The Fault Zone

Hi Montez!

2010-06-20T09:33:00.000-07:00

H and my family were at the FC Gold Pride v. Boston Breakers game last night at CSUEB (Pride 1-nil victory BTW).

Anyways, guess who we ran into at the game? Sitting in the same row and just a couple of seats over was our very own Montez Harrison (Sr. Fan Relations Rep for the SJ Earthquakes). We exchanged hellos and Montez asked us if we were ready to come back to a Quakes game. "Nope". She than said, "Well, when you are ready, come on down." My response was, "be sure to call me when the drum policy changes.". Montez replied, "You are on the top of my list to call if that happens."

The end....(for now)

2010-05-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

I am moving forth on my next football blogging adventure. If things change in the future, I may pick up The Fault Zone again.

Letter from Front Office

2010-05-18T08:15:00.000-07:00

I really appreciated the letter I received from Mr. David Alioto, Executive Vice President of the Q's. His letter was very professional and we can agree to disagree on this one. I sincerely appreciate the organization's willingness to provide me a refund on my season tickets (their policy is that all tickets sold are non-refundable). My decision to end my affiliation with the Q's was just that - my decision. I could have continued to attend games sans drum, but have chosen not to do so.

A couple of questions did come up for me after reading the letter:

(1) "Allowing four (4) drums only in Section 109 has enhanced the fan interaction not only in Section 109 but throughout the entire stadium on game days." The 4-drum policy was enacted only a few days before the next game and this letter was received by me shortly after that game. So how was this "success" measured? What variables were used to measure "fan interaction" through out the stadium? All of this was discovered only after one game?

(2) "Fan Relations and Guest Services have received nothing but positive responses to the new changes..." What was my letter? A non-response? Again - all of this was determined only after one game?

Message to the Earthquakes: Establish you policies BEFORE the start of the season so all of your fans understand them (don't just communicate them to the supporter groups). Use an entire season to evaluate the policies. Changing them all of the time and mid-season confuses fans and stadium staff.

Future Posts; Proud Smurf

2010-05-09T07:22:00.000-07:00

Future posts on this blog will be very limited due to the circumstances. Interesting that our friend "Proud Smurf", a loyal Quakes supporter and a member of the Ultras, has decided to take up our cause. He will be asking a "high-level" Ultras member to talk to the Q's organization abo ut letting us in the stadium with our drums in Sec 108. I don't expect alot to come of this, but it does mean alot to us to have someone in our corner and supportive of us as fans - and he is doing this on his own accord (we did not ask for help). Thanks Smurf!

Why?

2010-05-07T12:22:00.001-07:00

Sorry to those who may be reading this for the first time. You need to go back to some earlier posts to get caught up on this mess. Basically:

For 2 years, my cousin H and I have been diehard supporters of the San Jose Earthquakes since they returned to the MLS. We cheered and drummed in Section 108 - to increase the energy in a stadium that is really lacking in enthusiasm. We understand that "soccer" is not a big spectator sport here in the U.S. and that the Q's are trying to build a fan base.

So fast forward to the beginning of this season. I show up to a pre-season game at Kezar Stadium in San Francisco (Q's vs Houston). I am told that I cannot bring my drum into the stadium (not just Kezar, but also Buck Shaw - where the Q's play their regular season games in Santa Clara) because it is MLS policy. I said then why have I been able to bring the drum in for the last 2 seasons without knowing this or being informed of this policy? Why did the Q's website at that time list "drums" as an approved stadium item?

In order for us to bring the drums we were told we had to enter the stadium one hour early and come in with the "official" supporters groups (The Casbah and the Ultras). We hesitated at first, but then decided to try it. We came early and continued to cheer as we had in the past. Heck - at the last game a father came up to us to ask if his young son could play the drum and we said of course. The dad really appreciated us helping his son really enjoy the game.

Then this week, we are informed that the drum policy has changed again - only 4 drums total are going to be allowed in the stadium and only in Section 109 (where the Casbah and the Ultras sit). H and I sit in Sec 108 right next to them. The Q's rep said that maybe we could talk to the Ultras, since they do not like drums, that maybe we could bring our drums as part of the 4-drum quota. The thing we would have to do is sit in Sec 109 instead. H said, 'Why would we want to take our drums and sit in a section where we know the people dislike drums with a passion?

So after a month of this back and forth, with policies being unclear and changing all of the time, we felt that the performance of the Q's organization has been poor. I think they are as confused about this issue as are the fans.

I love football (soccer), but not enough to endure this frustration with the Q's. The only alternative we had left was to decide to stop going to games. I turned in the remaining tickets in our season ticket packet this morning and received a refund. I know that the Q's organization won't miss us. I will miss the players and all of the friends we have made over the past couple of seasons in Sec 108.

This morning I posted the link to my blog on the Q's Facebook fan page and it was promptly removed (I guess by someone in the Q's organization). They can try to hide their errors, but that will do little good. Cow manure is.......cow manure (no matter how many pretty bows and flowers you cover it with).

Does anyone have the # for the ticket office for the FC Gold Pride?

The Nightmare is OVER

2010-05-06T15:10:00.000-07:00

I just got off of the telephone with one of the Q's fan relations staff who was very courteous and professional. Basically - drums are going to be limited to only 4 in Sec 109 (the Casbah and Ultras).

Q's: Because the Ultras do not like drums, you could bring your drums in "to be part of the total 4", but you will have to move to Sec 109.

R: No - we do not want to move to Sec 109

Q's: That is all we really can do. I was hoping that we could come up with a solution for you. The policy will reviewed after 3 games - and if more changes need to be made, they will change them. We have also had growing complaints about the supporters groups and drums (Note: I know that there is unrest between the supporters groups, but was totally unaware of the general complaints about the drums.)

R: That's ridiculous to jerk the fans around like this.

Q's: We really can't do anything else. We would really love to have you as a supporter the remainder of the season.

R: How do I get my refund?

The match is over. The Quakes LOSE.

Oh, by the way, "DID YOU FEEL THAT?"

(Lisa, Ed, Sharon, Jeff, etc: Sorry to have this end this way. We will really miss seeing you all - it was such a great time last week (and the past 2 seasons). This whole drum issue and the feeling of being treated as "nothing" has drained both H and I completely. )

I guess this means goodbye

2010-05-06T08:01:00.000-07:00

Although we have not spoken to anyone in the front office yet - H and I have discussed this whole drum thing and have decided that our relationship with the San Jose Earthquakes must end. We have supported this team as best we know how - in the stadium and outside. We have brought many friends and organzied groups to come to Quakes games. San Jose Earthquake logos adorn each of our vehicles.

I guess all of that really doesn't matter anymore. Unless a miracles happens, this blog might be transforming into the, "Lion's Den" (FC Gold Pride).

Thanks for jerking us around this year Quakes.

The Drum Saga Continues

2010-05-05T23:32:00.000-07:00

Just received an email from Quakes fan relations and they said upon further review - only 2 drums will be allowed per supporter group and they will only be allowed in Sec 109.

This means that the Q's are taking a stand on this and leaves H, me, and others in Sec 108 out in the cold and drumless. We do our best to drum WITH the supporter groups - not against them - but I guess that doesn't matter.

The Quakes tried to work with us by allowing us to bring our drums in if we entered with the "official supporter groups". Clearly, this "accommodation" has ended. Period.

Do I need to get a petition signed by all those in Sec 108 that support our drumming? My initial letter to the front office was a warning shot. Time to bring out the heavy ammunition I guess. (The interesting thing is that I understand it is the "official" supporter groups that want this rule enforced. Thanks for the support you guys.)

FC Gold Pride is starting to look really good right now...

Quakes beat the Rapids 1-nil

2010-05-02T20:21:00.001-07:00

Can you believe it? The Q's have one their 2nd straight home game - beating the Colorado Rapids on Sat 5/1 at Buck Shaw. It wasn't an easy win - trying to hold on after Wondo scored tha games first goal, but Joe Cannon made some key saves and helped the team capture 3 more points.

Lisa got her free "facebook update" ticket, H, Dave, Ed, and I (along with jr. member Sean) kept the beat going in Sec 108. Where was Sharon? At an Eagles concert at the Tank. Will we ever see her again this season? She has missed some of the best games we have seen t he past 2 years. Hope to see her back this coming Sat as we face the Red Bulls.

Dave, H, and I grabbed a bowl of pho after the game (somewhere on El Camino Real).

Training Facility Opens

2010-04-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

The new Nutralite Training Facility will open today. What does this mean to us and the Q's? I see it as another investment into the foundation of building a organization into a strong entity and presence in the South Bay. Congrats to the Quakes. But the big step will be finally move forward on the new stadium. (Wouldn't Nutralite be a better thing to put on our shirts?)

Opening of New Training Facility

Spurs coming to Buck Shaw in July

2010-04-21T23:37:00.000-07:00

Huh? Tottenham will be making a San Jose stop during their summer U.S. tour in July.

Quakes Shake-Up the Revs

2010-04-17T23:40:00.000-07:00

WOW. The Earthquakes played at a different intensity level tonight - a level that we have not seen in a long time. Chris Wondoloski and Ike Opara scored for the Q's and they went on to win 2-nil over the New England Revolution. It was an amazing victory of the Quakes.

Sharon - our steady drummer in Section 108 was MIA again tonight (she wasn't at the game on Wed. night either). Playing golf? Babysitting? Her priorities have been just thrown out the window! (we miss you!). Her hubby Ed continues to do his best to fill in for her!

Also - without having to have Lisa give us a warning - we kept our mouths shut about assuming a victory until the final whistle was blown!

SCORING SUMMARY
San Jose	New England
Chris Wondolowski (57)
Ike Opara (71)

MATCH STATS
	San Jose	New England
Shots (on Goal)	13(8)	11(6)
Fouls	7	9
Corner Kicks	5	3
Offsides	2	3
Time of Possession	0%	0%
Yellow Cards	0	1
Red Cards	0	0
Saves	6	6

MATCH INFORMATION

Stadium: Buck Shaw Stadium
Attendance:
Match Time: 22:00 ET
Official(s):
Elias Basakos (Referee)

No US Open Cup run... again

2010-04-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

Well- as expected, the crowd was tiny for this "play-in" match for the Quakes and RSL. The weather was clear, but a bit chilly out at Buck Shaw. I was happily surprised with the starting lineup for the Q's. We had some guys that were not perenial bench warmers out there so maybe we were going to try to win this one (Leitch, Corrales, Sanchez, and Alvarez coming off of the bench). The Q's fought back from a nil-2 defecit to equalize at 2-2 at the end of regulation. OT was two - 15 minute halves. The Quakes took a 3-2 lead late in the 2nd OT period, but gave up an equilizer late and OT ended 3-3. RSL took the victory in PKs 5-3.

Mistakes on defense didn't give Jon Busch a chance to help us win this game. But there were some good things that I saw (1) team has a fighting spirit (2) Omar Jasseh looked great - he is only 17 yrs old! (3) I like Justin Morrow alot - great hustle, and (4) Eduardo seemed to have sparked the comeback when he entered the game, but after only a few minutes on the pitch - he left the field with some sort of injury (UGH).

The Cup.US article

SHOUT OUT to our section 108 buddy Lisa! She is our walking, talking, and beautiful SJ Quakes media guide!

NEXT HOME GAME: NE Revolution this coming Saturday at the SB San Siro

Scott Sealy is back

2010-04-13T08:25:00.000-07:00

The Quakes picked up free-agent Scott Sealy (on the Q's roster in 2008) to bring in some added depth up front. I wouldn't say this is a spectacular move, but it is a solid one. Scott provided some added experience and depth and will do so again this time around.

San Jose Merc article

Quakes WIN! Quakes WIN! Quakes WIN!

2010-04-10T23:47:00.001-07:00

The Q's played a close game with the Fire in Chicago, but held on to win 2-1. Arturo Alvarez and Ike Opara scored for the Q's. WOW - an away victory. This has been in such scarcity the last 2 seasons. Jason Hernandez saved the day with an amazing save at the goal line in support of Joe Cannon after the Fire charged in after a Quakes turnover. First points of the season -way to go!

So Long Quincy

2010-04-08T08:55:00.001-07:00

Yesterday it was announced that the Q's traded away Quincy Amarikwa for a furture draft pick. I am sad to have to see Quincy go. He was the only Quakes player currently on the roster that showed any kind of "spark" of energy. When he came of of the bench, he HUSTLED and was all over the field. If it weren't for his size, he would easily dominate with his speed. I wish him well in Colorado.

U.S. Open Cup

2010-03-28T21:24:00.000-07:00

Every year about this time, I have to say something about the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. This year the Quakes are playing RSL (oh boy) in a play-in game on April 14th. Last season we played in a play-in game also - but we fielded a bunch of reserves against the NY Red Bulls - and lost.

Why don't the Quakes (and other MLS teams) take this competition seriously? The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is the oldest cup competition in the U.S. (established 1914) and is equivalent to the FA Cup in England and other domestic cups around the world. The unique competition includes teams from all amateur and professional levels in the U.S.

I understand that most MLS teams do not field their starters in fear that an injury could occur and have a negative impact on the team for the entire MLS season. The MLS Cup is the primary goal for MLS teams and it is understandable. It is the league title.

Let's look at teams in Europe - they play in multiple cup competitions during their regular season. For example: English Premier League team Manchester United played in the UEFA Champions League, Carling Cup, and FA Cup competitions while still pursuing the Premiership title. Yes - some star players do get rested in some of the cup games, but the teams do field teams with the goal to win these multiple competitions.

For the Earthquakes, I unfortunately think that we are still several years away from competing for a MLS Cup. So why not play a team that can at least givce us a chance for the US Open Cup? The Seattle Sounders FC won the US Open Cup in their first MLS season - at least they have something in their trophy case. We have 2 MLS Cups, but they were won by the now Houston Dynamos.

C'mon Quakes - the US Open Cup would be a great boost to supporters as well as to the team. At least don't field a team that shows you could care less. Winning a US Open Cup will provide that taste of winning a championship that our current team only dreams about. It certainly would help shift the momentum towards winning. The Heritage Cup is nice, but not really something to brag about.

C'MOM QUAKES - LET'S GO AFTER THE U.S. OPEN CUP!

Starting Right Where We Left Off

2010-03-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

Despite the large crows (10,589 - a SB San Siro record) - the Q's dropped their opener with RSL 3-nil. A whole slew of new players, but the result is the same. Really didn't see much from anyone tonight. Joe Cannon had a difficult night - not so much because of him - but rather the lack of defense and a ton of unforced turnovers.

I wore all of my Villa gear - leaving all the Q's gear at home in protest of all the restrictions that are being placed on supporters. H got his drums taken at the gate - although we saw others not in the supporters sections with drums. Wonderful consistency in enforcing the rules Quakes staff. Geeeez. I commented that it still felt like we did towards the end of last season. Ugggh. Already looking like a looooooooooooooooooooong season ahead.

Drum Update #2

2010-03-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

Just before I left the office today, I received a telephone call from a Quakes fan relations specialist. I really can't capture the entire conversation here. I appreciated the professionalism of this staff person, but I think this is the only response I will be getting from the Quakes (I sent my letter to the President and the Owner of the club - but have not heard a peep from them.)

Bottom Line: Drums will not be allowed unless they are approved as part of one of the official supporters groups (currently the Casbah and the Ultras). Drums are going to be limited to a certain # of drums - still TBA (kinda strange that a big decision like this has not been made and opening day is this coming Saturday. Hello? I am also concerned that the Q's decision to physically join the Ultras and the Casbah into one section (Sec 109) to "unify the cheering and drumming" will backfire horribly. The Casbah has been in existence since 1996. My question to the Q's is,"Don't you think there is a reason why the current Ultras didn't just join the Casbah instead of starting a new supporters club? Hello? They are both great groups - but they are very different in culture. I see joining them together in the stands creating more chaos rather than an improved stadium environment. As H has said, it feels like we are being told when, how, and how much we should be cheering and making noise. Doesn't that sound like fun?

Do I keep my season tickets? A HUGE question to answer.

Drum Update & Soccer Fours

2010-03-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

Drum Update:

Still no word from the Q's organization - but due to when I sent my letter (last Thursday), they could have not received it until yesterday.

Soccer Fours:

I've finally returned to playing with Soccer Fours - the 4 v 4 program. After having great success at their San Francisco site (Franklin Park), Chris has decided to expand a little and now has weekly sessions in Marin and in Oakland. Naturally, since I'm located in the East Bay, I decided to check out the Monday night Oakland session last night. They are held at Raimondi Field in West Oakland. This complex was renovated in 2008 (replacing the grass field with turf). As I expected - after not playing for several months - the little endurance that I built up from the SF sessions was a distant memory. It was like starting all over - but the other players were great and it was alot of fun. First time using my new boots - Nike Ronaldinho Dois FG (I discovered this single pair at Ross in my size a month or so ago - $19.99 and couldn't resist). They were really comfortable and "looked fast" when I slipped them on, but alas, speed, quickness, and endurance on the pitch depends more on the person wearing the boots vs. the boots themselves :)

Initial Response

2010-03-19T14:04:00.000-07:00

Montez sent out one of her "Quakes Insider" emails this morning, but she did not respond to the email I sent to her yesterday re: drums issue. I replied to her Q's Insider email by aying I was disappointed that I received no response from my email to her.

I did finally get a reply later in the morning - she said that she is working with stadium operations on the issue and was certain that a resolution can be found + that I coould continue to bring my drum to Buck Shaw. Then she asked if I was coming to the Sat. pre-season game against the Portland Timbers - and if so, she would personally escort me and my drum into the stadium.

I replied and thanked her for her email. I am waiting to hear from someone higher on the Quakes food chain and I said that I wanted to hear something before the home opener on Mar 27th.

Waiting for a response

2010-03-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

This morning I sent an email to one of the 'Fan Relations Specialists' for the Q's to give them a heads-up about the letter that I wrote to communicate my dissatisfaction with all that occurred last night at Kezar (drum prohibition). My letter was addressed to Mike Crowley (club president) and cc'ed owner Lew Wolff, exec vice president David Alioto, manager of stadium operations Ramon Estevez and Matt Pellegrino, ticket operations manager Scott Wallace, and sr. fan relations specialist Montez Harrison.

As of this writing, there has been no reply to my email from Ms. Harrison. The letter (and cc copies) were sent out via US Mail today.

The waiting begins. (I hope that waiting is not against stadium regulations like having a drum!)

GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER - DRUMS OR NO DRUMS?

2010-03-17T22:16:00.000-07:00

I am not going to fill up this post with all of the details of tonight. Basically, I went to Kezar tonight for the Q's pre-season matchup with the Dynamo. I was not allowed to bring my drum in the stadium unless I was part of one of the official supporter groups (which I am not). The person in charge of stadium operations said that it is MLS policy (not just a rule at Kezar). I told him that I have been drumming at Buck Shaw for the past 2 seasons without being sitting with or being a member of any of the official supporters groups and i also have never been stopped or informed about this regulation. I was so pissed - I left. Screw the game and the Quakes.

After getting home, I sat at there fuming as I began to write a letter to Mike Crowley, President, communicating my dissatisfaction and wanting to request a full refund on my season tickets. Just moments ago I decided to look into this MLS drum prohibition outside of "supporter group" sections a little more. Guess what I found? It is written in black and white on the Quakes website - DRUMS are on the list of "Approved Items". What the hell are the Quakes talking about? Apparently the head has no clue what the tail is doing or saying. I am going to point this out in my letter - AND will expect an apology from the Quakes and some gesture on their part for causing me to leave tonight's game pissed off and hating the Quakes organization.

http://web.mlsnet.com/t110/stadium/guidelines/

APPROVED ITEMS:

Confetti
Streamers
Drums
Banners (zip tied to railings and no larger then 5' x 32')
Flags with 1 or 2 poles must not exceed 3'
Backpacks/Bags no larger then 16" x 16" x 8"

Backpacks/Bags are subject to search

Portable Seatbacks
1 Water bottle per person (it must be soft plastic and sealed)
Cameras and video recorders (must be handheld and cannot be set up in seating area)

Pictures and videos cannot be used for commercial purpose unless approved by the San Jose Earthquakes and Major League Soccer

San Jose City Council Adopts EIR

2010-03-17T07:43:00.000-07:00

Last night, the San Jose City Council adopted the Final EIR for the new Quakes stadium - a unanimous vote at that! Nice meeting coverage by Jay Hipps of Centerline Soccer

Tonight is the pre-season game vs the Dynamo at Kezar. H and I will be there warming up the drums for the season and H is bringing along some friends to introduce them to Quakes fever!

Let's Go Earthquakes....bang...bang...bang-bang-bang!

Did you feel that?

2010-03-13T12:48:00.001-08:00

Huh? Is this the 2010 marketing phrase?

Dynamo, Timbers, Aston Villa FC

2010-03-09T21:41:00.001-08:00

The Q's are gearing up for a couple of pre-season games coming up next week - Wed 3/17 vs Houston Dynamo (at Kezar) and Sat 3/20 vs Portland Timbers (at Buck Shaw). What can we expect from this coming season? I haven't a clue. We will have a completely different team than the one that we started with at the beginning of last season. Playoff hopes? I think we should keep those to ourselves for now.

I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things at Buck Shaw and banging our drums loud. Sec 108 - let's rock!

I have been keeping busy with my EPL club - Aston Villa FC. I am actually the chairperson for the Aston Villa supporters club here in California called "AVFC California". Villa is still in the hunt to break the Top 4 and qualifying for the Champions League next season, made it to the League Cup final (aka Carling Cup) - but fell to Man Utd, and are making a run for the FA Cup still (semifinal match v. Chelsea in early April).

Click the image to visit AVFC California!

Quakes beat West Ham Utd

2010-03-09T08:20:00.000-08:00

The Quakes beat EPL side West Ham United 2-nil at Upton Park during their pre-season training tour in the UK. Click on image for full story.

2010 MLS Season is Right Around the Corner

2010-02-17T09:49:00.000-08:00

The 2010 MLS season is less than one month away now. What can we expect this season from the boys in blue? I'm feeling not all that different than when the 2009 season started - with alot of uncertainty. Alot of new players to evaluate - potentially a very different lineup than last year. There will be many happier fans with the opening of the "tailgating" parking lot this year. H and I remain in our same location - next to the KFC Corner. Let's hope that the Q's can make a run for a playoff spot this year. Since the FC Gold Pride will be playing in Hayward this year, maybe the turf at South Bay San Siro (aka Buck Shaw) will not get so beat up.

Quakes Prepare for 2010

2010-02-07T22:59:00.000-08:00

Just heard the announcement that the Q's are headed to Phoenix AZ for a week (this coming week actually) and will have a couple of pre-season training matches vs KC Wizards. Then in March, the Q's will train for 10 days in London at the Tottenham Hotspurs training centre. I'm getting excited as the 2010 season approaches.

UEFA Champions League - Round of 16

2010-02-04T18:11:00.001-08:00

This month will be full of UCL action - thank you H for reminding me!

2010 Quakes Schedule Announced

2010-02-03T17:31:00.000-08:00

http://web.mlsnet.com/t110/schedule/2010/

Super Draft Pick

2010-01-15T20:27:00.000-08:00

Earthquakes select Opara third overall in SuperDraft

Wake Forest defender expected to step in on club's backline

http://sjearthquakes.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20100114&content_id=7916746&vkey=pr_sje&fext=.jsp&team=t110

In 2009: Played in 17 games during junior season and scored three goals and two assists ... Contributed to seven shutouts on the season ... Earned All-American honors from the NSCAA, Soccer America, College Soccer News and Top Drawer Soccer ... Named semifinalist for M.A.C. Hermann Trophy ... Selected as ACC Defensive Player of the Year for second straight year and also earned All-ACC first team accolades ...Named a preseason All-American by Soccer America and CollegeSoccerNews.com ... Started both games at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic, earning all-tournament team honors ... Scored first goal of the season at Clemson (9.13) ... Started each game of the FIFA U-20 World Cup for the U.S. U-20 Men's National Team ... Returned to the Wake starting lineup against North Carolina (10.9), playing 105 minutes and attempting one shot ... Scored second goal of the season against NC State (10.17), closing out the scoring in 4-1 win ... Netted third goal of the year in victory against Davidson (10.27) ... Assisted on Andy Lubahn's game-winning goal in victory against Duke (11.6) ... Recorded second assist of the season on Zack Schilawski's first goal in victory against Duke (11.29).

In 2008: Started in 22 games during 2008, scoring five goals ... Named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and also earned All-ACC First Team honors ... Finalist for the Soccer News Net College Player of the Year Award ... Named a first team All-American by Top Drawer Soccer and College Soccer News ... Earned second team All-American honors from the NSCAA and Soccer America ... Member of defense that didn't allow a goal for 401:59 early in the season ... Scored first goal of the season against UC Santa Barbara (9/21), giving the Demon Deacons their first lead of the game ... Scored the tying goal on a header in Wake's win at No. 2 Maryland (9/28) ... Recorded first multi-goal game of his career against Virginia Tech (10/4).

In 2007: Soccer America First Team All-Freshman ... All-ACC Freshman Team ... First collegiate goal was the tying mark in Wake's 1-1 draw with Elon on Oct. 2 ... Lead freshman class in games played and starts (26-23) ... Earned a starting spot when senior Julian Valentin had a preseason injury, but Vidovich revised the lineup to keep Opara in when Valentin returned.

Prep: Four-year letterman at C.E. Jordan High School ... Three time all-conference selection ... All-Piedmont Athletic Conference (PAC 6) Player of the year as a junior ... High school's most valuable player in 2005 and 2006 ... Named his high school's defensive player of the year as a freshman ... An all-region selection in 2005 ... Helped C.E. Jordan High to four conference championships ... Played his club ball for Triangle FC Navy 88 ... Member of the North Carolina ODP team in 2007 ... A three-time selection to the Super Y ODP ... Named an Elite 300 All-Star ... High school teammate of current Deacon midfielder Will Clayton.

Personal: Born on February 21, 1989 ... Parents are Emmanuel and Clarice Opara.

Career Stats

Year	GP-GS	Shots	Goals	Assists	Points	GWG
2007	26-23	9	1	1	3	0
2008	22-22	20	5	0	10	2
2009	17-17	15	3	2	8	0
Totals	65-62	44	9	3	21	2

Funny... but also sad

2010-01-06T22:30:00.000-08:00

A funny comic strip that I ran across in the local paper, but a sad commentary on the status of football in most of North America.

Football vs "Gridiron"

2009-12-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

Pretty much says it all, doesn't it?

2009 Expansion Draft - Philadelphia Union

2009-11-29T19:48:00.000-08:00

Shea Salinas was selected from the unprotected MLS players to be part of the Philadelphia Union. The following is the entire list of players selected by Philadelphia and the team they will be leaving.

Jordan Harvey (Colorado Rapids)
Andrew Jacobsen (D.C. United)
Brad Knighton (New England Revolution)
Sebastien Le Toux (Seattle Sounders FC)
Stefani Miglioranzi (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Alejandro Moreno (Columbus Crew)
Dave Myrie (Chicago Fire)
Shea Salinas (San Jose Earthquakes)
Shavar Thomas (Chivas USA)
Nick Zimmerman (New York Red Bulls)

On Shea Salinas: I have mixed thoughts on Shea. He was one of those players that has so much "potential", but just has not gotten there yet. His energy and speed were great assets, but he never became a threat for the Q's. He is still a very young player and I hope he succeeds in the future. The teen females at the South Bay San Siro (aka Buck Shaw) will miss him I know! In the big scheme of things, this should not be a change that will hamper the Q's like the departure of O'Brien last year.

Real Salt Lake - 2009 MLS Cup Champions

2009-11-23T11:00:00.000-08:00

I watched the 2009 MLS Cup match last night and was rooting for RSL to upset LA Galaxy. The quality of the game was typical MLS standard - not quite as exquisite as European football, but the game was exciting. LA took the lead, but RSL came back with an equilizer in the 70th+ minute. They remained tied and went into OT. After OT didn't break the tie, the MLS Cup came down to PK's. The difference I think was Zazoo's version of a "Baggio" - Donovan sent his PK attempt over the crossbar!

A Sub-.500 team winning the MLS Cup: It is a nice story, but should never happen in a top flight league of any kind. Period.

Qualifiers for World Cup 2010!

2009-11-21T12:08:00.000-08:00

The entire field for World Cup 2010 has been filled. The Group Draw will be completed on December 4, 2009.

Qualifiers

Africa

Asia

Europe

North and Central America

Oceana

South America

Host Country

Captain Corrales Signs

2009-11-03T19:04:00.000-08:00

Ramiro Corrales has signed a multi-year contract with the Quakes. Don't get me wrong, I like Ramiro, but I don't think we have really seen his best the past 2 years (primarily due to injury). I hope that the coming season will be a healthy one for our captain!

2009 ends with a fizzle.

2009-10-24T23:31:00.000-07:00

The Q's fall to the Galaxy 2-nil. We finish at the bottom of the Western Conference table (7-14-9) once again. As they always say, "There's always next year." My votes for 2009:

Quakes MVP: Ryan Johnson
Quakes Top Defender: Joe Cannon
Quakes Inspirational Leader: Joe Cannon

BEAT L.A.! BEAT L.A.!

2009-10-22T07:10:00.000-07:00

Well, we are at the doorstep of the season close. Away at the HDC to take on the Galaxy. I am hoping that the Q's can muster up a great result this weekend. What can we say about this season that we haven't mentioned before? Injuries did us in. So many key players had seasons that never really started (Huckerby, Hernandez, Corrales). Ryan Johnson was again the team's highlight reel. Awesome job Ryan!! Season ticket renewal packets were sent out several weeks ago. H and I will definitely be renewing our seats. We understand that the Ultras are moving to our end of the field - next to the Casbah. Should liven up the our haven behind the north goal. It is time to focus on the EPL, the remaining WC qualifiers, and the Champions League.

One Win, Another Loss

2009-10-08T22:49:00.000-07:00

October 2nd 2009 - the Quakes capture a 1-nil win over the NY Red Bulls....but where was I? I was in Berkeley watching Cal get pummeled by USC in a "gridiron" game. October 7th - I show up for the next home game vs FC Dallas. We lose 2-1. My so-called "friends" in Sec 108 have decided that it was my fault they lost - because I showed up. I guess everyone has to find something or someone to blame when you have to deal with a season like we have experienced with the Quakes this year. Yuck.

H and I are toying with the idea of traveling to the Home Depot Center to catch the Quakes take on the Galaxy one more time this season. No firm decision yet....but maybe, we'll see.

Farewell Hucks

2009-10-02T07:15:00.001-07:00

In the last 2 weeks, Darren Huckerby announced his retirement from football. His arrival to San Jose last year was everything the team needed - and not it is over due to a hip injury that he never fully recovered from. He brought life into a new squad that was seeking leadership and an identity last season. Hucks' injury plagued season this year has been difficult for everyone - I'm sure especially for him. I wish him great success in his future football endeavors - coaching, etc. I hope he enjoyed his short stay here in America and who knows - maybe a coaching position pack here with the Quakes?

Darren - even in such a short time, you have made your mark in American sports (you have your own bobblehead doll).

News on Stadium; Lower Prices for 2010?

2009-09-21T22:02:00.000-07:00

Well, the Q's dropped a heartbreaker against Colorado this past weekend and the blame falls squarely on the shoulders of the .......referees. They were awful. I really can't say much more without throwing up.

Huckerby's Pending Retirement

I am sorry to hear that Darren Huckerby's stint with the MLS and the Quakes will be short-lived. He did bring a spark and excitement to the Quakes in 2008. Hucks is the man (...when he isn't injured....)

Stadium Drawings Released

Well, it is great to see these "drawings". I like everything except for the "open end". I'll believe it when I see it though....I hope that it isn't another "dream" like that new A's stadium in Fremont.

(I do like the idea of calling this place the "Epicenter")

Lower Prices for 2010?

The Quakes also announced that ticket prices will be down in 2010. Well, I think it is a good idea - but what is really going to draw fans is the product on the pitch. But don't get me wrong...I'll be ordering my season tickets and will be thankful for the reduced prices.

A Season Lost

2009-09-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

As the last days of summer linger a bit here in the Bay Area, we Quakes supporters are ready for this season to end. we still have several games remaining, but post-season play is not in the cards. Love the team - hate the results.

World cup qualifiers continue to be played and in the CONCACAF group a tight ending is in place. the USMNT is near the top of the group, but could easily drop fo the "playoff" spot depending on the results of the final 2 matches (Honduras and Costa Rica). Aston Villa is doing ok (mid-table) after the first few weeks of the Premiership season. I am really enjoying the increased coverage on ESPN on Saturdays. Despite the Quakes position, I am having no problem in finding my football fix!

Quakes Drop match to Revs; The Quick Re-Birth of WSD?

2009-08-29T20:10:00.000-07:00

The Quakes took on the Revs today, but lost another one (2-1 Revs). The game was scoreless about 2/3 through the game, but then the Revs got 2 goals and went up 2-nil. Ramon Sanchez did knock in a nice header for his first MLS goal close to the end of regulation eliminating Reis' clean sheet. Up next for the Q's are a couple of non-league games (9/4 vs Copa Alianza All-Stars and 9/8 vs CD Aguila). My guess is that these games will be games for the Quakes reserves. Next MLS game will be against Colorado at Buck Shaw on 9/18.

Rebirth as "World Football Daily"

well - less than a week ago, World Soccer Daily ended (the only daily football talk show in America) due to controversial comments by host Steven Cohen with regards to the Hillsborough 96 tragedy. Yesterday it was announced that WSD would return as "WFD" under a different format (no advertisers, but listener supported through "subscription". I think that this show is great for football in the US. I just have to make a personal decision as to whether to make the financial commitment for a subscription or not. (It is a nominal amount, but cash doesn't grow on trees). we'll see.

Quakes Win, Football Fans in the U.S. Lose

2009-08-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

The Q's picked up 3 points against KC with the last minute (actually extra time) goal by Chris Wondoloski. This season appears to be in the books already, but it is great to see that the lads are not giving up. It has been a looooooooong season.

Tonight is also the final summer session for Soccer Fours. Starting this fall, it is moving to Thursday nights - which I cannot do. :( It was fun while it lasted.

Farewell to World Soccer Daily

Without much notice, the only daily football podcast in the U.S. has ended - World Soccer Daily. I won't go into the details about what happened - you can do that by checking the web. It saddens me that this program will not be available to us anymore because of the narrow-mindedness of some LFC supporters that forced Steven Cohen to end WSD because of remarks he made about the horrible events that ended in the death of 96 fans at Hillsborough. It is a loss for football fans here in America.

Messi!

2009-08-13T04:28:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this YouTube clip that captures Lionel Messi's bicycle kick that was so close to hitting the back of the net (our seats were on the second deck - right above the vantage point of this video) Barca v Chivas (8.8.09 Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA)

Quakes Stumble and Barca Comes to Town

2009-08-09T00:14:00.000-07:00

Today was what had been marketed as the "Night of Champions" at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. MLS Champions Columbus Crew taking on the Quakes and then followed by FC Barcelona vs Club Deportivo Guadalajara (Chivas). Prior to the football, we had a great turnout for a tailgate in the 'Stick parking lot (friends from church, work, relatives, friends of friends). Of course we had way too much food - H was an amazing tailgate host! The lot was filled with Barca and Chivas supporters + football fans in general. Latin music, thousands of bbqs....alot of fun.

The Q's drop the first game 3-nil and pretty much snuffed out any hopes for a miracle playoff run. It is too bad to see them come of such a great game against Seattle and lay an egg tonight. Barca did not disapppoint in the 2nd game. We were fortunate to be sitting above the goal Barca was targeting during the first half (before all of the subs came in after halftime). Barca is incredible - the possession game was a thing of beauty and there were several tries that easily could have been goals (including a Messi bicycle kick attempt!). The game ended in a 1-1 draw with both goals coming in the 2nd half. It was totally worth it to see Barca's first team play 45 minutes - they are incredible.

2009 Peace Cup Champions

2009-08-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Aston Villa beat Juventus in the 2009 Peace Cup Finals this past weekend on penalty kicks. The Peace Cup is a pre-season friendly tournament (http://www.peacecup.com/). GK Brad Guzan saved the day in the finals.

MLS Playoff Picture (as of Aug 5, 2009)

Claret and Blue - Who Do You Support?

2009-08-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

As you know, I am now a supporter of Aston Villa of the EPL. What's the story behind the popularity of team colors "claret and blue"? There are 3 teams currently in the EPL that have home uniforms that are near identical. Confusing is an understatement. I am going to have to do a little digging to see if there some sort of story behind these colors.
West Ham United Aston Villa FC Burnley FC

YES! 3 Points!

2009-08-03T15:58:00.000-07:00

Finally - a win at home. It has been so long. Yes, yes - it did help that (1) Lundberg was on red card suspension from last week and (2) Sounders went a player down after Riley is sent off with a red card in the first half. But the Q's played the best we have seen all season. Our two new lads in the midfield (Sanchez and Luis) looked really good and kept turnovers to a minimum. Shea used his speed not to score, but to deliver balls for scoring chances (he ended up with two assists yesterday). The Q's 4-nil victory left us at the SB San Siro in a frenzy. We got a gift own goal and then goals from Glen, Huckerby, and Wondoloski. Woo hoo.

I am looking forward to the double header next week (Q's vs Columbus and then followed by Barca vs Chivas), BUT I am not looking forward to going to Candlestick Park to see the matches!

Quakes announce Moreira signing

2009-07-31T17:05:00.000-07:00

Today's news from sjearthquakes.com

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Earthquakes announced Friday that the team has signed Brazilian midfielder Andre Luiz Moreira. Per league and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"We are excited to add a player of the caliber of Andre Luiz to our roster," said General Manager John Doyle. "He understands the game well and has great vision. The experience he gained in a number of top leagues around the world, as well as with the Brazilian national team, will be invaluable to our team. Along with Ramon Sanchez, we feel that we have really bolstered our midfield."

Andre Luiz most recently played for Jaguares de Chiapas FC in the Mexican First Division. He registered four goals in his 51 appearances for Jaguares since signing there in 2007. He helped them finish second in Group 3 in the 2009 Clausura tournament in Mexico and earn a spot in the playoffs. They also made the playoffs in the 2008 Clausura tournament.

The Sao Paulo native has made 21 appearances for the Brazilian national team and has scored two goals. He was also a member of the Bronze medal winning Brazil team from the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

The 34-year-old central midfielder has played for successful clubs around the world such as Paris St. Germaine (France), Olympique de Marseille (France), S.L. Benfica (Portugal), C.D. Tenerife (Spain), Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Corinthians (Brazil). Overall, he has appeared in over 300 professional matches in his career and scored over 20 goals.

While with Sao Paulo, Andre Luiz won two Copa Libertadores titles and two Intercontinental Cups. He helped Sao Paulo defeat FC Barcelona in 1992 in the Intercontinental Cup, and the following year they defeated AC Milan in the final. He also won two Paulista titles in Brazil with Corinthians and one Paulista title and the Conmebol Cup with Sao Paulo. In France, he was a part of the 2003 Paris St. Germaine team that won the French Cup.

Transaction: San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) - Earthquakes sign M Andre Luiz Moreira.

Andre Luiz Moreira #28
Status: Senior/International
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6-0
Weight: 174
Born: November 14, 1974 in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Hometown: Sao Paulo, Brazil
Last Club: Jaguares de Chiapas (Mexico)
Citizenship: Brazil

Why blog?

2009-07-30T12:36:00.000-07:00

I was listening to a NPR program this morning about the blogging phenomenon. People "blog" to share their thoughts on a subject that they are interested in or are "experts" in. People "blog" to journal their lives and share it with friends. Others "blog" because they see a potential business opportunity if your blog can attract alot of interest from the general population of the world.

What category do I fall in? I guess just sharing thoughts on this global game that has has captured the sports fan in me. I grew up in the SF Bay Area and as a youngster was a big fan of the Oakland Athletics (Major League Baseball), Oakland Raiders (National "American" Football League), and the Golden State Warriors (National Basketball Association). Later, I became an avid supporter of University of California - Berkeley athletics (particularly American football and basketball. "Cal" is my alma mater and will always have a place in my heart as a sports fan. I think college sports has the added "emotional" factor beyond what pro sports bring out of their fans. It is hard to explain in words - it is like "you go as your team goes" and traveling to see your team compete is never a hard decision. Plus your wardrobe retains distinct colors (in my case - blue & gold!).

The only "professional" sport that has even come close to this sense of "attachment" between team and supporter is football. My home team is the San Jose Earthquakes (Major League Soccer). No matter how they are playing or where they are in the league table, you support them to your fullest at every match and away from the pitch. This is further enhanced because with the MLS (unlike the well-know international leagues in Europe), money is not the only driving force. Players for the most part are not making huge amounts of money (most are probably just eeking out a living), but they stay in it for their love of the game and fulfilling their dreams of being a pro footballer. As a supporter - winning is important, but the I think the true fan supports a team all of the time (win, lose or draw).

Quakes Hang Tough; US MNT Crumbles; Football Podcasts

2009-07-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

In the beginning it looked as if we were going to experience much more of what we have been seeing at Quakes games when they took on DC United this past Saturday at the SB San Siro. We gave up an early PK and a second goal to go down 2-nil, but the lads didn't react in the same way they have in the past. Ryan Johnson's goal late in the first half sparked the team. The Quakes would eventually comeback to tie with a late PK taken by Cornell Glen. It wasn't a win, but it also wasn't another loss. I'll take the 1 point and congratulate the team for niver giving up.

Mexico Tears Us Up

I am still not sure what happened yesterday in the Copo Oro final between the US and Mexico. The first half was played well by both teams ending in a nil-nil draw at half. But in the 2nd half - Mexico figured out some kind of weakness in the US defense and bombarded us with 5.....count 'em.....5 counter attack goals that made the US squad look like a middle school team. What I couldn't understand was why couldn't the team make an adjustment after the first 2-3 goals??? I was so bad - I think it pretty much erased the positives we gained in the Confed Cup. Yes - it was a different team then the one at the Confed Cup, but no team should be shredded like that at that level. The game next month in Mexico City is going place alot of pressure on the USA.

Podcasts

Just a quick review of the football podcasts that I subscribe to via ITunes:

World Soccer Daily - North America's #1 daily football show (Steven Cohen & Kenny Hassan)

5 Live Football Daily (UK) - Football news, interviews, and discussion (Mark Saggers and regulars John Motson, Steve Claridge, Ian McGarry and Mark Clemmitt )

5 Live World Football Phone-in (UK) - Expert answers to your questions in World Football (Tim Vickery)

ESPN Soccernet - all the news, views and analysis from the world of football (Adriano Russo, Jon Harris-Bass, Dan Mason, and more)

Centerline Soccer - source for news and features regarding the San Jose Earthquakes and WPS Bay Area FC Gold Pride (Jay Hipps and Keiran Downie )

The Guardian Football Weekly (UK) - news and banter from the Premier League, Championship, La Liga, Serie A, and Bundesliga (James Richardson, Barry Glendenning, Sid Lowe and the rest of the Football Weekly team)

Villa Park View (UK) - official Aston Villa podcast

Villa Podcast (UK) - Get all the best bits from Villa games (only during the EPL season)

El Salvador International Signs with Quakes

2009-07-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

The Quakes announced that they have signed midfielder Ramon Sanchez from El Salvador. He is a veteran of the El Salvador Nat'l Team and has played with several clubs in the El Salvador first division. I am clueless about Sanchez, but it will be nice to see a new face that will hopefully give us a spark.

This Saturday's match vs DC United is pretty much a must win for the Q's of they want to maintain some slim chance of sneaking into the playoffs this year. What a loooooooong season it has been.

Pretty Much Says It All & More on Aston Villa

2009-07-23T09:19:00.001-07:00

More on Aston Villa

Without hesitating for a moment, I ordered (directly from AVFC), my home Aston Villa home shirt. I wore it recently at one of my volunteer shifts at George Mark Children's House and Claire (RN mgr, originally from the UK, and a Liverpool supporter) had great interest in hearing about this Acorns sponsorship. I have begun my efforts to delve into AVFC. Two GK are from the U.S. - Brad Friedal and Brad Guzan. Still need to spend more time going through the roster before the beginning of the season. I have also subscribed to the Villa Podcast and the Villa View Podcast. Villa View has some great audio clips from radio calls of AVFC goals this past season.

One more thing - I'm debating if I should subscribe to AVTV ("Exclusive news, exclusive match highlights, live commentary and stats, searchable video archive, and complete match live console". It's not clear what "complete match live console" means (...if it includes live video webcasts... I'm "in". I'll let you know what I find out.

Quakes Lose Another....US MNT Survive

2009-07-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

The Q's played the Chicago Fire last night and got burnt again. They did play admirably for 80+ minutes and then gave up 2 goals to lose 2-nil. I think confidence on the team is at a new low...sometimes we are so close, but maybe think we can't win (we are focused on trying not to lose instead). It is tough on a diehard supporter like me to stir up interest in a team when they are going through such a tough time right now.

I was also watching the US MNT play Panama in their Gold Cup match last night (Quakes and MNT games were on at the same time - FSC + CSBA). It was a tough game - went into OT periods with the US winning on a Kenny Cooper PK in the first OT period. I am trying to figure out why Cooper has not been a regular on the MNT. He brings some amazing size and strength to the front line. The guys now move on into the semis.

The Pain Continues...

2009-07-12T19:40:00.000-07:00

The Q's finally came home for a match last night to take on Toronto FC. There was still talk about the chance to still sneak into the playoffs if we can string some wins together. We'll, after last night, sneaking into post season play may not be coming into the near future. The Quakes really stunk it up last night. They did have their few moments + a nice goal coming from the combination of Ryan Johnson and Hucks, but the defense just didn't... defend. Too many opportunities for Toronto and DeRo. It was really disheartening...it still feels like we have stepped backwards in time to our form at the beginning of our inaugural season last year. The only sure thing that I know is - I'm a Quakes supporter forever.

Non-Commercial Football Shirt Sponsorships

The shirt sponsorship that Barca has with Unicef is quite amazing in this day of bottom line profit. I was scanning the EPL website last week and saw that Aston Villa's shirt sponsor is Acorns - the children's hospice network in the UK. This brings me great pleasure as I am a volunteer at the George Mark Children's House in San Leandro, CA (http://www.georgemark.org/) The past couple of years, I had adopted Chelsea as my adopted EPL team, but after considering this contribution and the support Aston Villa is giving to Acorns, I am considering a switch in my EPL alliance. More later.

$30 parking, US player to AC Milan

2009-07-07T22:34:00.000-07:00

I went to the 2009 Gold Cup opening round matches at the Oakland Coliseum on July 5th (Guadalupe beating Panama and then Mexico downing Nicaragua). The crowd was pretty small for the first game. Most were there for the Mexico game and stayed in the parking lot to party up until game time. H and I came late so we decided to park in the Coliseum lot. We almost had a heart attack when we saw that it was $30 just to park. Dang - the tickets cost $30 each. I don't think I have ever been to an event where the parking was just as much as the event ticket. This world is screwy.

Interesting things that we spotted in the parking lot: "Cage" 1v1 football, girls sponsored by beer companies taking pictures with guys in the crowd (H posed a few times!). You'll have to ask him about one particular gal that had an expression that never changed! Lots of food being cooked on BBQ's and little supporter bands marching all over the parking lot with their national flags. Inside the MEX/NICAR fans were in a frenzy (90+% were Mexico supporters). We almost had an international incident occur in the section next to us and we had one guy throwing up and going unconscious in our section (a little bit too much of the liquid refreshment I am guessing). It is too bad - he missed a good match.

US MNT Defender Heading for AC Milan!

It was announced today that Oguchi Onyewu has been signed by AC Milan. His impressive work in the Confederations Cup must have helped his cause. I'm looking forward to see how ACM will use him - he is a powerful dude.

Enhancing Your Appreciation of the Beautiful Game

2009-07-02T08:52:00.000-07:00

From several of my previous posts, you all know that I truly appreciate the game of football. I have recently discovered the most powerful way to solidify and make permanent one's romance with the beautiful game. Take some time to learn and play the game. Now I don't mean you have to go out and join a league for 11v11 games and a formal season. Being a total newbie (meaning NEVER EVER have I played the game), joining some formal football league was way too intimidating. H played football growing up and recently began playing again - in an indoor 5v5 league and in an infomral 4v4 outdoor program called SoccerFours in San Francisco.

H encouraged me to try SoccerFours and eventually I did. Before signing up (http://www.soccerfours.com/), I emailed the organizer of SoccerFours - Chris. I told him that I was a total novice who has never played the game and I was concerned how I would "fit in". Chris was totally encouraging. Now that I have played with them for 3 weeks, I have come to realize (1) How out of shape I am, (2) how Chris was right in terms of me being comfortable learning the game in the SoccerFours community, and (3) how much playing the game is really the only way to fully appreciate the players that I watch as a fan and what they can do on the pitch. Beyond the obvious things like passing, shooting, dribbling skills... just their endurance to play 90+ minutes on a full-size pitch just floors me. I am sure that this phenomenon is true for every sport (I don't think people fully appreciate the demands of golf until they actually try to play the game!).

So Close

2009-06-29T07:45:00.000-07:00

I took in the 2009 Confederations Cup at Manny's in Berkeley (on Telegraph). The place was packed with hopes of witnessing the first U.S. FIFA cup of any kind. The teams energy from their upset over Spain continued into the first half of the final yesterday. Defense was shutting down everything. Howard was solid in goal. Dempsey scored the first goal in the 10''. Donovan scored the second goal in the 27''. The place was rockin' and we were all pinching ourselves. But alas, our opponent this day was mighty Brasil. Kaka'. Robinho. Brasil roared back in the second half. Their first goal by Fabiano (he ended up with 2 goals) seemed to pop the U.S. bubble and they began to remember they were playing Brasil. I sensed their high energy drop with every tentative step they were making. Fabiano scored one more and then Lucio scored Brasils third. The dream ended Brasil 3 USA 2. It was an exciting game to watch, but it was heartbreaking at the same time. The teams performance gives us greater hope for 2010 WC success.

2009 Gold Cup

With not much of a break, the US MNT will begin their 2009 Gold Cup defense. Manager Bob Bradley has already announced the roster for the Gold Cup. Only a handful of players that were on the Confederations Cup roster (Charlie Davies, Freddy Adu, Heath Pierce, and Luis Robles) will play in the Gold Cup. Only Davies saw any significant playing time in the Confederations Cup matches.

2009 Gold Cup Roster
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Birthdate Hometown Club Caps/G

1 Perkins, Troy GK 6-2 190 07/20/81 Worthington, Ohio Valerenga IF (Norway) 1/0
2 Pearce, Heath D 5-10 175 08/13/84 Modesto, Calif. Hansa Rostock (Germany) 23/0
3 Goodson, Clarence D 6-4 170 05/17/82 Alexandria, Va. IK Start (Norway) 2/0
4 Marshall, Chad D 6-4 190 08/22/84 Riverside, Calif. Columbus Crew 4/1
5 Beckerman, Kyle M 5-10 165 04/23/82 Crofton, Md. Real Salt Lake 3/0
6 Cherundolo, Steve D 5-6 145 02/19/79 San Diego, Calif. Hannover 96 (Germany) 51/2
7 Rogers, Robbie M 5-10 165 05/12/87 Huntington Beach, Calif. Columbus Crew 1/0
8 Pause, Logan M 5-10 155 08/22/81 Hillsborough, N.C. Chicago Fire 0/0
9 Davies, Charlie F 5-10 160 06/25/86 Manchester, N.H. Hammarby IF (Sweden) 9/2
10 Holden, Stuart M 5-10 160 08/01/85 Houston, Texas Houston Dynamo 0/0
11 Ching, Brian F 6-1 195 05/24/78 Haleiwa, Hawaii Houston Dynamo 36/9
12 Conrad, Jimmy D 6-2 185 02/12/77 Temple City, Calif. Kansas City Wizards 24/1
13 Clark, Colin M 5-11 161 04/11/84 Ft. Collins, Colo. Colorado Rapids 0/0
14 Parkhurst, Michael D 5-11 155 01/24/84 Providence, R.I. FC Nordsjaelland (Denmark)5/0
15 Cronin, Sam M 5-10 165 12/12/86 Winston-Salem, N.C. Toronto FC 0/0
16 Heaps, Jay D 5-9 155 08/02/76 Longmeadow, Mass. New England Revolution 0/0
17 Cooper, Kenny F 6-3 210 10/21/84 Dallas, Texas FC Dallas 4/2
18 Robles, Luis GK 6-1 180 05/11/84 Fort Huachuca, Ariz. FC Kaiserslautern (Germany)0/0
19 Adu, Freddy F 5-8 140 06/02/89 Potomac, Md. AS Monaco (France) 13/1
20 Quaranta, Santino F 6-1 185 10/14/84 Baltimore, Md. D.C. United 11/0
21 Evans, Brad M 6-1 160 04/20/85 Phoenix, Ariz. Seattle Sounders 0/0
22 Arnaud, Davy M 6-0 165 06/22/80 Nederland, Texas Kansas City Wizards 2/0
23 Busch, Jon GK 5-10 165 08/18/76 Albany, N.Y. Chicago Fire 1/0

I'll be attending first round matches at the Oakland Coliseum on 7/5 (this coming Sunday): Panama vs. Guadalupe and Mexico vs. Nicaragua.

Shocked, Amazed, and THRILLED!

2009-06-26T09:20:00.001-07:00

I am still trying to let it sink in that the US MNT has advanced to the Confederations Cup Final (vs Brasil). H and I watched the semifinal vs Spain at Marriott FC with several other patrons. As the clock kept moving and as the US lead started at 1-nil (Altidore) and than it later grew to 2-nil (Dempsey) - I didn't want to say a thing to jinx the boys. Beating the #1 team in the world who hadn't lost a match since late 2006...wow. Spain dominated the stat sheet - everything except for the scoreboard. The Americans played with huge hearts - it was so good to see how good they can be (especially compared to how they were playing in the earlier group stage). Congratualtions to the lads for eaching their first ever FIFA cup final! U.S.A! U.S.A! My MVP? Tim Howard.

International Football in the Bay Area this Summer + Soccer Fours!

2009-06-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

2009 Gold Cup: I have my tickets for the first round matches that will be played at the Oakland Coliseum on July 5th (Guadeloupe vs Panama and Mexico vs Nicaragua)

Int'l Friendly August 8th: Today - I just secured tickets to the FC Barcelona vs Club Deportivo Guadalajara (a double header with the first game being the Q's vs the Columbus Crew).

I decided to pass on the World Football Challenge match between Inter and Club America (at Stanford Stadium). It would have been fun to do this one too - but $ is scarce and choices had to be made. Now if it were AC Milan or Chelsea.....

Soccer Fours:

Well - with the encouragement of H, I have finally stepped onto the pitch myself by starting to participate in a 4v4 program called Soccer Fours. They pick-up 4v4 games are on Wednesday nights at Franklin Sq Park in San Francisco. No refs, no score keeping, no league of official teams. It involves mostly club players, but even a novice like me felt welcome to join in. My legs were sore and I was definitely sucking wind during the 1 hour session that consisted of six 10-minute games. Check it out at http://www.soccerfours.com/

Franklin Sq Park pitch (artificial turf)

US MNT Celebrates on Father's Day!

2009-06-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

It didn't look like there was any chance for the U.S. Men's National team to advance in the Confederations Cup. Their play has been awful and were taken apart by both Italy and Brasil. The only was they could make it was to win by several goals in their final group stage match against Egypt and they needed Brasil to score several goals over Italy for the U.S. to advance by goal differential. Everyone including me thought there was a chance to beat Egypt, but there was no way we would advance.

A miracle happened today. Brasil took apart Italy 3-nil and the U.S. beat Egypt 3-nil. Brasil won the group and there was a 3-way tie between Egypt, Italy, and the U.S. (3 points each). The U.S. advance to the semis by goal differential by the smallest margin. It is great for the lads to move on (they play Spain next on Wednesday), but it will be difficult to move farther. They can be thankful that we will have 2 games left to hone their game (semifinal match + 3rd place match for the losers in the semis). I did see a different team today on the pitch - although I think Egypt was beginning to run out of gas after their battles with Brasil and Italy.

YES! 3 Points!

2009-06-20T23:02:00.000-07:00

The Quakes took on the Galaxy today at the Oakland Coliseum - the result was a 2-1 victory and 3 points! The taste of victory is sweet especially since we have been on a diet for so long this season. The Galaxy was without Kazoo and the Quakes took advantage by playing an above average game. PK by Pablo Campos and another goal for Ryan Johnson. Joe Cannon had a great game and kept us in the game.

Next game is July 3rd at Real Salt Lake.

FC Barcelona vs Chivas on August 8th!!

Looking forward to the announced doubleheader coming up in August at Candlestick Park: First game is Q's vs Columbus Crew Second game is FC Barcelona vs. Chivas!

Kaka' and Ronaldo Record-Breaking Transfers

2009-06-12T10:45:00.000-07:00

What a whirlwind of a week. In less than 1 week: Real Madrid gets Ricardo Kaka' for a transfer fee of £65million! And then yesterday, it was announced that they have retained the services of Cristiano Ronaldo for a record £80million transfer fee. Keep in mind - these are only transfer fee figures (the $ that goes to AC Milan and Man Utd for rights to these players). It will be interesting to see in the coming weeks what they negotiate for their actual player contracts.

Kaka' is my favorite footballer and I am sorry to see him leave ACM. But I guess it IS a business. I like players like Paulo Maldini - those where it would appear that loyalty has at least just as much importance as the $. Big money transfers are just part of the game now I guess.

Quakes Announce Yet Another Move

2009-06-09T22:40:00.001-07:00

Nick Garcia, a stalwart on defense for the Q's the past 1 1/2 seasons has been dealt to Toronto FC (along with rights to Ali Gerba) for a 3rd Rd 2010 SuperDraft pick. Are the Quakes cleaning house mid-season? I guess it is good that they are not afraid to pull the trigger, but I am still sore about the loss of Ronnie O'Brien during the off season. Let's hope that this shake-up helps the team the remainder of the year.

Weaver Gone - Wondoloski In

2009-06-09T12:04:00.000-07:00

The Quakes announced a move - sending Cam Weaver to the Houston Dynamo for Chris Wondoloski and a draft pick. Not earth-shattering news my any means. Wondoloski played for the old Quakes right before their move to Houston (I think he played most of his time with the reserves). Do we expect any bit change? No, but Wondoloski is coming from being part of two recent MLS Cup victories. Maybe that experience will help a little. He is local (Danville) so it must be exciting for his family and friends that he will be playing closer to home.

One Point on the Road - But a Lead Lost Again

2009-06-07T17:42:00.000-07:00

The Q's faced Dallas FC today at Pizza Hut Park. The Q's looked better than they have in the recent past, but appeared to be a step slower (maybe the heat). The Q's took a 2-1 lead in 82nd minute after a powerful goal off the left foot of Arturo Alvarez. Could they hold on the final 8+ minutes? Nope. Defense broke down again and left Kenny Cooper one-on-one at the net vs Joe Cannon. Cooper's tap in goal came at the 86 minute. Dang it. There were some new faces on the pitch for the Q's because Simon Eliott (New Zealand) and Cornell Glen (Trinadad & Tobago) were on international duty + Ramiro Corrales (yellow card suspension) + Bobby Convey (injury). Brandon McDonald and Aaron Pitchkolan were two new names in the midfield. But 1 point from a road game is a positive. The Telefutura broadcast did show Hucks on the bench in uniform, but he did not play. Another road game next week in Seattle. I sure hope that the lads are up for this one. Our first visit to QWest Field was not a pleasant one.

Kaka' Rumors, World Soccer Daily Controversy, etc.

2009-06-05T18:48:00.000-07:00

Where will Kaka' end up next year? I have heard rumors about Real Madrid and Chelsea. I have also heard that he has not intention of leaving and wants to stay at ACM. I think I need to start another rumor...

World Soccer Daily....Liverpool FC Controversy

Just as I discover this daily soccer radio program/podcast - there is a controversy that has many Liverpool FC supporters from around the world calling for a boycott of this program as well as a boycott of all of WSD's sponsors. What is the issue? I has to do with some comments made by one of the WSD hosts - Steve Cohen - and comments that he made on the program with respect to a tragedy known as the "Hillsborough 96". Because I am such a newbie to this sport, I had to do some research. The Hillsborough 96 refers to a disaster that occurred on April 15, 1989, at Hillsborough stadium (the home of Sheffield FC). 96 Liverpool FC supporters were crushed to death within the stadium crowd. From what I understand, thousands of people - some without tickets - were pushing into the stadium through a narrow gateway. As people continued to push in, the section in the stadium also felt the pressure and those closest to the field were crushed up against a fence/barrier between the stands and the pitch.

I have not gone back to find the podcast where the WSD/Cohen comments were made, but the response has involved death threats and other acts of violence (on top of the recommended boycotts). Here are his comments - he focused his questions on those ticketless fans that contributed to the situation. Cohen did make a public apology, but I have read that Liverpool FC supporters did not accept it. More later.

href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsborough_disaster">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsborough_disaster

Quakes Win and More...

2009-05-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

Ahhhhhh - finally the sweet smell of victory. The Q's took it to Real Salt Lake and came away with a 2-1 victory. WHile still rough around the edges, the Q's had some new faces in the lineup (Cornell Glen - forward and Mike Zaher - defender). Glen and Alvarez scored for the Quakes. Biggest change? The defense played really well - there seemed like a much greater sense of urgency to turn things around. H and I finally were able to visit Chalatecho after the game for our traditional victory meal of fried tilapia! Yum.

Thank You Paolo Maldini!

This morning I watched Paolo Maldini's final game as AC Milan beat Fiorentina 2-nil. Here is an excerpt from a recent Canadian paper on Maldini and his career:

This is a player who learned his trade alongside Franco Baresi, Mauro Tassotti and Alessandro Costacurta, and helped set a national record of 929 minutes without conceding a goal.

In recent years Milan's other world-class defender, Alessandro Nesta, has spent more time on the treatment table than on the pitch and at a time when Maldini should have been winding down he has been playing more than ever.

He is now due to play his 902nd and final match next week at Fiorentina, bringing to an end his outstanding career. When coach Nils Liedholm handed Maldini, the son of club legend Cesare, his debut at Udinese in January 1985, few would have predicted that the rangy, 16-year-old leftback would still be going more than 24 years later.

He has straddled two periods of Milan greatness, the first under Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello, when the side won three Champions League trophies and five Serie A titles. Though Alberto Zaccheroni's spell in charge included another league title in 1999, there was a real renaissance under Carlo Ancelotti that included a pair of Champions League titles in 2003 and 2007, Maldini's seventh Italian championship in 2004 and a World Club Cup in 2007.
In that time he has changed from a coltish leftback to an ultra-dependable central defender, captain of both club and country.

Despite age and knee injuries taking their toll, he has refused to change his style, relying on stealth and intelligence to win the ball in such a way that the striker doesn't actually realize it's gone. He has been as far from the stereotyped Italian defender as it is possible to be. He has no need for the ankle taps, shirt pulling and all-around cynicism that personified the likes of Claudio Gentile and even Baresi.

It is on the international stage that Maldini's career remains unfulfilled, though it is doubtful he could have gone any closer. Maldini holds the unenviable record of being a losing finalist at both the World Cup and European Championship, both times by the narrowest of margins. It's open to question what hurt the most, a loss on penalties to Brazil in 1994 or David Trezeguet's decisive 'golden goal' that won the continental crown for France in 2000 after the Azzurri had dominated the match.

His 126 caps show how important he was to the national side from his debut against Yugoslavia in March 1988 to retirement at the end of the 2002 World Cup. Despite a 'golden goal' loss to South Korea signalling the end of his career, Maldini kept a dignified, quiet counsel, whilst many Italy fans blamed referee Byron Moreno and FIFA for joint-host nation South Korea's progression to the quarter-finals.

Earlier this year fans launched a campaign to give Maldini one more farewell cap.
Typical of the man, though, he thanked the fans for the idea, but said it would hinder the development of the team ahead of the 2010 World Cup, which to him was worth far more than any number of sentimental farewells.

The man himself is unsure of what the future holds, but says whilst he followed his father to Milan, he won't be following him into coaching. "I won't be a coach, because it is a role that brings out all the things that I don't like about football," he said. "The excessive exposure to the media, moving to different cities and having to work with difficult presidents."
Copyright © 2009 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

Discovered a couple of podcasts:

World Football Phone In http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/wf/

World Soccer Daily http://www.worldsoccerdaily.com/

Summer 2009

2009-05-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

2009 Gold Cup:

First round games are being played at several U.S. venues. The Oakland Coliseum is one site and will host Panama vs. Guadeloupe and Nicaragua vs. Mexico on July 5th (I'll be there). http://concacaf.com/competitions/goldcup/2009/schedule.aspx

2009 World Football Challenge:

A round-robin event involving 4 international teams (Inter Milan, AC Milan, Club America, and Chelsea FC). One game will be played at Stanford Stadium on July 19th (Club America vs. Inter Milan). http://www.worldfootballchallenge.com/

Barca Treble and Q's Drop Another

2009-05-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

FC Barcelona dominated the Champions League Final against Man Utd (2-nil). Barca played great possesion ball while Man Utd just did not seem into the game except for the beginning minutes of the first half. H and I joined a group of my friends for the ESPN2 broadcast. It was alot of fun. Barca completed a triple this season: La Liga championship, Copa Del Ray (Italian club championship), and now the Champions League (European club championship).

Quakes vs Columbus: What more can I say. the Q's drop a close one to Columbus 2-1 (again we had a 1-0 lead after 20 min). How long can we stay at 5 points????

2009 Homeless World Cup - Milan!

2009-05-19T23:04:00.000-07:00

This year's Homeless World Cup is being held in Milan, Italy! (September 6-13). H and I have joked around about making the trip as HWC volunteers. I'm still not really expecting that we can actually make this journey, but I have inquired about travel costs for volunteers (doesn't hurt to ask, right?).

http://www.homelessworldcup.org/

Hucks and Yallop on Sky Sports

2009-05-13T07:27:00.000-07:00

A nice piece was produced by Sky Sports on Darren Huckerby, his career, and his current adventure playing for the Quakes. Oh, and Mr. Graham Yallop (Mr. G) makes an appearance (above photos H took while some filming was being done at the SB San Siro on 3.29.09).

Here is the video that was shown on FSC:

MyQuakes.com

2009-05-12T00:48:00.000-07:00

The Quakes have introduced MyQuakes.com recently. It's a social networking website for san Jose Earthquakes supporters and fans. Hopefully it will turn out to be a great place for fans to network and communicate - only time will tell. It is a little "busy" for my taste - more glitz than function at this point, but again - maybe this will help fans to network and meet each other. H and I have both joined - so we'll see what happens!

Despite Another Loss, We Are Behind Our Guys

2009-05-09T14:21:00.000-07:00

The Quakes drop their latest game (last night) 4-1 to the NY Red Bulls. The Quakes are on a slippery slope - one that leads to the bottom of the league table. What's happened? I won't harp on how much we miss Ronnie O'Brien. But even having Ronnie might not have made a difference this year so far - the team doesn't seem to be working as a.....team. I am sure the morale and confidence levels have dropped after each game not winning. My latest gripe is that when guys do finally get the ball in the box, they are looking to pass rather than shoot. The past several games we would have the ball in the 6 and we would make one pass too many. TAKE THE SHOT. You can't score without shooting.

US Open Cup, Quakes Update, Champions League, Where is Ronnie?

2009-05-05T16:54:00.000-07:00

...alot of things to write about today.

Lamar Hunt US Open Cup - "What Happened?"

One of the oldest cup competitions in the sport and many have never heard of it. Those who have heard of it really don't care too much about it (MLS teams definitely do not see it as any priority - this can be seen when you watch Cup qualifer rosters filled with reserves and developmental squad lads). Basically what happened was that the Cup went the way of the sport of "soccer" in America (Baseball and American football took over and real football faded to the background of the American sporting scene.) I understand that back in the early 1900's, football leagues were heavily dependant on overseas talent and little development was being done to improve America's talent pool. Doesn't sound too much different from today's game! So the US Cup will probably stay in the shadows for eternity (and that's a long time!)

2009 Champions League:

Man Utd is heading to Rome after trashing Aresenal at the Emirates today (3-1, aggregate after 2nd leg 4-1). Man Utd dominated this game. Tomorrow is the showdown between Barca and Chelsea to see who will face Man Utd in the UCL finals. 1st leg was a nil-nil draw at camp nou. Tomorrow's game at Stamford Bridge will be interesting.

Quakes v. Chivas USA:

The Q's looked horrible again. Alot a credit does go to Chivas though (they are a great looking team right now). It reminds me of how the first part of the season was last year - we have little to no offensive threat on the field. Ryan Johnson will be marked be every team and so will Arturo. What has damaged the team the most? (3) Jason Hernandez injury (2) Darren Huckerby injury and (1) THE LOSS OF RONNIE O'BRIEN.

The team is not the same without Ronnie. Is he still available? I don't know for sure, but as far as I can tell, he isn't under contract with anyone right now. There was some web chatter about a possible interest by the Portland Timbers (that better not happen!). We need to get him back. I bet the supporters would be willing to pass the hat if that would help the front office get him back in the black and blue.

Post Game Meals:

I haven't posted much about the post-game meals H and I have had recently. We did hit Hot Pot City again after the US Cup game against NY. The meal was great as always. After the most recent game against Chivas, H wanted to go to a wildlife-themed restaraunt that he was familiar with in Campbell. I said that that sounds interesting. He told me that the specific focus was on avian species, especially one specific type of raptor. I thought, "Wow, intriguing." He mentioned that he knew a Theresa there, so I assumned this must have been one of the raptor specialists. Thanks H.

Oh, and by the way, this is H's friend Theresa...

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (Part 1)

2009-04-30T09:58:00.000-07:00

What is the U.S. Open Cup? Searching the internet provides you no lack of information on the history of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup competition. It is the oldest cup competition in U.S. football and one of the oldest in the entire world (est. 1914). It is an annual domestic club competition along the same lines as the prestigious Football Association (FA) Cup in England (a competition amongst all professional and amateur clubs in England).

Here is an experiment for you – ask people you know if they know what the Lamar Hunt Cup is. If they are not sure – ask them if they have heard of the U.S. Open. Of course they know of the USTA’s U.S. Open at Flushing Meadows, NY (tennis) and the USGA’s U.S. Open (golf). Lamar Hunt? “I have no idea what you are talking about.” Well, many “soccer fans” in the U.S. have never heard of the Lamar Hunt Cup.

Why is this such an unknown event amongst US sports fans, including “soccer” fans?

(Next: Part 2 “What Happened?”)

Quakes update:

The Q’s played a U.S. Open qualifier game last night at the SB San Siro vs the NY Red Bulls. Only reserves from both teams started and played most of the game. Why would a team not field their starting 11 in order to qualify for one of the oldest domestic cup competitions in the world? More on this later.

Next game: Saturday May 2nd against Chivas USA at the SB San Siro.

Endurance and Speed Skills

2009-04-26T22:03:00.000-07:00

The Q's got steam rolled by the Sounders last night. We did have a couple of chances, but overall, the Quakes were never really in the game. The Sounders controlled the ball, passed with precision, moved without the ball, and were just a step or two ahead of every Quakes player. 2nd half revealed a weakness I see in the Quakes - endurance. The guys looked zapped halfway through the 2nd half. The Q's had great difficulty in sustaining any consistent possessions. It was hard to watch to tell you the truth.

QWest Field (Xbox 360 Pitch) was filled with energy and supporters. I am so envious of the support the Sounders already have in their first MLS season.

Any bright spots for the Q's? Joe Cannon is solid in net (he is just not getting the defensive help he needs). Ryan Johnson is doing everything he can - his efforts day in and day out are amazing.

Next games: The Quakes have a game this Wednesday (U.S Cup qualifier) vs NY Red Bulls @ the SB san Siro. The next regular season is Saturday vs. Chivas USA (the strongest team currently in the league). A very bumpy road ahead. We need Hucks and Jason back FAST or this is going to be a very tough stretch.

The Pyramid - Yes, Bring it to the USA!

2009-04-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

The English Football "Pyramid". Is there a better way to structure team sports? Every sport should include promotion and relegation.

Level 1 - Premier League

Level 2 - Championship

Level 3 - League-1

Level 4 - League-2

Level - 5 Conference National

Level 6 - Conference North/South

Level 7 + it just keeps going......

American football has enough teams to at least have a couple of levels, right? Major League Soccer (MLS) United Soccer Leagues (USL) First Division, USL Second Division, USL Player Development League (PDL).

C'mon - single table for each level. Top 3 promote (except for the MLS of course) bottom 3 relegated to the next lower level (except for USL-3).

Major League Soccer

Chivas USA (13)
Kansas City Wizards (10)
Seattle Sounders FC (9)
Chicago Fire (9)
New England Revolution (8)
Toronto FC (8)
Colorado Rapids (7)
(T) DC United (6)
(T) Real Salt Lake (6)
Houston Dynamo (5)
San Jose Earthquakes (5)
New York Red Bulls (5)
FC Dallas (4)
Los Angeles Galaxy (3)
Columbus Crew (3)

USL – 1

Miami FC Blues (6)
Carolina Rail Hawks (6)
Puerto Rico Islanders (4)
Charleston Battery (3)
Austin Aztex (2)
Minnesota Thunder (2)
Vancouver Whitecaps (2)
Montreal Impact (1)
Rochester Rhinos (1)
Cleveland City Rockers (0)
Portland Timbers (0)

USL-2

Crystal Palace Baltimore (4)
Richmond Kickers (1)
Harrisburg City Islanders (1)
Pittsburgh River Hounds (1)
Bermuda Hogges (0)
Charlotte Eagles (0)
Western Mass Pioneers (0)
Wilmington Hammerheads (0)
Real Maryland Monarchs (0)

USL – 3 (PDL)

Chicago Fire
Cincinnati Kings
Cleveland Internationals
Forest City London
Fort Wayne Fever
Indiana Invaders
Kalamazoo Outrage
Michigan Bucks
Toronto Lynx
Des Moines Menace
Kansas City Brass
Real Colorado Foxes
Rochester Thunder
Springfield Demise
St. Louis Lions
Thunder Bay Chill
Carolina Dynamo
Cary Clarets
Fredericksburg Gunners
Hampton Roads Piranhas
Northern Virginia Royals
Reading Rage
Virginia Legacy
West Virginia Chaos
Brooklyn Knights
Long Island Rough Riders
New Hampshire Phantoms
New Jersey Rangers
Newark Ironbound Express
Ocean City Barons
Ottawa Fury
Rhode Island Stingrays
Westchester Flames
Austin Aztex U23
DFW Tornados
El Paso Patriots
Houston Leones
Laredo Heat
Rio Grande Valley Bravos
West Texas United Sockers
Atlanta Blackhawks
Baton Rouge Capitals
Bradenton Academics
Central Florida Kraze
Mississippi Brilla
Nashville Metros
New Orleans Jesters
Panama City Pirates
Abbotsford Mariners
Cascade Surge
Kitsap Pumas
Portland Timbers U23
Seattle Wolves
Spokane Spiders
Tacoma Tide
Vancouver Whitecaps Residency
Victoria Highlanders
Yakima Reds
BYU Cougars
Bakersfield Brigade
Fresno Fuego
Hollywood United Hitmen
Lancaster Rattlers
Los Angeles Legends
Ogden Outlaws
Orange County Blue Star
Southern California Seahorses

Ventura County Fusion

'Nuff Said! Let's get on with it.

Arghhhhhh! Another Draw.

2009-04-19T01:32:00.000-07:00

We were without Huckerby. They were without Mr. Posh. We took a 1-0 lead after only a few minutes into the match after a great goal by Pablo Campos. Pablo showed me some things tonight - he looked much more active and faster than last week. I look forward to seeing Pablo providing an impact throughout the rest of the season.

Unfortunately, at least to my eye, the Q's again when into the mode of playing not to lose. It seemed like in the 2nd half that they began to sit back and try to protect the one goal lead. Well - as we all know - a one goal lead is never safe. Our pressure on the ball seemed to disappear as the game went on and LA got the equilizer in 70+ minute. We did have some great chances in the first half, but couldn't get that all important second goal.

Up next: 4/25/09 @ QWest Field to take on Seattle Sounders FC

What Kind of Crowd Will There Be in Oakland?

2009-04-17T00:25:00.000-07:00

The Q's have again scheduled 2 games this season at the Oakland Coliseum - the 2 home games with the LA Galaxy. Of course, they were anticipating the presence of a Mr. Posh Spice to bring in a larger crowd - but this won't be happening this year since Mr Posh is staying in Italy until after mid-season.

I am hoping that there will be a decent crowd, but I am not going to get my hopes up. I just hope that it doesn't turn out to be a huge stadium with a small crowd. H and I will be there - no matter what - to support the Q's. I think the confines of the SB San Siro give us a better home pitch advantage.

UEFA Champions League - Update

2009-04-15T17:06:00.001-07:00

The CL quarter-finals are now complete.

Chelsea (Go Blues!) beats Liverpool FC (7-5 on aggregate)

Manchester Utd beats FC Porto (3-2 on aggregate)

Aresnal beats Villarreal (4-1 on aggregate)

FC Barcelona beats Bayern Munich (5-1 on aggregate)

Semi-final Match-ups

Chelsea vs. FC Barcelona

Manchester Utd vs. Arsenal

My thoughts: I am still pulling for Chelsea to go all the way. John Terry will be back from yellow card suspension. Michael Ballack needs to get rid of the Greg Brady haircut (it is probably what causes him to run so slow!).

Drogba, Lampard, Terry, and Anelka will carry the day against Barca. Petr Cech better be at the top of his game and have no mistakes like he did vs. Liverpool.

Prediction for 2009 Finals in Rome: Chelsea FC vs. Manchester United

Playing Not to Lose

2009-04-11T17:56:00.001-07:00

Well, the Quakes did score 3 goals today (Johnson, Convey, Alvarez), but so did Chicago. Ball control for the Q's was inconsistent, including some awful passing at times. What bothered me the most was that it seemed so clearly that when the Quakes had a one goal lead (2x), they sat back and tried to play defense in a way that I can only describe as "playing not to lose". Two of the three goals scored by Chicago were not the fault of Joe C - the defense let him down horribly.

We did get one point, but it was still hard to take. Plus - there were so many Blanco fans there. Didn't feel like any home field advantage.

Up Next week: LA Galaxy at the Oakland Coliseum

"Blown" Off of the Pitch

2009-04-06T10:45:00.000-07:00

Yikes - the Q's dropped their match against KC in horrible conditions - rain, snow flurries, and WIND. There was a point where Joe Cannon had a very difficult time getting goal kicks away because the ball wouldn't sit still on the ground due to the high winds. The Q's did have their chances to score, but couldn't get one into the net. Ball control seemed to be a major problem for the Q's and it looked like there were defensive breakdowns when the Wizards scored. Joe Cannon played very well - as usual. Some top notch saves.

I am sure the boys are looking forward to returning to the SB San Siro and sunny California.

uh oh....

2009-04-04T16:36:00.001-07:00

I have just started receiving Gol tv and FSC in my upgraded tv package. Does this mean less time with my family? Skipping work? Less blogging? Fewer meals? Few hours of sleep? We shall see...gotta go - Toronto FC vs Sounders FC on FSC.

Conflicted

2009-04-03T07:16:00.000-07:00

All of the stories in the recent news about Lew Wolff and where his Oakland A's may or may not be going to play in a few years has resulted in me being conflicted. As a Q's supporter - I'm grateful to Mr Wolff for bringing the franchise back to the Bay Area. The Quakes belong in San Jose - their roots. All Q's supporters are looking forward to the proposed Quakes stadium that is being pursued. All of the botched attempts to move the A's, including the latest to Fremont has all but failed. What kind of message does this send, if at all, with respect to the future home of the Quakes? I beleive the basic message is, "Believe it when you see it."

My views:

(1) The A's BELONG in Oakland. Period. Do what has to be done to keep them there. The existing Oakland Coliseum site provides the most logical location for a new stadium. GET IT DONE.

(2) The Quakes can survive at Buck Shaw for awhile - there is still alot of room for growth in the fan base before a new stadium can be filled on a regular basis.

A Busy Couple of Weeks in International Football

2009-04-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

World Cup Qualifying

Wednesday April 1, 2009
Trinidad & Tobago at U.S.
Honduras @ Mexico

Champions League

Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Arsenal @ Villarreal (1st leg)
Porto @ Manchester Utd (1st leg)

Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Chelsea @ Liverpool (1st leg)
Bayern Munich @ Barcelona (1st leg)

Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Liverpool @ Chelsea (2nd leg)
Barcelona @ Bayern Munich (2nd leg)

Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Villarreal @ Arsenal (2nd leg)
Manchester Utd. @ Porto (2nd leg)

Check ESPN for tv information

Quakes 3 Dyna-who? 2

2009-03-29T22:16:00.000-07:00

YES - our first 3 points for the season. We have that first taste that will shift the momentum for the season right away.

I was unable to go to the game - but I see H had no problem getting a cameo on Yallop-Vision tv.

I would like to respond to GY's question, "What would keep Hucks here next season?" I did like the answer of "the sun". I know he mentioned that so many times last season so I'm sure he was loving that aspect of California living. But to tell you the truth, I think he must really miss his family back home (I know I would). I would love to see him stay because he is a fan favorite, but there really isn't much that could be used to bring him back. If the rumors are true - then I think he will return home, but he will ALWAYS be an Earthquake. And I believe 100% that he would not join any other MLS team because he doesn't want to ever play on a team against the Q's. We'll enjoy all that Hucks brings to the team and season this year and savor every moment.

TFZ Scarf?

2009-03-27T23:04:00.000-07:00

I volunteer at the George Mark Children's House in San Leandro CA (http://www.georgemark.org/) The House is a respite and end-of-life care facility specifically for children. The House, like many non-profits, are facing uncertainty during these difficult economic times and possible closure. Fundraising activities are happening to hopefully help the House make it through this time of uncertainty.

This week I have been giving some thought to creating a TFZ Quakes supporter scarf and then selling them - with all proceeds going to GMCH. Here is my current prototype design:

Any thoughts from any of you Quakes fans out there? Would you buy one to support GMCH?

Quakes Strategic Partner: Tottenham Hotspur!

2009-03-26T23:37:00.000-07:00

Summer Pre-Season Tours

2009-03-26T12:55:00.001-07:00

I have not really followed closely the pre-season summer tours that several international clubs (Chelsea, AC Milan, Inter Milan, etc.) schedule in U.S. cities. I think these are great opportunities for the American public to have the opportunity to see the cream of the crop when it comes to football. I hope that these tyoes of matches receive enough media coverage so that the beautiful game reaches more people. H told me about a match in July between Inter and Club America (Palo Alto) and the AC Milan friendly with the LA Galaxy (I think also in July). I just read information about Chelsea's US summer tour schedule (the closest for me would be the match in Seattle - Chelsea vs. Sounders FC. I think this is where any discussion of the Q's being involved disappears (...no venue). I think the Stanford stadium looks like a great place to watch football - Palo Alto is close enough to San Jose, right? Sure would be nice for the Q's to have a summer friendly against the likes of Club America, Chivas, Inter, AC Milan, Chelsea, Celtic, etc. These certainly would draw more attention than those season ticket holder "bonus games" we had last season (vs. Sounders and vs. FAS).

Chelsea Expand Summer Tour To 4 U.S. Cities
by The Gaffer on March 25, 2009

Chelsea Football Club have expanded their preseason tour of the United States for the summer of 2009 to include friendlies in the following cities: Seattle, Pasadena, Baltimore and Arlington.
Chelsea kick off their tour on July 18 when they play Seattle. On July 21, the Blues will play Inter Milan at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena (the original destination was going to be San Francisco, but this has changed). Then on July 24, Chelsea play AC Milan in Baltimore. And, on July 26, Chelsea concludes their U.S. preseason tour with a game against Club America at the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Chelsea’s matches against Inter Milan, AC Milan and Club America are part of the inaugural World Football Challenge tournament, which pits the four teams against each other in matches around the United States this summer.

For each match, supporters will be glad to know that there will be home and away ends for all teams, so if you want to get a seat in the Chelsea end, you can order those tickets online. Ticket prices are affordable, too. At least 50% of all tickets will be $35 or less.

“We are delighted to be in the United States again for pre-season,” said Peter Kenyon, Chelsea FC chief executive. “This is our fifth pre-season out of six that we have toured here and it is always a pleasure to see our fans and train and play in excellent facilities in great cities. Chelsea, of course, will bring a full-strength first team squad and with the quality of the opposition, and the backing of our partners, this series of matches will be the best preparation and the most high profile we have played in America.”

All of the matches will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN 360. The TV schedule is as follows:

Sunday, July 19 Club America vs. FC Internazionale Milano at Stanford Stadium (Palo Alto, Calif.)7 p.m. EST on ESPN2

Tuesday, July 21 Chelsea FC vs. FC Internazionale Milano at the Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.)11 p.m. EST on ESPN2

Wednesday, July 22 AC Milan vs. Club America at the Georgia Dome (Atlanta, Ga.)7 p.m. EST on ESPN2

Friday, July 24 AC Milan vs. Chelsea FC at M&T Bank Stadium (Baltimore, Md.)8 p.m. EST on ESPN

Sunday, July 26 AC Milan vs. FC Internazionale Milano at Gillette Stadium (Foxborough, Mass.)5 p.m. EST on ESPN2

Sunday, July 26 Chelsea FC vs. Club America at Cowboy Stadium (Arlington, Texas)7 p.m. EST on ESPN2

What’s most impressive about the TV schedule is that Chelsea against AC Milan will be shown in prime-time on a Friday night on ESPN, which definitely shows the strides that the sport has made in this country and the opportunity for huge TV ratings as well as the chance to win over new soccer fans in this country.

The tour is fantastic news for Premier League fans in the United States. The last time a tour of this size was organized was five years ago, in 2004, when Manchester United, Liverpool, Roma, AC Milan, Celtic and Chelsea played across the United States and one game in Canada.
This time it’ll be interesting to see how many seats are sold for the games. The new Dallas Cowboys stadium will open in June with a capacity of 80,000. The Rose Bowl, site of the 1994 World Cup final, has a capacity of 92,000, while the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore can hold 71,000 people. Qwest Field in Seattle, meanwhile, has 67,000 seats. The opportunity for Chelsea and organizer CAA Sports to make this tour very lucrative is immense.

Two areas of concern for football traditionalists and Chelsea fans will be (1) how many of the above stadiums will feature artificial turf when Chelsea play, and (2) whether Chelsea are over extending themselves. They were originally scheduled to participate in the 2009 Barclays Asia Cup Trophy in late July in China.

For the latest schedule of preseason friendlies for all 20 Premier League clubs, visit EPL Talk’s preseason friendlies page which is updated as soon as fixtures are announced.

Success

2009-03-24T17:35:00.000-07:00

History. Success. Championships.

Quakes Home Opener....Dud.

2009-03-21T23:46:00.000-07:00

Well - what can I say. All of the pomp of opening night was nice (fireworks, Amway, etc.) and I did get to enjoy the game with my niece (because H was unavailable). It was cold and there was off and on rain. The Quakes had a slow start and the first half ended nil-nil. Alot of slips on the wet pitch by both sides.The Quakes woke up and had a ton of great chances and missed them all (one was kicked point blank, it the crossbar, bounced away from goal). Honestly, I think the Q's outplayed the Revs, but still ended up on the losing end of a 1-nil game.

Referee Ricardo Salaza: He didn't do us any favors the way he was calling the game. Long story short - this was my niece's first time attendign a football match and she asked me, "Was the referee from New England". That about says it all. NE seemed to get all the calls (including a bunch of lame ones and the Q's seemed to never get anything called their way. Maybe the MLS refs need a little more pre-season.

Hucks looked ok, but he missed his scoring chances. Convey played well. Joe was solid in net for most of the night (sans one goal).Consistency in passing and ball control was missing (off-on-off-on). Next week - Houston visits the SB San Siro.

This year's Buck Shaw: Not much change from last year. Alot more Amway signs, giant inflatable Amway jersey, a huge dome "tent" is the VIP area. The new seats (top row of Sec 108 are great. There is one empty seat between us and kalia's grandpa. Cool. It was an ok crowd - not sold out though. I hate to say that it pales in comparison to what I saw on Thurs night at the Sounders FC opener.

KNBR is Covering the Quakes!

Weekly Quakes Report from John Shrader

http://www.knbr.com/pages/sjearthquakes

MLS Wildfire

2009-03-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

The MLS is growing faster than the muscles of Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds! I hope that the growth isn't too fast for the American football fans to handle. It is great to see the league grow - as long as it doesn't go the way of the USFL, etc.

Let's see - 2007 to 2011

Toronto FC 2007

San Jose Earthquakes (part deux) 2008

Seattle Sounders FC 2009

Philadelphia 2010

Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2011

Portland Timbers 2011

My guess of what the divisions will look like by 2011 (adding the new teams to their logical conference and then moving on of the Texas teams to the East - my guess would be Dallas)

EAST: Chicago, Columbus, DC, Kansas City, New England, Toronto, NY, Philadelphia, Dallas

WEST: San Jose, Seattle, Chivas, Colorado, Houston, LA, RSL, Vancouver, Portland

Sounders Debut

2009-03-20T09:26:00.000-07:00

These guys are an expansion team this year, but they have been part of the Seattle community for decades. I have to admit that I am envious of the community support they have right from the get go. A band? QWest is going to provide them quite a home field advantage - including that fake grass bounce.

Mid-Life Career Change?

2009-03-19T22:48:00.000-07:00

(Job posting on SJEarthquakes.com; I wonder if H and I can do a job-share position?

Sales & Marketing: Mascot
Player Operations - Mascot - San Jose Earthquakes (Santa Clara, CA)

The San Jose Earthquakes are currently seeking a part-time, seasonal Mascot. This position reports directly to the Promotions & Community Relations Departments and is responsible for but not limited to the following:

• Performing at all Earthquakes regular season home games and at a select number of other games during the 2009 season

• Performing at youth soccer events, parades, festivals, grand openings, etc. on specified days during the week and on weekends throughout the year• Performing at off-site community appearances

• Creating skits, dance routines, and other forms of mascot-related entertainment and crowd interaction

• Responsible for researching, creating and/or purchasing props and costumes for the mascot

• Represent the Earthquakes as ‘Q’ at special Major League Soccer functions

• Assist with the marketing and scheduling the mascot program to generate revenue within company guidelines

Requirements: Previous semi-pro or professional mascot experience is mandatory• Due to costume restrictions, candidate must be at least 5 feet 5 inches and no more than 6 feet 2 inches and weighs between 130 lbs and 225 lbs• Punctuality is mandatory and availability to work nights, weekends and holidays • Must have own, reliable transportation• Must be highly energetic and fitAnyone interested in applying for this position must send a DVD and photos of a live performance along with a cover letter and résumé to San Jose Earthquakes, Promotions Department, attn: Mascot Opening, 451 El Camino Real, Suite 220, Santa Clara, CA 95050 by Wednesday, March 4, 2009.Due to the overwhelming number of submissions, we may not be able to respond to each applicant. We keep resumes on file for 6 months and will contact you should we wish to schedule an interview with you.

The San Jose Earthquakes are an Equal Opportunity Employer
Note: When you apply for this job online, you will be required to answer the following questions:
1. Yes/No: I have local housing available in or near San Jose
2. Yes/No: I have at least 2 years of Mascot experience with a semi-pro or professional sports team
Apply for this position Go back to job listings

Two Perspectives; One Event

2009-03-16T13:17:00.001-07:00

Either way, this is just another violent event that tarnishes the Beautiful Game.

Soccer player killed by stray bullet
Agence France-Presse Published: Monday, March 16, 2009

An Iraqi soccer player was killed by a stray bullet on Sunday when one of his team's supporters fired off several rounds to celebrate their victory, police said. The game had just ended in a 1-0 home win for Annana over Sinjar, neighbouring village teams west of Hilla, police lieutenant Ali al-Khafaji said. "A stray bullet hit Annana player Haider Hakem in the chest and he died," Khafaji said. Police arrested the suspected killer from Annana, a rural settlement about 10 kilometres from Hilla, some 120 km south of Baghdad. Fans often launch into a blaze of triumphal gunfire in Iraq when major league teams clash.
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/story.html?id=1393701

Iraqi Soccer Player Killed By Fan During Game-Tying Shot
March 16, 2009 AP

BAGHDAD — Police say an Iraqi soccer player has been shot dead just as he was about to kick what could have been the tying goal in a weekend game south of Baghdad.
Police Maj. Muthanna Khalid says a striker from the Buhairat amateur team was facing only the goalie during a Sunday match in Hillah when a supporter of the rival Sinjar club shot him in the head in the final minute of play.
Sinjar was leading 1-0 when the shooting occurred. Khalid said a spectator was arrested.

More Iraqis are turning out for sports events now that security is improving. Major matches in Baghdad are heavily guarded but security in amateur games in smaller cities is often lax.

Take One For The Team

2009-03-14T23:23:00.000-07:00

Ah....another fun video from Soccer AM (and an idea for halftime entertainment at the South Bay San Siro this season!)