SAN JOSE, Calif. – Thanks to the intercession of the Vancouver Whitecaps, the San Jose Earthquakes’ goalkeeper battle won’t continue for a second season.
After watching veterans Joe Cannon and Jon Busch trade the mantle of No. 1 ‘keeper back and forth through 2010, the Quakes lost Cannon to Vancouver in the MLS Expansion Draft on Wednesday. The 34-year-old Bay Area native was selected eighth by the Whitecaps, ending his second stint with San Jose after he joined the reborn franchise in 2008.
The Quakes also lost attacker Arturo Alvarez in the expansion draft. The 25-year-old El Salvador international was taken by Portland with the Timbers’ 10th and final selection, then promptly dealt to Real Salt Lake for a second-round pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.
But the primary focus was on the loss of fan favorite Cannon, who originally came to San Jose in 1999 – when the team was still known as the Clash – and was immediately inserted as a starter. He spent four seasons here, backstopping the team to its first MLS crown in 2001.
[inline_node:316294]“With Joe, we had two really good goalkeepers, but Jon Busch at the end of the season kind of earned the starting role,” Quakes general manager John Doyle told MLSsoccer.com. “We had to protect one, but we couldn’t protect two.”
Cannon began the season as the Quakes’ No. 1 but was replaced after 11 matches by Busch. Coach Frank Yallop brought Cannon back on Aug. 14, and he responded with a shutout against Kansas City. Cannon broke his ankle the following week in practice, ending his season prematurely and handing the job to Busch, who was among the 11 players protected from the draft by the Quakes.
The Whitecaps’ move means San Jose can avoid a tough budgetary decision. The team was able to pick up Busch on the cheap this year because he was cut by Chicago just before the season started, so the cost to San Jose was minimal.
“It was going to be tough to be able to afford both of them,” Doyle said. “It was a risk we were willing to take with Joe.”
When Cannon was supplanted for the first time by Busch in June, he acknowledged that joining one of the two new Pacific Northwest teams was a possibility.
“As far as jobs – there’s two new expansion teams next year,” Cannon said at the time. “The jobs will be there. I think it’s just a matter of looking at your situation as a whole: What you want to do with your life? What city do you want to help out?
“I think I’ve always been pretty adamant that I want to stay here and make this work, on the field and off the field. But at the same time, I think there’s already too much drama or [overanalysis].”
Cannon’s departure means the Quakes will be searching for goalkeeping help. Brian Edwards, who served as Busch’s backup after Cannon’s injury, was signed to a series of temporary deals by the team and is not under contract for 2011.
“At some point, we need to get younger in goal,” Doyle said. “We need to develop a goalkeeper that is going to replace Jon in years to come.”
Geoff Lepper covers the Earthquakes for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached at sanjosequakes@gmail.com. On Twitter: @sjquakes
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