Team profile: San Jose Earthquakes
Procrastination at its finest coming up!
I present to you:
San Jose Earthquakes
Founded: 1995 (one of the original MLS teams)
Stadium: divided between Buck Shaw in Santa Clara and the Coliseum in Oakland until a soccer-specific stadium is built
Owner: Earthquakes Soccer, LLC
Coach: Frank Yallop
Last season: n/a
- 2005's result: 1st in the Western Conference, Conference semi-finals in the playoffs
Rivalry: California Clasico/I-5 Rivalry with the L.A. Galaxy
All-time Top Scorer: Ronald Cerritos 61
Supporters Groups: Club Quake (official), The Casbah, 1906 Ultras, Soccer Silicon Valley
Records
- Games: Richard Mulrooney 163
- Goals: Ronald Cerritos 100
- Assists: Ronald Cerritos 47
- Shutouts: Pat Onstad 27
The Earthquakes were first founded as the Clash in 1995 when MLS formed, owned by AEG and playing in Spartan Stadium. However, they previously existed in the (now defunct) NASL league. They didn't do very well in the league until they were re-named as the Earthquakes in 1999.
Frank Yallop was hired as the coach in 2001 and he brought in Landon Donovan, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen. The Quakes took the league by lightning and won the MLS Cup by defeating the Galaxy 2-1. The Quakes lost in the Supporters' Shield final two times and won the MLS Cup again in 2003, 4-2 over the Chicago Fire.
Yallop left after the 2003 season to coach the Canadian national team, and his assistant coach Dominic Kinnear took over. A former Quakes player, John Doyle, became his assistant. The fans expected more success from the club, but the general manager Johnny Moore resigned in January 2004. As a result, another name change was considered, as well as a change of ownership to Mexico's Club América.
Alexi Lalas, a former Galaxy player, took over Moores's spot and planned a move to Houston. He traded away Donovan's rights when he went back to Germany, which allowed the Galaxy to buy him.
Despite an uncertain future, Kinnear led the Quakes to two more playoffs and won the Supporters' Shield in 2005.
In December 2005, AEG announced the move of the team to Houston, with the failure to get a soccer-specific stadium for the team in San Jose as the main factor. They were named the Dynamo, but the MLS Commissioner decreed that all of San Jose's history - name, colors, badge, statistics - would not transfer.
In May 2006, MLS and the owners of the A's agreed to build a soccer-specific stadium to bring the team back to the San Francisco Bay Area. In September, the official Quakes website was revived to update fans on the progress of starting an expansion San Jose team.
In June 2007, the San Jose City Council voted to explore construction of a soccer-specific stadium near the San Jose Airport. and authorised a city manager to discuss designs with the owners. Until the stadium is finished, the team divides their home between Buck Shaw (for smaller matches) and the Coliseum (for larger matches).
In July 2007, the Commissioner announced the Quakes will resume play in the MLS for the 2008 season when Lew Wolff, one of the owners of the A's, bought the expansion team. However, it would take on their entire history, including the titles won previously.
In November, it was announced that Frank Yallop would leave the Galaxy to coach San Jose. John Doyle returned to become general manager.
So currently, the Quakes aren't doing so great. They're last in the MLS in goals scored and in the league standings despite having a pretty good defense. However, despite the awesome defense in the form of Joe Cannon (the keeper), he can't win a match by himself. Our strikers are mostly young boys (early 20's), although they recently bought a couple older guys.
A couple of the younger guys have some exciting potential since they're quick and create a lot of opportunities. It's just the missing partnership between them and the midfield, as well as some unlucky misses, that have caused the goal shortage.
Anyway, I hope this is fine. I don't watch too often because I'm unlucky to have been busy most times the Quakes play. I AM trying to be more than just a casual fan, since they're in my area and all. And even though they're not so great, it's a new team with completely new players learning to play together. I'm sure once the strikers have got more experience in the MLS and link up more successfully with the midfield, the Quakes will do better.
No pictures, sorry. I fail at finding (official) ones. Flickr has a bunch of fan-taken pictures, however.
I present to you:
San Jose Earthquakes
Founded: 1995 (one of the original MLS teams)
Stadium: divided between Buck Shaw in Santa Clara and the Coliseum in Oakland until a soccer-specific stadium is built
Owner: Earthquakes Soccer, LLC
Coach: Frank Yallop
Last season: n/a
- 2005's result: 1st in the Western Conference, Conference semi-finals in the playoffs
Rivalry: California Clasico/I-5 Rivalry with the L.A. Galaxy
All-time Top Scorer: Ronald Cerritos 61
Supporters Groups: Club Quake (official), The Casbah, 1906 Ultras, Soccer Silicon Valley
Records
- Games: Richard Mulrooney 163
- Goals: Ronald Cerritos 100
- Assists: Ronald Cerritos 47
- Shutouts: Pat Onstad 27
The Earthquakes were first founded as the Clash in 1995 when MLS formed, owned by AEG and playing in Spartan Stadium. However, they previously existed in the (now defunct) NASL league. They didn't do very well in the league until they were re-named as the Earthquakes in 1999.
Frank Yallop was hired as the coach in 2001 and he brought in Landon Donovan, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen. The Quakes took the league by lightning and won the MLS Cup by defeating the Galaxy 2-1. The Quakes lost in the Supporters' Shield final two times and won the MLS Cup again in 2003, 4-2 over the Chicago Fire.
Yallop left after the 2003 season to coach the Canadian national team, and his assistant coach Dominic Kinnear took over. A former Quakes player, John Doyle, became his assistant. The fans expected more success from the club, but the general manager Johnny Moore resigned in January 2004. As a result, another name change was considered, as well as a change of ownership to Mexico's Club América.
Alexi Lalas, a former Galaxy player, took over Moores's spot and planned a move to Houston. He traded away Donovan's rights when he went back to Germany, which allowed the Galaxy to buy him.
Despite an uncertain future, Kinnear led the Quakes to two more playoffs and won the Supporters' Shield in 2005.
In December 2005, AEG announced the move of the team to Houston, with the failure to get a soccer-specific stadium for the team in San Jose as the main factor. They were named the Dynamo, but the MLS Commissioner decreed that all of San Jose's history - name, colors, badge, statistics - would not transfer.
In May 2006, MLS and the owners of the A's agreed to build a soccer-specific stadium to bring the team back to the San Francisco Bay Area. In September, the official Quakes website was revived to update fans on the progress of starting an expansion San Jose team.
In June 2007, the San Jose City Council voted to explore construction of a soccer-specific stadium near the San Jose Airport. and authorised a city manager to discuss designs with the owners. Until the stadium is finished, the team divides their home between Buck Shaw (for smaller matches) and the Coliseum (for larger matches).
In July 2007, the Commissioner announced the Quakes will resume play in the MLS for the 2008 season when Lew Wolff, one of the owners of the A's, bought the expansion team. However, it would take on their entire history, including the titles won previously.
In November, it was announced that Frank Yallop would leave the Galaxy to coach San Jose. John Doyle returned to become general manager.
So currently, the Quakes aren't doing so great. They're last in the MLS in goals scored and in the league standings despite having a pretty good defense. However, despite the awesome defense in the form of Joe Cannon (the keeper), he can't win a match by himself. Our strikers are mostly young boys (early 20's), although they recently bought a couple older guys.
A couple of the younger guys have some exciting potential since they're quick and create a lot of opportunities. It's just the missing partnership between them and the midfield, as well as some unlucky misses, that have caused the goal shortage.
Anyway, I hope this is fine. I don't watch too often because I'm unlucky to have been busy most times the Quakes play. I AM trying to be more than just a casual fan, since they're in my area and all. And even though they're not so great, it's a new team with completely new players learning to play together. I'm sure once the strikers have got more experience in the MLS and link up more successfully with the midfield, the Quakes will do better.
No pictures, sorry. I fail at finding (official) ones. Flickr has a bunch of fan-taken pictures, however.