This Week
The San Jose Earthquakes continue their road trip this week heading to Chicago to take on Cuauhtemoc Blanco and the Fire on Saturday, June 28. Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. PT and the game will air live on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and on tape delay on the radio in Spanish on KLOK 1170 AM.
Earthquakes vs. Chicago Fire All-Time
2008 Season Series: 0-1-0
MLS Regular Season: 6-10-7
Home: 5-4-4
Away: 1-6-3
Shootout (1996-99): 1-0
Overtime (2000-03): 0-0-3
Playoffs: 1-0-0; U.S. Open Cup: 0-1-0
All-Time Scoring: San Jose - 28, Chicago - 35
Earthquakes Schedule for the Week of 6/24/08
Tuesday, June 24 - 10:15 a.m. PT- Training at Santa Clara
Wednesday, June 25 - 10:15 a.m. PT - Training at Santa Clara
Thursday, June 26 - Travel to Chicago
Friday, June 27 - Training in Chicago
Saturday, June 28 - 5:30 p.m. PT - Earthquakes at Chicago Fire at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. live on Comcast SportsNet BayArea and on tape delay KLOK 1170 AM
Sunday, June 29 - Travel to San Jose
Injury Report
Probable - Nick Garcia (R - MCL sprain)
Out - Gavin Glinton (R - adductor strain); Jovan Kirovski (R - foot stress fracture); Peguero Jean Philippe (R - internal knee derangement)
Last Match
D.C. United 3, Earthquakes 1; June 22, 2008; RFK Stadium; Washington D.C.
The Earthquakes could not contain the suddenly resurgent attack of D.C. United, falling 3-1 Sunday afternoon in their return to RFK Stadium. United had the game's first real scoring threat the 16th minute but Luciano Emilio's slow shot from the left side of the penalty area hit the right post. Marcelo Gallardo sprung Emilio with a crafty ball, after the Brazilian made a strong, well disguised diagonal run across the top of the penalty area. John Cunliffe combined nicely with James Riley to generate a decent opportunity in the 28th minute but Riley's shot from a severe angle went high and wide of the near post. Ivan Guerrero had the Quakes best chance a minute later, driving deep into the left side of United's penalty area before unleashing a left-footed shot that Zach Wells got his right hand to, directing it off the inside of the goal post just under the crossbar before bounding away. Joe Cannon made a splendid diving save denying Gallardo from 19 yards out to keep the game scoreless in the 41st minute. Emilio played a nifty one-two combination to free Gallardo at the top of the penalty area but his right-footed shot headed for the lower right corner was corralled by the veteran goalkeeper. Cannon could do nothing to save a Clyde Simms' shot from 27 yards out that deflected off two defenders inside the penalty area and trickled slowly into the open net to give United the lead in the 50th minute. The Quakes responded immediately as Cunliffe pounced on a poorly handled ball by Wells to equalize a minute later. Wells bobbled an easy ball sent into the penalty area from the right flank by James Riley, which Cunliffe stretched to flick toward the open goal. Bryan Namoff cleared it away but not before it had clearly crossed the goal line to make the score 1-1. Gonzalo Martinez was menacing the entire match from his left back position the entire match and his work paid dividends, scoring a brilliant goal to surge United ahead for good just four minutes later. After collecting a benign pass from Gallardo at the top left corner of the penalty area, Martinez turned Ronnie O'Brien with a strong cut back into penalty area before bending a superb right-footed shot around a diving Cannon and off the far post to make the score 2-1. The Quakes responded in the 72nd minute but Devon McTavish got to Shea Salinas' shot before it crossed the goal this time after he beat Wells from the right side of the penalty area. Salinas replaced Cunliffe in the 56th minute. Riley was sent off by referee Alex Prus in the 83rd minute for a rash tackle on McTavish, who reached a loose ball first in the midfield. The result damage was felt five minutes later when Emilio turned Guerrero in the penalty area and his left-footed shot from 12 yards out hit Kelly Gray before sliding past Cannon inside the near post to close the scoring.
Last Match vs. Chicago Fire
Chicago Fire 1, Earthquakes 0; April 12, 2008; McAfee Coliseum; Oakland, Calif.
The San Jose Earthquakes played their first home game in almost 2-1/2 years on Apr. 12 at McAfee Coliseum, falling 1-0 to the Chicago Fire on a first-half goal by Chad Barrett. Chicago created the game's first chance after just four minutes when a Justin Mapp long ball found Tomasz Frankowski behind the San Jose defense. But Quakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon was alert to the danger, and got enough of a touch to defuse the threat. San Jose quickly found their rhythm with Ronnie O'Brien finding plenty of space on the right wing to launch his trademark crosses. The spell of possession resulted in two quality chances. Kei Kamara's centering feed to Gavin Glinton was shot straight at Jon Busch in the 14th minute. Kamara found Glinton in the box again four minutes later, but his rasping shot was touched over the bar by Busch. But with the Earthquakes seemingly in control, a midfield turnover by Kamara saw the Fire break quickly in the 19th minute. The ball fell to Blanco, and his through ball found Tomasz Frankowski in the clear. The Pole's shot was saved by Cannon, but Barrett was quickest to the rebound and he slotted the ball underneath the Quakes 'keeper, giving the Fire a 1-0 lead. Chicago nearly doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute when a quick combination with Barrett put Frankowski in alone on Cannon, but the Quakes 'keeper responded with a sprawling save. The second half began with Chicago imposing more of their will, and a long ball in the 53rd minute nearly sprung Barrett on a breakaway, but a Nick Garcia tackle broke up the play, with Barrett's subsequent penalty appeal denied by referee Kevin Stott. Tempers began to fray in the 55th minute. A foul on Blanco resulted in some pushing and shoving between the Quakes' O'Brien and Chicago's Bakary Soumare, with Soumare getting booked for his troubles. Yallop brought on Shea Salinas, Ryan Johnson and John Cunliffe in a desperate attempt to find an equalizer, and the move almost paid off as Ramiro Corrales hit the crossbar with an attempted cross in stoppage time. And just a minute later, a Kamara header hit the post, and Salinas' follow-up was skied over the bar from point-blank range.
Misc. Notes
Quakes Waive Curry and Sloustcher
The Earthquakes announced this week that defenders Greg Curry and Adam Sloustcher were placed on waivers and will be available for other MLS teams to request their services in a waiver draft to take place Wednesday, November 6. Curry was selected in the third round of the 2008 Supplemental Draft along with three other players. Curry played four seasons for UC Santa Barbara. Sloustcher played two seasons with Loyola Marymount University and two seasons at the University of North Carolina.
Kei Kamara Finishes International Schedule, Rejoins Quakes
Quakes forward Kei Kamara started and played 90 minutes in his native country Sierra Leone's 0-0 draw against South Africa in the second meeting on Saturday, June 21 to wrap up a month of games for his country. He helped Sierra Leone to a 1-2-1 record in four games against Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria and South Africa (twice). Kamara played 90 minutes vs. South Africa on June 14 as Sierra Leone earned a 1-0 vicotry. He also played 75 minutes in Sierra Leone's 1-0 loss to Nigeria in a World Cup qualifying match Saturday, June 7. He earned his first cap and played 90 minutes for Sierra Leone Sunday, June 1 in a 2-0 loss to Equatorial Guinea. He attended a training camp with Sierra Leone for the first time last December, but did not make an appearance in a game. He missed five Quakes games, on May 31, June 7, June 14, June 18 and June 22. Kamara is expected to rejoin the Quakes in Chicago on June 28 when the Quakes take on the Fire.
Sierra Leone National Team's June Schedule
June 1 vs. Equatorial Guinea at Malabo, Equatorial Guinea 2-0 Loss (World Cup Qualifying)
June 7 vs. Nigeria at Freetown, Sierra Leone 1-0 Loss (World Cup Qualifying)
June 14 vs. South Africa at Freetown, Sierra Leone 1-0 Win
June 21 vs. South Africa at Kimberley, South Africa 0-0 Draw
Quakes Make First Visit to Toyota Park The Earthquakes will make their first trip to Toyota Park, the home of the Chicago Fire, this Saturday. Prior to Toyota Park's opening in 2006, the Quakes played the Fire at Soldier Field from 1998-2001 and also from 2004-05. The Quakes also played in the Fire's temporary home, Cardinal Stadium, from 2002-03.
Quakes in the Middle of Long Road Stretch The Quakes are halfway through their seven of nine games on the road after playing Real Salt Lake and D.C. United last week. The Quakes now have three road games remaining with one home game left before the Pepsi MLS All-Star game on June 24. Following the All-Star break, San Jose finishes the season with nine of their final 13 matches at home.
Corrales Continues Climbing to the Top
After starting and playing 90 minutes against Real Salt Lake on June 18 and D.C. United on June 22, Ramiro Corrales played in his 133rd and 134th games as a member of the Quakes, passing former Quakes defender and current general manager John Doyle (1996-2000) for fourth all-time in appearances. Corrales is the sixth player in team history to play more than 10,000 minutes with the team. He has recorded 10,625 minutes as a Quakes player. Next on the list is Troy Dayak (1996-90, 2001-05), who has played 10,830 minutes.
Cannon One Game Behind Lewis in Appearances
Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon played 90 minutes on Sunday, June 22 at D.C. United to record his 114th career game as a member of the Earthquakes. He is currently in ninth all-time in appearances. Next on the list is Eddie Lewis (1996-1999), who has made 115 appearances as a member of the San Jose team.
Earthquakes - 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. In 2005, he was named the team's MVP and Defender of the Year. 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 ... Quakes defender/midfielder Kelly Gray began his MLS career with the Fire. He played for the Fire from 2002-2005 before being traded to San Jose in 2005. He scored his first MLS goal on April 2, 2002 in the Fire's 2-0 win over the Metrostars.
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.
Fire All-Time Leaders vs. San Jose
Diego Gutierrez has scored one goal and notched three assists in 25 career games against San Jose ... CJ Brown and Brandon Prideaux both have played 18 and 19 games, respectively, against San Jose ... Justin Mapp has played against San Jose eight times, recording one assist.
Quakes All-Time Leaders vs. Fire
Ronnie O'Brien has scored two goals and notched five assists in eight games against Chicago in his career ... Joe Cannon has shut out the Fire six times in 18 games he's played.
Cannon Among the All-Time Leaders
Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon is among the all-time league leaders in Major League Soccer history in a number of goalkeeping categories. He is currently fourth all-time in MLS in appearances (229), fourth in minutes (20,625), fourth all-time in saves (956), third all-time in shutouts (60), fifth all-time in wins (87) and ninth all-time in goals against average (1.31). For San Jose goalkeepers, Cannon is first in club history in appearances (114), first in minutes played (10,431), first in saves (488), first in wins (49), first in shutouts (30) and second in goals against average (1.29) and saves percentage (74.2). He also holds the team's all-time record for saves in a game with 12 on July 8, 2000 at Colorado.
Quakes in June
The Quakes are strong in the month of June, compiling a 25-16-11 record overall; it is the best month in franchise history. The team went unbeaten in June in 2001 (3-0-1) and 2005 (3-0-2). The team is also 11-8-7 in June under Frank Yallop.
Milestones in June
Amir Lowery made his first career appearance on June 18, 2005 when he played for the Colorado Rapids against Chivas USA ... Gavin Glinton has notched four of his five career assists in June ... Nick Garcia has started and played 40 games in June. He scored the only goal of his career against D.C. United on June 28, 2006.
Quakes Above .500
The Earthquakes all-time MLS record is above the .500 mark. The Quakes all-time regular season MLS record is 137-133-49. 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 onto a half-time lead despite losing to the Columbus Crew 3-2 on May 10. That game marked the team's first loss since 1999 when holding a halftime lead. Since the beginning of the 2000 season, the Earthquakes are now 50-1-8 in games when leading at the half, including 8-0-1 in 2003, 7-0-1 in 2004 and 7-0-3 in 2005.
Record Unbeaten Streak at Home Snapped
The Earthquakes set an MLS record with their August 7, 2004 win against D.C. United, extending their unbeaten streak at home to 46 games when scoring first. That streak reached 57 games after the Earthquakes' 2-2 tie with Real Salt Lake on October 8, 2005. However after scoring first against the Columbus Crew on May 10, 2008 the Quakes fell 3-2, halting the streak at 57. The Quakes had not lost at home when scoring first since April 3, 1999.
Making the First One Count
The Quakes scored first and defeated the Columbus Crew 2-0 on June 7. The Earthquakes now own a 64-4-9 record in their last 77 matches when they score the first goal of the game. They are 3-1-0 this season when scoring first. 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. Yallop is now 3-1-0 in 2008 when scoring first after defeating the Columbus Crew on June 7.
Buck Shaw to Host SuperLiga Game
Club Deportivo Guadalajara will play Atlante FC in a SuperLiga match on Saturday, July 19 at 7 p.m. PT at Buck Shaw Stadium. The inaugural SuperLiga tournament was played in 2007 with eight teams, four from Major League Soccer and four from the Mexican First Division. SuperLiga will kick off its second season on Saturday July 12, when D.C. United meets Chivas Guadalajara at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. The Dynamo will meet Atlante that same night at Robertson Stadium in Houston. The SuperLiga final is scheduled for Aug. 5. Individual tickets for the game will go on sale Tuesday, June 10 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets are available online at sjearthquakes.com, by calling 1-877-Quakes-01 or by visiting your local authorized Tickets.com outlets. Prices for individual tickets range from $20 to $60.
