or by visiting your local authorized Tickets.com outlets.
