The San Jose Earthquakes posted one of their best years ever for attendance. The Quakes averaged 13,713 on the season in 2008. That total is the third-highest average attendance in team history. In 1996, the team averaged 17,232, and in 1999, the team averaged 14,959.
Their three highest attendance marks of the season were their games played at McAfee Coliseum in games against the Chicago Fire (20,038) and two against the Los Angeles Galaxy (39,872 and 26,071). The majority of the Quakes games at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara were sellouts or near sellouts where the capacity is 10,500.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Quakes Hand Out Season Awards
The San Jose Earthquakes announced today the recipients of the 2008 team awards. Midfielder Darren Huckerby, a midseason addition to the team, earned the team’s Most Valuable Player honor and also the Budweiser Golden Boot award, given to the player with the most goals scored. Jason Hernandez was named the Earthquakes Defensive player of the year and veteran goalkeeper Joe Cannon was named the team’s U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year.
Huckerby joined the Earthquakes July 14 when the team acquired his rights from Toronto FC. The former Norwich City star immediately made an impact on the field scoring in his first two home matches. He has scored six goals and notched four assists in 13 games with the Quakes making him the team leader in goals scored. He also scored game-winning goals against the Kansas City Wizards on Aug. 30 and D.C. United on Sept. 6. After an outstanding performance in September he was named Major League Soccer Player of the Month, scoring three goals and notching one assist in the month. In Huckerby’s first eight matches with the team, the Quakes posted a 4-0-4 record, part of the Quakes league-high nine-game unbeaten streak. Huckerby wins the Budweiser Golden Boot award after scoring six goals one more than Ryan Johnson.
Hernandez had a breakout year in 2008. He started and played in a career high 28 games and earned his first career assist this year against FC Dallas on Oct. 2. He used his pace and strong tackling to help shut down the league’s top forwards, as San Jose posted eight shutouts this year. Playing as both a center back and right back, Hernandez played a key role in keeping the Quakes defense among the best in the league all year long. The Quakes have allowed only 38 goals this season, placing them fourth in the league in goals allowed.
Cannon, a 10-year veteran in MLS, earned his second U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year award by working just as hard off the field as he did on the field. Cannon participated in multiple community events and became one of the team’s top ambassadors to the Bay Area community. Among his many contributions, he spent time visiting the Morgan Center in Los Altos to work with autistic children, even working with Soccer Silicon Valley to bring a group of the children to an Earthquakes game in 2008. He is also on the advisory board of the Soccer Silicon Valley Community Fund. On the field, Cannon is the only player on the Earthquakes to play every minute of every game. He is currently the league leader in saves with 122, and has posted eight shutouts on the season
Huckerby joined the Earthquakes July 14 when the team acquired his rights from Toronto FC. The former Norwich City star immediately made an impact on the field scoring in his first two home matches. He has scored six goals and notched four assists in 13 games with the Quakes making him the team leader in goals scored. He also scored game-winning goals against the Kansas City Wizards on Aug. 30 and D.C. United on Sept. 6. After an outstanding performance in September he was named Major League Soccer Player of the Month, scoring three goals and notching one assist in the month. In Huckerby’s first eight matches with the team, the Quakes posted a 4-0-4 record, part of the Quakes league-high nine-game unbeaten streak. Huckerby wins the Budweiser Golden Boot award after scoring six goals one more than Ryan Johnson.
Hernandez had a breakout year in 2008. He started and played in a career high 28 games and earned his first career assist this year against FC Dallas on Oct. 2. He used his pace and strong tackling to help shut down the league’s top forwards, as San Jose posted eight shutouts this year. Playing as both a center back and right back, Hernandez played a key role in keeping the Quakes defense among the best in the league all year long. The Quakes have allowed only 38 goals this season, placing them fourth in the league in goals allowed.
Cannon, a 10-year veteran in MLS, earned his second U.S. Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year award by working just as hard off the field as he did on the field. Cannon participated in multiple community events and became one of the team’s top ambassadors to the Bay Area community. Among his many contributions, he spent time visiting the Morgan Center in Los Altos to work with autistic children, even working with Soccer Silicon Valley to bring a group of the children to an Earthquakes game in 2008. He is also on the advisory board of the Soccer Silicon Valley Community Fund. On the field, Cannon is the only player on the Earthquakes to play every minute of every game. He is currently the league leader in saves with 122, and has posted eight shutouts on the season
Earthquakes Dominate Toronto FC 2-0 in Season Finale
The San Jose Earthquakes finished the season with a 2-0 win over Toronto FC in front of a sellout crowd of 10,526 on Saturday night at Buck Shaw Stadium. Ryan Cochrane scored for the Earthquakes in the 49th minute and Shea Salinas scored for the second straight game, netting a penalty kick to close out the game.
Frank Yallop was quite pleased with his team “It was great to finish with a win and a good performance. Overall it was a great night for us and the fans as well. When it mattered earlier this season, we couldn’t quite get it done, but tonight shows that we can play.”
He also shared his thoughts on the season overall “We had a good run in the middle part of the season, but we couldn’t finish the season out. We played the same lineup week after week and it caught up with a little bit. We didn’t sustain our play like we needed to get into the playoffs. I think we built a solid team this year though.”
On his first season in MLS, Darren Huckerby said “It was a great first season. We excelled from the position we were in and almost reached the playoffs. We had a bad stretch of three or four games that hurt us. It is a shame that we didn’t reach the playoffs, but I think we had a good run.” And the good news for Quakes fans is that he's looking ahead to next season “I am looking forward to joining the team in preseason and building something. This year it was tough to come in midseason, but next year, we will have a preseason to prepare and we will be ready come the start of the season.”
Overall the Quakes finish the season with an 8-13-9 record and 33 points. That is the highest point total for an expansion team in the last decade. They end the season tied with the Galaxy for the lowest point total on the season but I have to think the Quakes are better prepared heading into next season than the Galaxy are at this point. Frank Yallop and John Doyle will be looking tot strengthen the team and deepend the talent pool over the offseason and it should be interesting to watch.
Frank Yallop was quite pleased with his team “It was great to finish with a win and a good performance. Overall it was a great night for us and the fans as well. When it mattered earlier this season, we couldn’t quite get it done, but tonight shows that we can play.”
He also shared his thoughts on the season overall “We had a good run in the middle part of the season, but we couldn’t finish the season out. We played the same lineup week after week and it caught up with a little bit. We didn’t sustain our play like we needed to get into the playoffs. I think we built a solid team this year though.”
On his first season in MLS, Darren Huckerby said “It was a great first season. We excelled from the position we were in and almost reached the playoffs. We had a bad stretch of three or four games that hurt us. It is a shame that we didn’t reach the playoffs, but I think we had a good run.” And the good news for Quakes fans is that he's looking ahead to next season “I am looking forward to joining the team in preseason and building something. This year it was tough to come in midseason, but next year, we will have a preseason to prepare and we will be ready come the start of the season.”
Overall the Quakes finish the season with an 8-13-9 record and 33 points. That is the highest point total for an expansion team in the last decade. They end the season tied with the Galaxy for the lowest point total on the season but I have to think the Quakes are better prepared heading into next season than the Galaxy are at this point. Frank Yallop and John Doyle will be looking tot strengthen the team and deepend the talent pool over the offseason and it should be interesting to watch.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Quakes Lose Another Late Heartbreaker
The San Jose Earthquakes fell 3-2 to the Kansas City Wizards on Saturday night at Community America Ballpark. Scott Sealy and Shea Salinas scored for the Earthquakes. However, Herculez Gomez scored in stoppage time to give the Wizards the victory. With the loss the Earthquakes are eliminated from playoff contention.
San Jose Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop on losing the last two games late “In the last two games, we’ve given up game-winning goals to the opposition, which you can’t do at any level. We’re trying to win the match, obviously, but set plays with everybody back, you shouldn’t be conceding goals like that.”
Earthquakes forward Scott Sealy was also disappointed with the result of the game “They found a way to win the game. That’s what you do this time of the year, you look for ways to win. Kansas City was able to do that. Obviously, we’re disappointed. We have one more game to play so we need to go home and make sure we win in front of our fans.”
The Earthquakes will now take on Toronto FC in their final game of the season next week at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Quakes will be trying to win this one for their own pride and the fans. It's been a roller coaster of a season and it would be great to end on a positive note.
San Jose Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop on losing the last two games late “In the last two games, we’ve given up game-winning goals to the opposition, which you can’t do at any level. We’re trying to win the match, obviously, but set plays with everybody back, you shouldn’t be conceding goals like that.”
Earthquakes forward Scott Sealy was also disappointed with the result of the game “They found a way to win the game. That’s what you do this time of the year, you look for ways to win. Kansas City was able to do that. Obviously, we’re disappointed. We have one more game to play so we need to go home and make sure we win in front of our fans.”
The Earthquakes will now take on Toronto FC in their final game of the season next week at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Quakes will be trying to win this one for their own pride and the fans. It's been a roller coaster of a season and it would be great to end on a positive note.
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Quakes Go Down in Stoppage TIme to Dynamo
The San Jose Earthquakes fell to the Houston Dynamo 2-1 on Wednesday night at Robertson Stadium. Stuart Holden scored in the 6th minute to put the Dynamo up 1-0. Scott Sealy tied the game for the Earthquakes in the 68th minute and Stuart Holden scored again in stoppage time to give Houston the victory.
Kei Kamara was ejected in the 11th minute but the Earthquakes could not take advantage of being a man up. San Jose Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop knew they let one slip away “We’re obviously disappointed with the result. We had a chance to maybe get 3 points tonight, and we let it slip, so that was hard. It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but I think our shape, at least in the second half, was decent. We got a gift to get back in the game, but from there, with a tie at least you can hold your head up and say you were in the game, but the score at the end was kind of a kick in the groin for us.”
Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear was glad his team got three points from the game “We had some good play and some lucky bounces that went our way and some mistakes but it turned out to be a great win for us. We started out the game great going down a man makes it difficult give it to San Jose who kept putting us under pressure we made a mistake but we got a break at the end. We got 3 points when we needed the win.”
Kei Kamara was ejected in the 11th minute but the Earthquakes could not take advantage of being a man up. San Jose Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop knew they let one slip away “We’re obviously disappointed with the result. We had a chance to maybe get 3 points tonight, and we let it slip, so that was hard. It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but I think our shape, at least in the second half, was decent. We got a gift to get back in the game, but from there, with a tie at least you can hold your head up and say you were in the game, but the score at the end was kind of a kick in the groin for us.”
Houston Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear was glad his team got three points from the game “We had some good play and some lucky bounces that went our way and some mistakes but it turned out to be a great win for us. We started out the game great going down a man makes it difficult give it to San Jose who kept putting us under pressure we made a mistake but we got a break at the end. We got 3 points when we needed the win.”
Monday, October 6, 2008
Quakes Settle for Draw in Dallas
The San Jose Earthquakes settled for a draw with FC Dallas 1-1 on Thursday. Frank Yallop was disappointed overall with the way the game played out. Yallop knew the Quakes nearly had the game at one point “I am a little disappointed. We had it in our hands to win tonight. It was two poor decisions by the referee I thought, to change the game to be honest. The hand ball (Davino), and it doesn’t hit (Francisco) Lima’s hand. It doesn’t hit anywhere on his arm, the penalty that ties the game. It’s difficult at this time of the season; we could have gotten a win. The guys really worked hard tonight, against a good team, and deserved to win the game.”
Those two calls were the difference in the game. MLS Ref Abby Okulaja gave only a yellow card to Dulio Davino on a deliberate hand ball with Scott Sealy waiting to take it in on goal. Than moments later he gave a PK to Dallas calling a hand ball on Francisco Lima. The problem was the ball only hit Lima in the chest. These calls ended up taking two points away from the Quakes when Dallas pulled even.
Next up the Quakes face Chivas USA at home. They must win three if not all four of their final games in order to make the playoffs. Hopefully Abby Okulaja is not around for the remainder of the season.
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