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.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
TFZ Scarf?
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?
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Summer Pre-Season Tours
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Quakes Home Opener....Dud.
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 ShraderFriday, March 20, 2009
MLS Wildfire
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
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
