This Week
The San Jose Earthquakes open play at home this weekend against Cuauhtémoc Blanco and the Chicago Fire. The match kicks off at 1:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, Apr. 12 at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, Calif. The Quakes enter the match 0-1-0, while the Fire possesses a 1-0-1 mark. The game will be broadcast live on Fox Soccer Channel and on tape delay on KLOK 1170 AM, following the San Francisco Giants game. The first 10,000 fans will receive a commemorative Opening Day poster, presented by Comcast.
Earthquakes vs. Chicago Fire All-Time
MLS Regular Season: 6-9-7
Season Series: First Meeting
Home: 5-3-4
Away: 1-6-3
Shootout (1996-99): 1-0
Overtime (2000-05): 0-0-3
Playoffs: 1-0-0; U.S. Open Cup: 0-1-0
All-Time Scoring: San Jose - 28, Chicago - 34
Earthquakes Schedule for the Week of 4/7/08
Wednesday, Apr. 9 - No Training
Thursday, Apr. 10 - 11:30 a.m. PT - Training at Stanford
Friday, Apr. 11 - 11:00 a.m. PT - Training at McAfee Coliseum
Saturday, Apr. 12 - 1:30 p.m. PT - Earthquakes vs. Chicago Fire at McAfee Coliseum on Fox Soccer Channel and KLOK 1170 AM
Sunday, April 13 - Off
Injury Report
None
Misc. Notes
Last Match
The San Jose Earthquakes fell to the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-0 in the team's return to Major League Soccer on Apr. 3 at The Home Depot Center. The Quakes nearly got off to a dream start in the opening two minutes, as Ryan Cochrane headed a ball past former college teammate Steve Cronin. However, the goal was disallowed as the referee called the play offside. Ramiro Corrales sent a free kick into the box that took a bounce and was headed into the net by Cochrane, before being called back. The Galaxy took the lead in the ninth minute after a turnover by the Quakes defense. Landon Donovan intercepted a back pass and found David Beckham with a through ball. Beckham then slotted the ball past goalkeeper Joe Cannon, as he came out to challenge at the top of the box. The Quakes came close again in the 22nd minute on a corner kick this time. Corrales swung a corner kick into the box that was cleared away to the top of the box. Ivan Guerrero corralled the ball and hit a shot that was saved by Cronin. The ball deflected off Cronin right to Cochrane, but the Galaxy defense converged to clear the ball out of danger. The Galaxy netted a second goal with just under 10 minutes to play before halftime. Donovan latched onto a long ball out of the back and then chipped a shot over Cannon into the empty net. Cannon kept San Jose in the game with a key save midway through the second half. Donovan made a long run from midfield and found Alan Gordon on the right wing. Gordon took a touch a fired a low shot, but Cannon made a foot save to keep the deficit at two.
Last Match vs. Fire
Earthquakes 2, Chicago Fire 0; Sept. 21, 2005
The San Jose Earthquakes continued their unparalleled run of success on another record-breaking night at Spartan Stadium, as Dwayne De Rosario solidified his campaign for the MLS MVP award with two goals as the Quakes downed the Chicago Fire 2-0. San Jose's early pressure paid off in the 14th minute, as the Quakes were able to take a 1-0 lead on a De Rosario goal. Kelly Gray played a long ball out of the back from the right side directly to Brian Ching, who was able to head the ball forward over the Chicago defense. De Rosario quickly caught up to the ball, and just inside the box, popped a shot over a leaping Zach Thornton, the ball bouncing on the turf before settling into the open goal for the 1-0 advantage. Onstad came up with a big save in the 24th minute on an Andy Herron free kick from 22 yards out. Herron sent a low, hard blast on goal that Onstad was able to knock away. The Fire nearly evened the match in the 42nd minute when Nate Jaqua headed a long ball back to Thiago standing just inside the Quakes area. Thiago's hard volley deflected off Herron and bounced off the right goal post. Fire goalkeeper Thornton made two incredible saves in the final seconds of the first half, stonewalling Ching on two consecutive close-range headers. De Rosario lofted a perfect cross into the box from the left corner that an open Ching headed down and toward the goal. Thornton slid to make the save, but the rebound bounced up to Ching, who attempted another header. Lying down, Thornton was able to reach up and bat the ball away. San Jose extended the lead to 2-0 on another De Rosario goal, this one off a penalty kick in the 50th minute. Ching set up the play when he slipped a pass from the Fire end of the field past the defense to an on on-rushing Moreno in the area. With only Thornton to beat, Moreno was brought down for the penalty. De Rosario calmly added to the lead by powering the penalty kick high and to the left over a diving Thornton.
Reserve League Recap
Earthquakes 2, Los Angeles Galaxy 1; Apr. 4, 2008
The San Jose Earthquakes reserves defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy reserves 2-1 in their season opener on Apr. 4. Adam Smarte scored the game-winner in the 73rd minute to give the Earthquakes their first win of the season. The two sides traded penalty kicks in the first half, with Michael Ricketts giving the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute. LA defender Michael Gavin was called for a foul inside the box on Smarte, setting up the spot kick for Ricketts who beat Galaxy goalkeeper Josh Wicks high to his right. However, that lead would be short-lived as Edson Buddle scored a penalty of his own, leveling the score at 1-1 in the 30th minute and sending the game into the halftime break on level terms. The score would stay that way until midway through the second half when Smarte put the Earthquakes in front for good. San Jose midfielder Ryan Johnson's long ball from midfield was placed perfectly for Smarte who got in behind the Galaxy defense and slotted his shot past Wicks for the 2-1 advantage. The Galaxy pushed for an equalizer, but it was not to be as Peter Vagenas and Israel Sesay each had shots saved by Preston Burpo. LA forward Bryan Jordan beat Burpo with a header late on, but he was adjudged to have fouled the San Jose goalkeeper, allowing the visitors to hold on for the 2-1 victory.
Misc. Notes
Salinas Debuts
Rookie Shea Salinas made his Major League Soccer debut on Apr. 3 against the Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home Depot Center. He started at forward and played 57 minutes. He became the first Quakes rookie to start opening night since Danny O'Rourke started against New England on Apr. 2, 2005. Only three rookies have started the opening game for the Quakes since 2001. Salinas joins O'Rourke and Todd Dunivant (Apr. 12, 2003) as the only Quakes rookies to start the opening game since 2001.
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 is still riding a league record 18-game home unbeaten streak. The streak stretches from Sept. 25, 2004-Oct. 8, 2005.
Unbeaten Streak Snapped
The Earthquakes held a 14-game unbeaten streak heading into the game on Apr. 3 against the Los Angeles Galaxy. The streak was snapped with the team's 2-0 loss to the Galaxy. The Quakes' streak stretched from July 20-Oct. 15, 2005. San Jose posted an 11-0-3 mark during that stretch.
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-Fire Connections
Quakes midfielder Ivan Guerrero played three seasons with the Chicago Fire from 2005-07, appearing in 74 games for the team. He scored three goals and notched 16 assists in his Fire career. He was named the team's MVP and Defender of the Year in 2005. He scored two goals and notched one assist in the Fire's 4-0 win over D.C. United in the 2005 MLS Cup Playoffs to lead Chicago to the Eastern Conference Championship game ... Ryan Johnson also spent time with the Chicago Fire before coming to San Jose. After being drafted by Real Salt Lake in 2006, he was traded to Chicago midway through that season. He played three games for Chicago in 2006. He spent a year in Sweden before returning to MLS to join the Quakes this season ... Chicago defender C.J. Brown is from Hayward, Calif. and played college soccer at San Jose State ... Fire forward Calen Carr played college soccer in the Bay Area at Cal ... Fire midfielder Peter Lowry played college soccer at Santa Clara with current Quakes Ryan Cochrane, Matt Hatzke and Jamil Roberts.
History of the Quakes-Fire Rivalry
The Earthquakes and the Chicago Fire have had a memorable rivalry since the Fire came into MLS in 1998.The most memorable game of the rivalry came in 2003, when Chicago and San Jose met for the MLS Cup at The Home Depot Center on Nov. 23. The Quakes defeated the Fire 4-2 in Frank Yallop's final game as the head coach before returning this season. Landon Donovan scored two goals, while Ronnie Ekelund and Richard Mulrooney each netted a goal to lead the Quakes to the victory. That game was the only playoff meeting between two of the league's most successful clubs ... Joe Cannon has appeared in 17 matches against Chicago and posted six shutouts ... Cannon's first game in MLS was July 29, 1998 a 3-0 San Jose win over Chicago, although he did not appear in the match ... Nick Garcia made his MLS debut against Chicago on Mar. 25, 2000 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City while with the Wizards ... Jason Hernandez made his MLS debut on Oct. 5, 2005, playing for New York against the Fire at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Tight Series
The Earthquakes and the Fire rivalry has been marked by tight games over the years. Eleven of the past 13 matches between the Fire and Quakes have ended in ties or been decided by one goal. Seven of those matches ended in ties.
Quakes All-Time Leaders vs. Chicago
Ronnie O'Brien has scored two goals and notched five assists in eight games against Chicago in his career.
First Half/Second Half
The Chicago Fire has dominated the Quakes in the first half of regular season games during the series between the teams, outscoring San Jose 15-6 in the opening stanza. However, San Jose has outscored Chicago 17-16 in the second half.
San Jose in April
The Quakes are 18-18-9 all-time in April in MLS play.
Quakes in Season Openers
San Jose is now 5-5-1 all-time in season openers after losing to the Los Angeles Galaxy on Apr. 3.
Quakes in Home Openers
San Jose is 4-3-3 all-time in home openers.
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.
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 Tied for Sixth in Appearances
By starting and playing 90 minutes against the Los Angeles Galaxy on Apr. 3, Ramiro Corrales tied Troy Dayak for sixth all-time in San Jose history in games played. He has now appeared in 122 games with San Jose. Next on the list is Ian Russell (2000-05), who appeared in 131 games.
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.
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 entered 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 entered the year 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.
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.
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. Gavin 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.
Quakes Above .500
The Earthquakes all-time MLS record is above the .500 mark. The Quakes all-time regular season MLS record is 134-126-47 for 449 points. They had the third-best regular season record in MLS history at the conclusion of the 2005 season at 134-125-47.
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.
