Same Old Earthquakes...

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.

Week 1 Injury Report

The Quakes have two players on the probable list. RIght now it sounds like both would be able to start in Thursday night's game unless something worsens between now and then. Injury Report Probable: Ramiro Corrales (R – Achilles strain); James Riley (L – ankle sprain)

Xavier Red Card Will Keep Him out of Upcoming Quakes Match

Los Angeles Galaxy Defender, Abel Xavier received a red card in the 89th minute of his match in Colorado in Week 1. The Galaxy lost to the Rapids by a score of 4-0. This red card will mean that he cannot participate in the game on Thursday night versus the San Jose Earthquakes at the Home Depot Center. Best guess right now is that Troy Roberts is the likely candidate to fill in for Xavier in the upcoming game.

Earthquakes Beat Portland Timbers 2-1 in Final Preseason Game

The San Jose Earthquakes concluded their preseason with a 2-1 victory over the Portland Timbers of the USL First Division at Clive Charles Soccer Complex Friday night. Kei Kamara and Shea Salinas scored first half goals for the Quakes to lead them to the victory. The Earthquakes opened the scoring in the eighth minute on a goal by Kamara from close range. Ramiro Corrales served a free kick from near midfield into the heart of the box to start the play. Ryan Cochrane slid and knocked a shot on goal, but Timbers goalkeeper Ray Burse made a tough save. However, the rebound fell to Kamara, who deposited the ball into the empty net for a 1-0 lead. The goal was Kamara’s fifth of the preseason. Later in the first half, Salinas, a rookie from Furman, got into the act with an impressive blast from 20 yards out. He picked up the ball outside the box and unloaded a shot that found the side-netting in the top corner to give the Quakes a 2-0 edge. The goal came in the 13th minute. Portland got back into the game with a goal in the 71st minute. Tim Kraralexis scored from six yards away to cut the deficit in half. The Quakes finish the preseason with a 5-1-2 record against professional competition. The team opens the 2008 Major League Soccer season on Thursday, Apr. 3 against the Los Angeles Galaxy at The Home Depot Center. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live on ESPN2. Fans can also catch the game on the radio in Spanish on KLOK 1170. San Jose Earthquakes 2, Portland Timbers 1 Clive Charles Soccer Complex; Portland, Ore. San Jose Starting Lineup – GK Joe Cannon, D Jason Hernandez, D Ryan Cochrane, D Nick Garcia, D Eric Denton, M Ronnie O’Brien, M Ned Grabavoy, M Ramiro Corrales, M Ivan Guerrero, F Kei Kamara, F Shea Salinas. Scoring Summary SJ – Kamara (Cochrane), 8th; SJ – Salinas (unassisted), 13th; POR – Kraralexis (unassisted), 71st.

SJ Reserve Team Schedule Released

San Jose Earthquakes Announce 2008 Reserve Division Schedule So the first question I have is who is going to be playing for the Reserve Squad. To my knowledge they have not signed any players to reserve contracts yet. It seems they have been holding off as long as possible while they continue to evaluate players. I would anticipate announcements on the signing of developmental roster positions over the next week or so. Here's the schedule. SAN JOSE, CALIF. –- The San Jose Earthquakes announced the team’s 2008 Reserve Division schedule today. The Quakes play 12 reserve matches beginning with a match on Friday, Apr. 4 against the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Quakes play two games against every member of the Western Conference. The Quakes open the reserve league with two road matches against Los Angeles and the Colorado Rapids on Apr. 4 and 20 respectively, before returning home for their first home match on May 4 against FC Dallas at Santa Clara University. The match on May 4 kicks off at 10:00 a.m. PT. The entire Earthquakes reserve league schedule is below. San Jose finished 5-4-3 in 2005 in the reserve division to tie for fifth place in the league. Date Opponent Time Location Friday, April 4 at Los Angeles Galaxy 10:00 a.m. The Home Depot Center Sunday, April 20 at Colorado Rapids 10:00 a.m. Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Sunday, May 4 FC Dallas 10:00 a.m. Santa Clara University Friday, May 23 Houston Dynamo 10:00 a.m. Santa Clara University Sunday, June 1 at Real Salt Lake 10:00 a.m. Quinn’s Junction Sunday, July 6 at Chivas USA 10:00 a.m. The Home Depot Center Saturday, July 12 Colorado Rapids 3:30 p.m. Santa Clara University Sunday, August 3 Los Angeles Galaxy 2:30 p.m. Oakland Coliseum Sunday, September 21 at Houston Dynamo 10:00 a.m. Carl Lewis Field Sunday, September 28 Real Salt Lake 10:00 a.m. Santa Clara University Friday, October 3 at FC Dallas 10:00 a.m. Pizza Hut Park Sunday, October 12 Chivas USA 10:00 a.m. Santa Clara University

San Jose trades Pozniak to Chivas USA for Cunliffe

The San Jose Earthquakes announced today the team has acquired forward John Cunliffe from Club Deportivo Chivas USA in exchange for Chris Pozniak. Cunliffe is entering his second season in Major League Soccer after appearing in 15 games last year for Chivas USA. This trade basically moves one of the Quakes defensive players for a more offensive player which will provide more options at the forward position. “John is a player that has shown the ability to score goals in MLS,” said Earthquakes General Manager John Doyle. “He has a bright future ahead of him and we expect him to bolster our offensive attack this season.” Cunliffe, 23, made his MLS debut on April 7, 2007 against Toronto FC at The Home Depot Center, where he came in as a substitute and notched his first MLS career assist, setting up Sacha Kljestan to seal a 2-0 shutout win. Cunliffe scored his MLS first career goal against the Kansas City Wizards on July 29, 2007 and finished the season with three goals and one assist. He started five games for the Western Conference’s top team during the regular season. The native of Bolton, England appeared in both playoff games for Chivas USA, starting the second leg of the series against the Kansas City Wizards. Prior to joining MLS, Cunliffe played college soccer at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo. Cunliffe led the Skyhawks with 29 goals and 16 assists in the 2006 season. Cunliffe holds the school records of 75 goals and 62 assists in the 86 appearances he made from 2003-2006. Cunliffe was named an All-American three times. He was the only Division II player invited to the 2007 MLS Combine, where he notched one goal and three assists. Cunliffe played in the youth ranks for Manchester United and Blackburn Rovers, while also spending time training with Bolton Wanderers and Preston North End. Pozniak leaves San Jose after being drafted in the 10th round of the 2007 MLS Expansion Draft.

San Jose Earthquakes 2008 Season Outlook

Frank Yallop and John Doyle have begun the process of putting together a solid team. They are looking to find the right mix of veteran leadership and young players who are looking to prove themselves. So far in their preseason matches they've looked stronger than I think most thought they would, but it is only preseason. The Earthquakes have quality in places that they have focused on - in defense and on the wings - and that should be enough to maintain a respectable record for a first-year franchise. How the Earthquakes finish up the year will really depend on three key factors. 1) Key Injuries, 2) New signings, 3) Breakout players. If key players such as Garcia, Corrales, O'Brien and Guerrero are out for much of the season it will really strain the depth of the squad. Fortunately the Quakes do have some backup at Kepper for Cannon if necessary by signing Preston Burpo who is as solid a backup keeper as there is in the league. Frank Yallop and John Doyle are still hunting for the right quality players to sign for help up front. They brought in Federico Arias from Argentina but than cut him loose when they saw him in practice with the team. They didn't wait long because they could tell right away he wasn't what they needed. And thats what's so great about Yallop, he knows what he wants and isn't afraid to do what's necessary to get it. They'll continue looking for the right players and I anticipate they'll add at least two players to the mix by the end of the June signing period. If those two players are starter quality and can make their mark up front scoring goals and making things happen the Quakes will be in a good position come the end of the season. As for breakout players, the club's top pick in the draft, Shea Salinas has looked solid during early matches. He brings a pace and work ethic that Yallop really likes and has used to create top notch players such as Brian Mullan in the past. Others to watch are James Riley, Ned Grabavoy, Kei Kamara. Will Riley be able to lock in at right back and be able to get forward behind O'Brien to cross the ball in consistently? Can Ned Grabavoy be a steady influence in the midfield to maintain possession, feed the strikers and bring his game up a level? Can Kei Kamara take advantage of the opportunity he's being given to score goals for the team? Yallop is looking for Kamara to hold the ball up, get players involved in the attack and than get on the end of goal scoring chances. One thing for certain, the Earthquakes have brought in some quality players to build the team around with Cannon, Cochrane, Garcia, Hernandez, Guerrero, O'Brien, Corrales. How many other quality players will they find within the current roster, how many will they add, how many injuries will they be forced to endure? These questions and more will be answered in the upcoming season. It should be a fun and exciting season to watch as the Quakes take to the field in Santa Clara at Buck Shaw Stadium and in Oakland at McAfee Stadium for three of the matches. With big games against David Beckham, Landon Donovan and the Galaxy as well as reunions games against the Dynamo, we're all looking forward to it. What are you looking forward to most this upcoming season? What players are you most excited about on the roster? Let us know.

Soccer Spin MLS Season Predictions

MLS Ranking Predictions 1. Houston 2. D.C. United 3. Kansas City 4. Chivas USA 5. New England Revolution 6. Los Angeles Galaxy 7. Chicago Fire 8. San Jose Earthquakes 9. FC Dallas 10. Real Salt Lake 11. New York Red Bulls 12. Colorado Rapids 13. Columbus Crew 14. Toronto FC What do you think? Will the Quakes make the playoffs their first season back? Will Toronto FC move up above any other team in the league? Has Kansas City brought in the fire power from their Argentine contingent to get them over the hump? Will DC's foreign signings payoff? Will the Dynamo find the scoring punch to replace Ngwenya and Jaqua?

MLS Season Predictions Are Rolling In

So all around the country everyone is starting to post their MLS season predictions. Which team will finish first through seventh in each conference. Ives Galarcep has even published his MLS Power Rankings which places teams one through fourteen throughout the league. Nearly every prediction I've come across picks the San Jose Earthquakes to finish in dead last claiming the lack of scoring will bite the Quakes hard and that the team doesn't have enough firepower. While this may be the case, the preseason results have shown that the Quakes have built a steady defense, don't give up many shots and have been able to find timely goals from a variety of sources. They won the Carolina Cup with before they even played the last game against the Red Bulls. Of course the regular season may have something else in store for the Earthquakes. They will have to deal with injuries, possibly major injuries which will put pressure on young and unproven talent the Quakes will have to throw out on the pitch. Also keep in mind Frank Yallop and John Doyle are not done building the team. They aren't jumping at the chance to just fill out the roster with more of the same talent they come across, they are carefully evaluating players looking for new players which will add something extra to the team rather than just add players for the sake of adding players. Recently Doyle mentioned he is open to more scouting trips to both England and Costa Rica. Regardless they will slwly add players to the roster that are the types of players that fit into the system Yallop uses and fit into the locker room. These are characteristics that Yallop insists on. Farnk Yallop recently commented to Martin Rogers of Yahoo on the Quakes expansion efforts, “It maybe puts you at a bit of a disadvantage, but I don’t want to use that excuse. It is one which is trotted out all too often. You get a group of guys together, you coach them right and you let them get on with it. “I am not going to come out and start shouting from the rooftops that we are definitely going to make the playoffs. But that is our goal and like every other team in the league we want to extend our season.” Tomorrow I will publish the SoccerSpin MLS predictions so come back to check them out. For now here are some links to several predictions by those who predict a last place finish in the table for the Quakes. That is all except for Bill Fish. Bill Fish is from the Rapids Class VI and for some reason he went out on a limb and predicts San Jose will finish first in the Western Conference. Check them out here. Rocky Mountain News Predictions Soccer By Ives Power Rankings American Soccer Daily MLS Season Preview What place do you predict the Quakes will finish in their first year back in the league. Do you trust Yallop and Doyle to build a contender? How long will it take them to pull if off? Can it happen in the first or second year at this point in MLS?

USA Knocks Poland 3-0

The USA scored on three set pieces in Poland yesterday. The first goal was on a free kick by Landon Donovan, he swung it in and a Carlos Bocanegra put it past the keeper. On the second, Donvan hit a corner kick that Oguchi Onyewu headed in. The third was a free kick which Eddie Lewis placed nicely just inside the near post. The US had much of the play in the first half as Poland held back somewhat. In the second half when Poland tried to push forward and attack the American team was able to get some counter attack breakways which came close on several occasions. Highlights from the game with Polish commentary:

Earthquakes Travel to Portland to Meet Timbers Friday

On Friday, March 28 the Earthquakes will take on the Portland Timbers in Portland at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex. This game will provide some competition this weekend since the Quakes are one of two teams that don't have an opening game this weekend. At one time they were scheduled to play New York, but the renovations of Buck Shaw University stadium wouldn't be ready in time. What result do you expect the Quakes to earn in this game? Predictions?

Lineups From Red Bulls Match

Goals: SJ: Kei Kamara (1st - Assist: Ivan Guerrero) SJ: Gavin Glinton (49th - Assist: Jason Hernandez) SJ: Eric Brunner (88th - Own Goal - Assist: Matt Taylor) Misconduct Summary: NY: Seth Stammler - Yellow card (reckless foul), 62nd NY: Carlos Mendes - Yellow card (reckless foul), 63rd SJ: Jamil Walker - Yellow Card (Reckless Foul), 89th Lineups: New York Red Bulls: Jon Conway (Zach Thornton, 65th) - Kevin Goldthwaite (Chris Leitch, 46th), Jeff Parke (Carlos Mendes, 46th), Eric Brunner - Danleigh Borman, Seth Stammler, Dave van den Bergh (Sisina Ubiparipovic, 60th) Luke Sassano, Claudio Reyna (Mike Magee, 46th), Juan Pablo Angel, John Wolyniek (Oscar Echeverry, 60th) San Jose Earthquakes: Joe Cannon - Jason Hernandez (Jay Ayres, 85th), Ryan Cochrane (Eric Denton, 46th), Nick Garcia, James Riley - Ned Grabavoy (Conrad Smith, 77th), Ivan Guerrero (Matt Taylor, 77th), Ramiro Corrales, Ronnie O'Brien (Joe Vide, 46th) - Kei Kamara (Jamil Walker, 77th), Gavin Glinton (Shea Salinas, 60th). Who stood out for to you in this game on the positive side and who looked like they weren't in to it? Share your thoughts here.

Quakes Sweep the Carolina Cup

San Jose 3 - New York 0 The San Jose Earthquakes put three goals in the net against the New York Red Bulls in the second game of the evening with a solid win. Kei Kamara put the first goal away on a lovely through ball after only 35 seconds into the game. Former Battery striker Gavin Glinton scored the second with a clinical finish after a break-away from the half-way line. In the 88th minute Red Bulls defender Eric Brunner turned the ball into his own net on a play following a blocked penalty kick. After a foul in the penalty box on a corner kick, Corrales stepped up to take the kick, but it was blocked by the Red Bulls Keeper. On the follow up the corssed ball knocked off Brunner and into the goal. What were your thoughts on the game and the Quakes play?

In Case You Missed it

At the recent US U-23 Olympic qualifying tourney game against Honduras there was a streaker. Actually she wasn't a streaker, but dressed in an American flag and her scant underwear, it was close enough. Here is a video of it if you haven' seen it already. Also, here is her arrest record and mugshot. As the announcer said she gets "style points for her exuberance"! Why don't we have more streakers during soccer games now days? Is it the tighter security? Would more streakers bring more fans out to the games? Of course, this commercial by Nike has got to be one of the funniest out there.

Yallop Comments After Clinching Carolina Cup

Frank Yallop had the following comments after the win today versus the Charleston Battery, "It's nice to win the tournament, but at the same time we realize it's just the preseason," Yallop said. "We wanted to come out here and play well. It was very encouraging to win it. I thought our guys showed a lot of spirit not only tonight, but Saturday night against Toronto. "But we have to put it into perspective. Not everyone was here for all the teams and there was really nothing at stake. But for us this was a great chance to build team chemistry and put in the foundation that we can win." "The conditions were pretty bad, but I thought we were able to do some good things under poor conditions," Yallop said. "The conditions certainly made it tough for both teams." "From day one I thought we would be organized and difficult to break down," Yallop said. "When we do the right things in the back we're going to be a hard team to play against." Ramiro Corrales had a goal and an assist in the match. "Ramiro is a really good footballer," Yallop said. "He's done very well for us in the middle of the field." Kei Kamara's goal in the 70th minute locked up the win. "Kei is a really good young player," Yallop said. "He's still learning the game. He has all the attributes to play really well at this level. We just have to make sure we bring him along correctly and make sure we're not putting too much pressure on him."

San Jose Beats Charleston and Clinches the Carolina Cup

The San Jose Earthquakes beat the Charleston Battery by a score of two goals to one, Wednesday night at Blackbaud Stadium. Playing in rainy and windy conditions with midfielder Ramiro Corralles rallied his team with a goal and an assist to lift the ‘Quakes to a second successive win in the tournament. The win clinches the 2008 Carolina Challenge Cup for San Jose. Charleston took an early lead in the 5th minute after a defensive mix-up from a corner-kick. Goalkeeper Preston Burpo attempted to punch the ball clear but it landed at the feet of Darren Spicer, who slotted home from the miscue. San Jose equalized minutes later when Ned Grabavoy played a quick pass into the path of Ramiro Corrales who finished past Battery goalkeeper Keith Wiggans. In the 70th minute the Quakes earned a second goal. Corrales played the ball into the path of forward Kei Kamara. Kamara rounded Wiggans at the edge of the box then placed the ball home into the far corner.

Jamil Walker Now Training with San Jose

Former San Jose and D.C. United striker Jamil Walker is training with the Quakes for the Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston. Walker was recently released by D.C. and is worth a look for Yallop. A ruptured achilles tendon in May of 2007 kept Walker out for most of last season. Walker played three years at Santa Clara University, scoring 14 goals in his senior season. He was drafted 39th overall by the Earthquakes back in 2003. After the 2004 season he was taken by Chivas USA in the expansion draft that year but was then released and picked up by D.C. United. He's scored 7 goals is a total of 70 MLS games.

Quakes Eyeing Another Argentine Striker?

Argentine striker Facundo Sava may be coming to MLS with San Jose among several clubs that may have interest in him. The 33 year old, Sava once played for Fulham FC of the English Premier League and currently plays at Racing Club.

San Jose Still Searching

The Earthquakes have brought in numerous players on trial for the goal scoring thresat they are searching for. None of them have cut the mustard so to speak yet though. Argentine winger Federico Arias didn't wasn't fit to play. Japanese international Takayuki Suzuki and Swedish striker Martin Aslund didn't impress either. Fabrice Noel is still an option, but he's with the Haitian team in the Olympic qualifying tourney currently and Yallop will keep tabs on him as a possibility. Trinidad & Tobago internationals Conrad Smith and Hayden Tinto were in on trial last week, with Smith showing enough to be invited to Charleston for the Carolina Challenge Cup. Tinto though was released. Frank Yallop has commented he'll keep looking for international players who are free to move now which can be brought in to MLS through the April 15 window. If they are under contract and have to be purchased, than the Quakes must wait until the June signing window to bring them in. He'll also be looking within the league for a trade that improves the team. Who do you think are possible trade targets within the league?

Quakes Beat TFC in Shortened Game

The San Jose Earthquakes and Toronto FC competed in the opening round of the Carolina Challenge Cup in Charleston on Saturday night. San Jose was declared a 1-0 winner in the second half when tournament officials called the game because of inclement weather, which included severe lighting and a tornado watch near Blackbaud Stadium. San Jose took home the victory against Toronto FC on Jason Hernandez's first half goal. The match was eventually called in the 77th minute because of severe weather. The game was delayed for more than 15 minutes before game officials finally decided to end the game and the first night of the tournament. San Jose dominated the action throughout the match, outshooting Toronto 10-2, and creating at least a half-dozen quality scoring chances. Toronto FC was without several key players such as last year's MLS Rookie of the Year, midfielder Maurice Edu, and defender Marvell Wynne, who are with the U.S.'s under-23 national team. Toronto was also missing forward Andrea Lombardo and Tyler Hemming, who are playing for the Canadian national team in the same tournament. San Jose Earthquakes 1, Toronto FC 0 Toronto FC: Greg Sutton, Marco Velez, Tyrone Marshall, Julius James, Jim Brennan, Martin Brittain, Carl Robinson, Victor Pacheco (Kevin Harmse 46), Todd Dunivant, Danny Dichio (Collin Samuel 46), Jeff Cunningham San Jose Earthquakes: Joe Cannon, Nick Garcia, Ryan Cochrane, James Riley, Jason Hernandez, Ronnie O'Brien, Ramiro Corrales, Ned Grabavoy, Ivan Guerrero, Gavin Glinton (Shea Salinas 46), Kei Kamara How did you feel after watching the Quakes play in their first tournament as a team, albeit a pre-season tournament? Did you like what you saw? Who were the weakest links on the team?

Quakes Hire Goalkeeper Coach

The Quakes have just announced the hiring of former New Zealand international Jason Batty as goalkeeper coach. Batty, is 36, earned 44 caps for the Kiwis from 1995-2003. “Jason was a top-level professional goalkeeper who has a wealth of international experience,” said General Manager John Doyle. “He has worked with a number of strong goalkeepers around the country and he is a great addition to our staff.” Batty leaves a position as Director of Goalkeeping for Texas Premier SC. Prior to that, he was assistant coach and goalkeeper coach for Dartmouth College. His playing days featured stints with England's Norwich City, Irish side Bohemian F.C., and other sides in Singapore, New Zealand, and the U.S. Batty featured in the New Zealand team that competed at the 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup in Guadalajara. The Kiwis competed in the same group as the U.S., Brazil, and Germany, but failed to get beyond the group stage. Batty's hiring completes the Quakes' coaching staff. Batty will take his place along with head coach Frank Yallop, assistant Ian Russell, and technical advisor Ronnie Ekelund.

City Coucil Clears Another Hurdle For San Jose Stadium

The San Jose City Council officially blessed the recently released economic analysis on the stadium project. City officials projected the new stadium would infuse $62.3 million a year into San Jose's overall economy, using economic models to show the stadium's ripple impact on hotels, restaurants and the like. More studies are due soon. The next step for the project is an additional study, due to be completed by June. The Mercury News article can be viewed here.

Quakes Preparing for Carolina Cup

The Earthquakes are preparing for the upcoming Carolina Cup where they will take on Toronto, New York and Carolina. Here is the schedule for the games: Saturday…. 15-Mar…. San Jose vs Toronto…. 3:00 PM PST Saturday…. 15-Mar…. New York vs Charleston…. 5:15 PM PST Wednesday…. 19-Mar…. New York vs Toronto…. 3:00 PM PST Wednesday…. 19-Mar…. San Jose vs Charleston…. 5:15 PM PST Saturday…. 22-Mar…. Toronto vs Charleston…. 3:00 PM PST Saturday…. 22-Mar…. San Jose vs New York…. 5:15 PM PST Yes, you actually can watch these games, they will be streamed live here:

More Info on Two T&T Trialist Training with Quakes

Conrad Smith Club: Caledonia AIA Fire (Trinidad, Mar-2006 to present). Goals scored last season for club team: 7 Gloas scored for National team: 9 Age: 25 years old Position: Midfielder Previous Clubs: Caledonia AIA Fire (Trinidad), Calgary Mustangs (Canada, 14-May-2004 to Sept-2004), Toronto Lynx (Canada, Apr-2005 to 07-Jun-2005), San Juan Jabloteh (Trinidad, Oct-2005 to Dec 2005) T&T Senior Debut: August, 3rd, 2001, aganist Kuwait he also scored a goal on his debut. Smith also had a training stint with MLS team, Dallas Burn in March of 2002 and the MetroStars in 2005. Hayden Tinto Club: Caledonia AIA Fire (Trinidad, Mar-2006 to present). Goals Socred last season for club team: 4 Goals scored for U23 National Team: 1 Age: 22 years old Position: Midfielder Previous Clubs: Caledonia AIA Fire (Trinidad)

Earthquakes Take Down Cal Berkley 3-0

The Earthquakes beat the UC Berkeley men's soccer team 3-0 in a scrimmage yesterday at Berkley. Goals were all scored in the second half by Yuri Morales, Conrad Smith and Matt Hatzke. Starting Lineup: Joe Cannon Nick Garcia James Riley Ryan Cochrane Ned Grabavoy Ramiro Corrales Chris Pozniak Shea Salinas Kei Kamara Jason Hernandez Ivan Guerrero

Quakes Working on Trade for Roberto Mina?

Word is that Dallas is talking with both Houston and San Jose about a trade involving Roberto Mina's MLS rights. Thee Ecuadoran forward was on the brink of re-signing with FCD before the deal collapsed last Friday. He felt he was lied to by FCD and says he will not play for FCD again. Mina is currently training with a club in Argentina which has supposedly made has an offer on the table for him. Mina was injured in 2007 and didn't play in any games, but in 2005 and 2006 he started a total of 24 games played in 37 overall, scored 10 goals and helped with 5 assists. Would you like to see Roberto Mina in a Quakes uniform? Would he help bolster the forward line? In this video of the Top 10 goals for FC Dallas in 2006 MIna has the #1 top goal. BTW, our own Ronnie O'Brien has the #8 goal on the list as well.

MLS Season Ticket Sales Seeing Another Increase

According to The Sports Business Journal, early season-ticket sales show Major League Soccer headed for another year of record attendance in 2008, with total partial and full season-ticket sales reaching 60,783 by Feb. 17, 16 percent ahead of year-to-date sales in 2007. Here's a breakdown of seasons tickets sold per team as of 2/17. TEAM 2008 2007 % CHANGE Chicago Fire 2,759 2,553 +8% Chivas USA 837 858 -2% Colorado Rapids 2,968 1,866 +59% Columbus Crew 3,227 3,190 +1% D.C. United 5,976 4,721 +27% FC Dallas 3,002 3,134 -4% Houston Dynamo 4,116 2,205 +87% Kansas City Wizards 1,539 464 +232% Los Angeles Galaxy 7,915 9,308 -15% New England Revolution 4,001 3,502 +14% New York Red Bulls 3,170 2,391 +33% Real Salt Lake 4,632 4,421 +5% San Jose Earthquakes 3,822 N/A N/A Toronto FC 16,641 12,435 +34% TOTAL 64,605 51,048 +26.6% Of course, these figures are taken 6 weeks prior to the season starting so they are bound to increase more. What teams are you surprised at? Which teams should be doing better? How do you think Philly and Seattle will do once they get underway?

Santa Clara Approves Quakes Use of Buck Shaw Stadium

Santa Clara's city council on Tuesday approved Santa Clara University's Buck Shaw Stadium as a temporary home for the San Jose Earthquakes soccer team. There were some concerns from neighbors and the California Highway Patrol regarding parking and traffic issues. Council members felt it was a win-win for the university and the city and the neighborhoods. They felt that a parking plan presented by the Earthquakes would keep streets around the university clear. The Earthquakes are expanding Buck Shaw to 10,744 seats, up from 6,144, for a three-year stint in Santa Clara while they work on getting their new stadium built next to the San Jose Airport.

Earthquakes are Back in Town

You may have seen this before, but if you want something to get you pumped up and excited about the upcoming season check out these highlights of the Quakes we all fell in love with.

Waiver Draft Results

D.C. United bolsters claimed Jeff Curtin (Chicago) Houston claimed forward Kyle Brown (Real Salt Lake) Chicago claimed defender Brandon Prideaux (Colorado) The Quakes could still be bringing in some of the waived players in for tryouts. They would likely try to negotiate a lower salary than they were at previously. More info as it becomes available.

Waiver Draft Order

Below is the order the teams are picking in the draft. Hopefully we'll have some results soon. 1. San Jose Earthquakes 2. Toronto FC 3. Real Salt Lake 4. Los Angeles Galaxy 5. Colorado Rapids 6. Columbus Crew 7. New York Red Bulls 8. FC Dallas 9. Chivas USA 10. D.C. United 11. Kansas City Wizards 12. Chicago Fire 13. New England Revolution 14. Houston Dynamo

Waiver Draft List of Available Players

Here are the players available for today's draft (set for 12 pm PST): Nicholas Addlery (D.C. United) Celestine Babayaro (Los Angeles Galaxy) Kyle Brown (Real Salt Lake) Jose Cancela (Colorado Rapids) Tim Conway (Chicago Fire) Jeff Curtin (Chicago Fire) Floyd Franks (Chicago Fire) Sandy Gbandi (FC Dallas) Kelly Gray (Los Angeles Galaxy) Duke Hashimoto (Real Salt Lake) Chase Hilgenbrinck (Colorado Rapids) Scott Jones (FC Dallas) Richie Kotschau (Real Salt Lake) Chris Lancos (Real Salt Lake) Kyle Martino (Los Angeles Galaxy) Jerson Monteiro (D.C. United) Jay Nolly (D.C. United) Andrei Pacheco (Columbus Crew) Rusty Pierce (Columbus Crew) Brandon Prideaux (Colorado Rapids) Ryan Raybould (Kansas City Wizards) Jordan Russolillo (Chicago Fire) Kenny Stamatopolus (Toronto FC) Osei Telesford (Chicago Fire) Jacob Thomas (Columbus Crew) Ricardo Virtuoso (Columbus Crew) Clifton Wilmes (Colorado Rapids) Which players would you like to see the Quakes take if they have the chance? Let us know.

Ronnie Ekelund Hired as Technical Advisor

San Jose, Calif.- The San Jose Earthquakes have agreed to terms with Ronnie Ekelund to become the technical advisor of the San Jose Earthquakes for the 2008 season. The Glostrup, Denmark native will play a key role in the team's daily training sessions. "Ronnie brings a lot of international experience to the Earthquakes and he will be a valuable asset to the coaching staff and players," stated John Doyle, General Manager of Soccer Operations for the San Jose Earthquakes. Ekelund spent four seasons as a player with the Earthquakes from 2001-04, helping San Jose capture two MLS Cup Championships with his sublime passing skills and leadership. He finished his MLS career with 11 goals and 16 assists in 91 games. Ekelund left the Quakes after the 2004 season and played one year with the California Cougars of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Ekelund was a MISL All-Star during the 2005-06 season. Prior to arriving in MLS, Ekelund enjoyed a long career in European soccer. He played for Brondby (Denmark), Barcelona (Spain), Southampton (England), Manchester City (England), Coventry City (England) and Odense (Denmark). Overall, he appeared in 135 games and scored 22 goals during his time in Europe after turning pro at age 15 with Brondby. Ekelund also played for Denmark at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona.

Killion Chimes in on how Quakes Covet Local Mexican Fan base

Just several days after SoccerSpin wrote about how the Earthquakes need to figure out how to leverage the local Mexican fan base further Ann Killion of the San Jose Mdercury News chimes in with her own thoughts on the topic. She has some very similar views as well. Find it here: http://www.mercurynews.com/earthquakes/ci_8434896?nclick_check=1

John Shrader Back Doing Earthquakes Games

I talked with John Schrader at the scrimmage against SJSU on Saturday and he confirmed he'll be doing play-by-play for the Quakes television broadcasts this upcoming season as he has in years past. There's no word yet on who will be joining him in the booth yet though. John left his role with KNBR that he held for so long and has been a part of the Sharks broadcasts this season. Shrader, who teaches Journalism and Media at San Jose City College as well as at San Jose State University, has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Introducing Jamil Roberts

Jamil Roberts played in today's scrimmage against SJSU. He's a 2004 graduate of Washington High, was selected by FC Dallas in the fourth round (45th pick overall) of the 2008 MLS Super Draft. The central defender, who recently played his fourth year at Santa Clara University, joins his older brother, Troy, in the league. Troy Roberts, who played collegiately at Cal, was the No.8 pick by the L.A. Galaxy in the 2005 draft. Apparently he was released by FC Dallas and is trying to catch on with his local team now. He had quite the senior season for the Broncos, and was named West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He was an All- WCC first-team selection, a NSCAA All-Far West Region first-team pick, and College Soccer News All-American third team. Santa Clara won its ninth West Coast Conference title, with a 10-0-2 record. It was 16-2-4 overall. The Broncos' season ended in the third round of the NCAA Tournament, when they lost 2-0 to Notre Dame.

Quakes beat SJSU 3-0 in scrimmage game

Goals were scored by Jay Ayres, Shea Salinas and Martin Oslund(sp?). Oslund is a Swedish player on trial with the team. Quite a few Quakes starters were not used in the game today. Lineup at the start of the game: F - Morales, Smarte M - Guerrero, Oslund, Pozniak, Salinas, D - Denton, Ayres, Roberts, Riley G - Benton Goals were scored by Ayres, Salinas and Oslund. Guerrero looked particularly good today after playing out on the wing in the first half he was moved to central midfield and created several scoring opportunities. Coach Frank Yallop commented on the game "It was good to see some of the reserve players get time, Ayres looked good in there and did well for himself." After talking with Yallop about his impressions of the Swedish player, Oslund it didn't sound like they would be keeping him on. In regards to looking for additional players there's talk about Doyle or Yallop making another scouting trip to England, possibly next week and than Costa Rica after that. They'll also be looking for quality players within the league but quality players are hard to find available. With the waiver draft coming up on Monday Yallop and Doyle will see what's available but they are not near the top of the draft order so they are not sure what there chances will be of obtaining a quality player through that route. Yallop said "When good players become available you have to grab them, that was the case with Corrales and O'Brien. We had to grab them because they are good solid players, they fit my style of play and they were available. Good players are hard to find, but we're continuing to search for them. Strikers are what we really need at this point." The Quakes will continue practice this week and have a scrimmage against Cal Berkley on Friday afternoon. After that they'll head out east for the Carolina Cup.