A colleague shouted this out as the "statistic of the night" after the Chivas USA match on Saturday:
With David Beckham and Landon Donovan in tow, the LA Galaxy has the same exact record of the expansion San Jose Earthquakes.
The Galaxy almost had their first win in quite a while on Saturday. The Revs came back though to tie 2-2 after Ladnon Donovan put them up with a brace. San Jose meanwhile got a late goal from Darren Huckerby to beat Kansas City 2-1 at home.
And yes, the Galaxy and San Jose each sit on 6-9-7 with eight games left. San Jose has all the momentum while the Galaxy is twisting in the wind. Saturday's match against Real Salt Lake will of course be played without Landon and Beckham as the duo will be with their respective national teams. Not sure if San Jose will lose anyone, so they may in fact surpass the Galaxy sooner rather than later.
Showing posts with label San Jose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label San Jose. Show all posts
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
'Quakes a hit with A's fans
My SI.com editor Jonah Freedman was out at the Oakland A's-LA Angels game on Saturday and brought back with him a somewhat positive snapshot of the San Jose Earthquakes' presence in the Bay Area.
Even though they're the worst team in MLS (though the Red Bulls are giving them a run for their money), they are still beloved in NoCal.
Seems A's fans chose with their applause to see 'Quakes highlights over MLB highlights. But click on the link above to get the full story.
I'm still trying to figure out what would be a worse way to spend a Saturday evening than an A's-Angels game.
Even though they're the worst team in MLS (though the Red Bulls are giving them a run for their money), they are still beloved in NoCal.
Seems A's fans chose with their applause to see 'Quakes highlights over MLB highlights. But click on the link above to get the full story.
I'm still trying to figure out what would be a worse way to spend a Saturday evening than an A's-Angels game.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
'Quake rarities
I'm watching the San Jose-Colorado match and I saw two things that I you don't see every day:
- San Jose scored a goal
- Frank Yallop got sent off
First, the goal. Ryan Johnson smashed a diving header past Bouna Coundoul with about 30 minutes left in the game. Unfortunately for the 'Quakes, Conor Casey equalized about five minutes after.
Yallop, meanwhile, had a bit of a meltdown. Apparently, Yallop felt there was a foul on Conor Casey's goal. Casey muscled Jason Hernandez off the ball as he powered a header into the back of the net. TV replays showed that Casey might have indeed gotten away with a push. According to the TV commentators, Yallop was throwing water bottles in anger as he was tossed. When the cameras cut to him, Yallop slammed his suit jacket onto the ground and kicked it.
Aside from his "fucking knackered" presser a year ago, Yallop is about as level-headed of a coach as you'll find in MLS. Perhaps the grind of losing game after game and not scoring game after game has finally gotten to Yallop, at least enough to the point where he can't really hid his emotions any more.
Expansion will do that to you. It's tough to piece a competitive team together as this is the fourth expansion team in the last four years to struggle mightily in their first season.
But there really is only one place to go from here, so keep the faith San Jose. And keep your cool, Frank.
UPDATE: The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
- San Jose scored a goal
- Frank Yallop got sent off
First, the goal. Ryan Johnson smashed a diving header past Bouna Coundoul with about 30 minutes left in the game. Unfortunately for the 'Quakes, Conor Casey equalized about five minutes after.
Yallop, meanwhile, had a bit of a meltdown. Apparently, Yallop felt there was a foul on Conor Casey's goal. Casey muscled Jason Hernandez off the ball as he powered a header into the back of the net. TV replays showed that Casey might have indeed gotten away with a push. According to the TV commentators, Yallop was throwing water bottles in anger as he was tossed. When the cameras cut to him, Yallop slammed his suit jacket onto the ground and kicked it.
Aside from his "fucking knackered" presser a year ago, Yallop is about as level-headed of a coach as you'll find in MLS. Perhaps the grind of losing game after game and not scoring game after game has finally gotten to Yallop, at least enough to the point where he can't really hid his emotions any more.
Expansion will do that to you. It's tough to piece a competitive team together as this is the fourth expansion team in the last four years to struggle mightily in their first season.
But there really is only one place to go from here, so keep the faith San Jose. And keep your cool, Frank.
UPDATE: The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Addition by subtraction
Jovan Kirovski spent several years playing in Europe and has worn the US national team shirt before. Perhaps it's those sorts of accomplishments that frustrates fans so much. He can show flashes of brilliance but more often than not he leaves fans scratching their heads.
Galaxy fans were glad to see him go and now Rapids fans are likely as glad to have him off their team. Colorado dealt Kirovski and Kelly Gray to San Jose for Preston Burpo and a draft pick. Funny how the trade involved former Galaxy players and a former Chivas player.
Anyway, Kirovski is now San Jose's, um, property? Problem? Gray is a good addition, provided he can stay healthy. But Kirovski might add more of the same as San Jose's offense has struggled to score goals. After Thursday's game, San Jose has six goals in eight games.
Burpo, meanwhile, might help out Colorado. He might even play soon as the Rapids will play the Galaxy on Tuesday at HDC in an Open Cup play-in match. "Stone" Burpo is a quality backup who could help out if need be.
Galaxy fans were glad to see him go and now Rapids fans are likely as glad to have him off their team. Colorado dealt Kirovski and Kelly Gray to San Jose for Preston Burpo and a draft pick. Funny how the trade involved former Galaxy players and a former Chivas player.
Anyway, Kirovski is now San Jose's, um, property? Problem? Gray is a good addition, provided he can stay healthy. But Kirovski might add more of the same as San Jose's offense has struggled to score goals. After Thursday's game, San Jose has six goals in eight games.
Burpo, meanwhile, might help out Colorado. He might even play soon as the Rapids will play the Galaxy on Tuesday at HDC in an Open Cup play-in match. "Stone" Burpo is a quality backup who could help out if need be.
Not out yet
Just when San Jose threatens to fall into the abyss that nearly everyone pegged them for, the 'Quakes pull out a nice victory. Thursday's 2-1 win over Houston was not only a solid 90-minute effort, it kept the 'Quakes from completely dropping off the Western Conference picture.
Every western side has played eight games with the exception of Houston (nine) and five points separate first-place Colorado from last-place San Jose.
Before the season started, San Jose coach Frank Yallop said that 10 wins would likely be good enough to reach the playoffs. The team's got two already.
Still, the 'Quakes' upcoming stretch is downright brutal. San Jose will hit the road for six of the next seven games, the lone home game a June 14 fixture in Oakland against the Galaxy. The flipside to that is a favorable home slate down the road - San Jose will play 9 of 13 home games after the All-Star Game. Of course, that will only matter if San Jose survives that horrid stretch.
I had counted the 'Quakes out before the season started for the simple fact that Chivas USA, Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC struggled so badly in each of their respective first seasons. And while I still don't think they'll finish with enough points to earn a playoff spot, at least they're hanging in there. So far.
Every western side has played eight games with the exception of Houston (nine) and five points separate first-place Colorado from last-place San Jose.
Before the season started, San Jose coach Frank Yallop said that 10 wins would likely be good enough to reach the playoffs. The team's got two already.
Still, the 'Quakes' upcoming stretch is downright brutal. San Jose will hit the road for six of the next seven games, the lone home game a June 14 fixture in Oakland against the Galaxy. The flipside to that is a favorable home slate down the road - San Jose will play 9 of 13 home games after the All-Star Game. Of course, that will only matter if San Jose survives that horrid stretch.
I had counted the 'Quakes out before the season started for the simple fact that Chivas USA, Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC struggled so badly in each of their respective first seasons. And while I still don't think they'll finish with enough points to earn a playoff spot, at least they're hanging in there. So far.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Moving on up
I asked Elliot after the match if he really thought the LA/SJ game compared well with South America - on the field as well as in the stands. He said yes, that he traveled to Argentina a lot and had seen several matches there. When he'd been to see the Quakes years ago, there was a big gap in terms of quality of play and the atmosphere.
"It's improved so much," mused Elliot. "Latino fans in the Bay Area, a lot of them never took to MLS and the Quakes because they knew the soccer wasn't as good. I hope they give it another chance now, because its come a long way."
On the other hand, another sportswriter, this one from LA, is skeptical of Beckham's impact and the progress of MLS because in his opinion, the buzz has died down to nothing.
"It's improved so much," mused Elliot. "Latino fans in the Bay Area, a lot of them never took to MLS and the Quakes because they knew the soccer wasn't as good. I hope they give it another chance now, because its come a long way."
On the other hand, another sportswriter, this one from LA, is skeptical of Beckham's impact and the progress of MLS because in his opinion, the buzz has died down to nothing.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
LA/SJ Running blog
Hi to all the fans who don't hate us. . .
I had planned to blog about Chicago and New England, but the parking situation here at the Home Depot Center was such a mess - it took me forever to get inside, so I missed the goals. I figure there's little point now. Once inside the stadium, I realized I left my binoculars in the car (essential for zeroing in on what swear words the players use), so I went back out to the parking lot. Crossing the HDC concourse, I ran into the entry march of San Jose fans making their way down to their seats "San Jose! San Jose!" They got a few jeers from Galaxy fans, but most of the LA faithful were too busy chasing down the elusive license plate holders that they're giving away tonight. A few Galaxy fans were downright puzzled. "Who are they?" a little girl wearing a Beckham jersey asked her father. Her father answered, "They're the fans of the other team, sweetie."
SJ - Joe, Jason, Ryan, Nick, James, Ronnie, Ramiro, Ned, Ivan, Kei, Shea
LA - Cronie, Chris, Sean, Vanney, Mike, Becks, Alvaro, McDaddy, Ely, LD, Gordy
Anthem has been sung - complete with pre-game fireworks that make this place smell a little like war.
Kickoff!
2- SJ has a FK - O'Brien serves it in, Cochrane heads it into goal - offside.
4 - For a team that supposedly has little offense - SJ has done ok in the early going - oops, Galaxy get a CK.
5 - Gordon gets to Beckham's service, but heads it high instead of down.
6- Nice Galaxy attack thwarted by SJ's experienced defense. SJ counter when Ely and Mike can't work the ball up on the sideline and Mike pulls Kei's shirt for five yards. Yellow card.
9 - GOAL! Gordon fights for the ball in midfield, manages to knock it into space near Landon, who threads a through ball for Beckham, who proves he can still run, at least faster than Joe Cannon. Landon is running, holding his hand up for the pass, but Becks just takes it on the run, hits past Cannon's charge - it's in the net. 1-0, Galaxy. Yep, that's Beckham's first MLS goal.
12 - Outside shot by Shea Salinas, over the bar.
14 - Allen crosses to Alan - but Gordy's header is wide.
17 - LD tests his old buddy Joe with an outside shot to the upper V. Joe snags it.
19 - It may not be especially sexy, but the Galaxy already look a whole lot better than they did in Colorado.
21 - Randolph with a diving, flying tackle - SJ corner. Corrales to take. Cronie punches the ball out, but it falls to Guerrero, who takes a shot - McDonald blocks it right in front of goal, Cochrane goes down fighting for it, but the ball is cleared for a corner. That one is cleared, too.
26 - The ball is in the box - oh, SJ's d takes care of it. Back to midfield.
27 - Becks fouls Corrales. It's midfield, though, so not much of a FK.
28 - The upper deck is pounding - when they stomp like that the whole stadium shakes a little. It's cool.
29 - Becks give and go with Klieny, then whips in a cross, Joe snags it.
31 - Midfield battle now. The Galaxy have a bit more possession, but they're also in their own half most of the time.
32 - Galaxy CK, Donovan to take. He gets a blue streamer thrown at him - the SJ section is over there. He serves the ball in, it gets hit into the outside netting.
34 - Alvaro fouled by James Riley - Alvaro writhing around.
36 - LA corner - Beckham takes, Franklin kicks wide of goal.
37 - GOAL! Becks returns the favor, sending a pass up to Landon, who catches the ball on the bounce and Joe off his line - LD gets to it first and chips him. The ball bounces merrily into the goal with Joe chasing vainly after it.
41 - Randolph with a nice move gets taken down in a nice spot for a FK - Beckham serves it into the box - Alvaro heads it - wide of goal. So close.
44 - SJ reporter is telling Luis and I how amazing the atmosphere here is. He says it feels like a game in South America. That's pretty high praise.
45 - Grabavoy is down. He limps up. Ely beat him to the ball, but he came in hard.
Halftime.
Well, two of the big guns are firing, and the defense is looking much better. So perhaps all is not lost for the Galaxy this season. Granted, SJ is an expansion team, but on paper at least, this squad looked stronger than the lineup Colorado put out. Also, SJ hasn't looked terrible, either. They're organized on the counter and making few mistakes. Like many predicted, though, they're not generating a lot of danger up front. On the other hand, though, there's still a whole other half to be played.
47 - Kei with a shot - Cronie dives - save.
49 - Galaxy look more scattered this half - SJ look to take advantage.
51 - G's holding off the SJ flurry so far, though SJ are having a good run of possession.
53 - Cannon beats Gordon to a dangerous ball outside the box, chests it away from danger.
54 - Should have been a dangerous chance for Gordon on an LA counter, but he's offside.
55 - SJ CK - Alavaro clears it.
56- Cannon with the ball hears boos from the LA crowd.
57 - SJ CK. Gavin Glinton comes in for Shea Salinas. CK cleared.
60 - Comedy - Great passing by the Galaxy works the ball up to Alvaro in the box, who lays the ball back for Gordon, who has stopped to tie his shoe - NOOO - be like one-shoe Stammler and keep playing Gordy! Tragic.
61 - SJ FK - cleared.
63 - The crowd has settled down considerably. They were trying to start the wave earlier, but that died out.
64 - Donovan on the run for a counter - he passes to Gordon, continues the run, Gordy shoots - right into Cannon. Ball bounces out. Ely can't quite reach it - SJ clear.
65 - Another LA counter, another Donovan feed, this time McDonald with a weak shot that Joe scoops up easily.
68 - SJ seemed befuddled as to what to do to score.
69 - SJ sub. Guerrero out, John Cunliffe in.
71 - What's weird is how the play has moved almost entirely to the left side of the field. Beckham hasn't touched the ball in a long, long stretch. He's walking around waiting.
72 - Tragic from Gordon. He gets a long pass and is in the box, but falls to his knees, untouched, before he can even get a shot off. Dang. That was poor. At least make Joe save it.
75 - Ruud hasn't made a sub yet.
76 - Gordon earns a FK - Becks tries to sneak a low pass to LD, SJ breaks it up.
78 - SJ attacks, but Landon breaks it up and counters, then gets taken down from behind by Kamara. Yellow.
83 - Gordon heads a pass over the bar.
85 - SJ corner. Cronin comes out to catch it. This match will do wonders for his confidence if he can keep the clean sheet. He's got a really painful GAA right now.
87 - Michael Gavin comes in for Mike Randolph.
88 - LA corner. Becks takes. Gordon puts a header on goal, but Joe saves it.
89 - LA counter, Becks threads a pass to Landon, who get in the box - SHOOT, Landon! Don't pass to - too late, LD passes to Gordy, who falls down in the box in front of the goal.
Final Whistle. 2-0 Galaxy
I had planned to blog about Chicago and New England, but the parking situation here at the Home Depot Center was such a mess - it took me forever to get inside, so I missed the goals. I figure there's little point now. Once inside the stadium, I realized I left my binoculars in the car (essential for zeroing in on what swear words the players use), so I went back out to the parking lot. Crossing the HDC concourse, I ran into the entry march of San Jose fans making their way down to their seats "San Jose! San Jose!" They got a few jeers from Galaxy fans, but most of the LA faithful were too busy chasing down the elusive license plate holders that they're giving away tonight. A few Galaxy fans were downright puzzled. "Who are they?" a little girl wearing a Beckham jersey asked her father. Her father answered, "They're the fans of the other team, sweetie."
SJ - Joe, Jason, Ryan, Nick, James, Ronnie, Ramiro, Ned, Ivan, Kei, Shea
LA - Cronie, Chris, Sean, Vanney, Mike, Becks, Alvaro, McDaddy, Ely, LD, Gordy
Anthem has been sung - complete with pre-game fireworks that make this place smell a little like war.
Kickoff!
2- SJ has a FK - O'Brien serves it in, Cochrane heads it into goal - offside.
4 - For a team that supposedly has little offense - SJ has done ok in the early going - oops, Galaxy get a CK.
5 - Gordon gets to Beckham's service, but heads it high instead of down.
6- Nice Galaxy attack thwarted by SJ's experienced defense. SJ counter when Ely and Mike can't work the ball up on the sideline and Mike pulls Kei's shirt for five yards. Yellow card.
9 - GOAL! Gordon fights for the ball in midfield, manages to knock it into space near Landon, who threads a through ball for Beckham, who proves he can still run, at least faster than Joe Cannon. Landon is running, holding his hand up for the pass, but Becks just takes it on the run, hits past Cannon's charge - it's in the net. 1-0, Galaxy. Yep, that's Beckham's first MLS goal.
12 - Outside shot by Shea Salinas, over the bar.
14 - Allen crosses to Alan - but Gordy's header is wide.
17 - LD tests his old buddy Joe with an outside shot to the upper V. Joe snags it.
19 - It may not be especially sexy, but the Galaxy already look a whole lot better than they did in Colorado.
21 - Randolph with a diving, flying tackle - SJ corner. Corrales to take. Cronie punches the ball out, but it falls to Guerrero, who takes a shot - McDonald blocks it right in front of goal, Cochrane goes down fighting for it, but the ball is cleared for a corner. That one is cleared, too.
26 - The ball is in the box - oh, SJ's d takes care of it. Back to midfield.
27 - Becks fouls Corrales. It's midfield, though, so not much of a FK.
28 - The upper deck is pounding - when they stomp like that the whole stadium shakes a little. It's cool.
29 - Becks give and go with Klieny, then whips in a cross, Joe snags it.
31 - Midfield battle now. The Galaxy have a bit more possession, but they're also in their own half most of the time.
32 - Galaxy CK, Donovan to take. He gets a blue streamer thrown at him - the SJ section is over there. He serves the ball in, it gets hit into the outside netting.
34 - Alvaro fouled by James Riley - Alvaro writhing around.
36 - LA corner - Beckham takes, Franklin kicks wide of goal.
37 - GOAL! Becks returns the favor, sending a pass up to Landon, who catches the ball on the bounce and Joe off his line - LD gets to it first and chips him. The ball bounces merrily into the goal with Joe chasing vainly after it.
41 - Randolph with a nice move gets taken down in a nice spot for a FK - Beckham serves it into the box - Alvaro heads it - wide of goal. So close.
44 - SJ reporter is telling Luis and I how amazing the atmosphere here is. He says it feels like a game in South America. That's pretty high praise.
45 - Grabavoy is down. He limps up. Ely beat him to the ball, but he came in hard.
Halftime.
Well, two of the big guns are firing, and the defense is looking much better. So perhaps all is not lost for the Galaxy this season. Granted, SJ is an expansion team, but on paper at least, this squad looked stronger than the lineup Colorado put out. Also, SJ hasn't looked terrible, either. They're organized on the counter and making few mistakes. Like many predicted, though, they're not generating a lot of danger up front. On the other hand, though, there's still a whole other half to be played.
47 - Kei with a shot - Cronie dives - save.
49 - Galaxy look more scattered this half - SJ look to take advantage.
51 - G's holding off the SJ flurry so far, though SJ are having a good run of possession.
53 - Cannon beats Gordon to a dangerous ball outside the box, chests it away from danger.
54 - Should have been a dangerous chance for Gordon on an LA counter, but he's offside.
55 - SJ CK - Alavaro clears it.
56- Cannon with the ball hears boos from the LA crowd.
57 - SJ CK. Gavin Glinton comes in for Shea Salinas. CK cleared.
60 - Comedy - Great passing by the Galaxy works the ball up to Alvaro in the box, who lays the ball back for Gordon, who has stopped to tie his shoe - NOOO - be like one-shoe Stammler and keep playing Gordy! Tragic.
61 - SJ FK - cleared.
63 - The crowd has settled down considerably. They were trying to start the wave earlier, but that died out.
64 - Donovan on the run for a counter - he passes to Gordon, continues the run, Gordy shoots - right into Cannon. Ball bounces out. Ely can't quite reach it - SJ clear.
65 - Another LA counter, another Donovan feed, this time McDonald with a weak shot that Joe scoops up easily.
68 - SJ seemed befuddled as to what to do to score.
69 - SJ sub. Guerrero out, John Cunliffe in.
71 - What's weird is how the play has moved almost entirely to the left side of the field. Beckham hasn't touched the ball in a long, long stretch. He's walking around waiting.
72 - Tragic from Gordon. He gets a long pass and is in the box, but falls to his knees, untouched, before he can even get a shot off. Dang. That was poor. At least make Joe save it.
75 - Ruud hasn't made a sub yet.
76 - Gordon earns a FK - Becks tries to sneak a low pass to LD, SJ breaks it up.
78 - SJ attacks, but Landon breaks it up and counters, then gets taken down from behind by Kamara. Yellow.
83 - Gordon heads a pass over the bar.
85 - SJ corner. Cronin comes out to catch it. This match will do wonders for his confidence if he can keep the clean sheet. He's got a really painful GAA right now.
87 - Michael Gavin comes in for Mike Randolph.
88 - LA corner. Becks takes. Gordon puts a header on goal, but Joe saves it.
89 - LA counter, Becks threads a pass to Landon, who get in the box - SHOOT, Landon! Don't pass to - too late, LD passes to Gordy, who falls down in the box in front of the goal.
Final Whistle. 2-0 Galaxy
Juiciest rivalry
My SI.com editor Jonah Freedman ranks the Galaxy-Earthquakes rivalry as the best in MLS.
There are some pretty good quotes in there from Alexi Lalas and Joe Cannon as Jonah breaks down the series piece by piece, from history to fans to financial support, etc. Good stuff.
There are some pretty good quotes in there from Alexi Lalas and Joe Cannon as Jonah breaks down the series piece by piece, from history to fans to financial support, etc. Good stuff.
On the other side
Frank Yallop will be back at HDC tonight but will be on the visitor's sideline with the San Jose Earthquakes. He's not one to talk about the past, though, so getting something more substantial than "I just put it down as experience" can be challenging.
Anyway, Grahame Jones of the LA Times writes about Yallop's new team.
Anyway, Grahame Jones of the LA Times writes about Yallop's new team.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
The matchup
From San Jose's media guide (I blacked out some phone numbers in case you're wondering). If you click on the picture, you should see the picture clearly and in detail.
Return of a rival
Back in 2005, the Galaxy and Chivas USA became rivals. However, that year the rivalry wasn't much of a rivalry. The Galaxy had their way with their expansion co-tenants as Chivas recorded one of the worst seasons in MLS history.
The Galaxy's main rivals then were the San Jose Earthquakes. The so-called California Clasico preceded the Super Clasico in more ways than one. The California Clasico was built up like most rivalries are - over time. The two teams met often enough, both in regular-season and postseason matches, that the teams had a genuine dislike of each other. Throw in the natural rivalry between teams from Southern California and Northern California and you get what was one of the better rivalries in MLS.
Several years have passed and things are a bit different. Chivas USA and the Galaxy have built up a good rivalry as Chivas USA finally started to figure the Galaxy out and evolve into a solid MLS team. The Galaxy has struggled since San Jose left the league - in fact the only two seasons in which the Galaxy has not participated in the postseason are the only two seasons San Jose has not been a member of the league. San Jose of course moved to Houston, became the Dynamo and figured out the postseason, winning two out of two MLS Cups.
Now that San Jose is back in MLS, I'm anxious to see how the rivalry plays out again. We'll all find out soon enough what the California Clasico will look like when San Jose visits the Galaxy on Thursday.
In some ways, I think the two teams won't generate that spark you get from a rivalry game. The 'Quakes are pretty much an expansion team, though their history and records stand intact from 1996-2005. Technically, the Galaxy has 21 wins, the 'Quakes have 12 and there have been five draws in the clubs' regular-season history. Then there were the two most memorable postseason meetings, MLS Cup '01 and the 2003 Western Conference Semifinal series, both won by San Jose, as well as the 2005 Western Conference Semifinal in which the Galaxy stunned the 'Quakes en route to the MLS Cup crown.
Still, part of me thinks the teams will pick up where they left off. There is plenty of intrigue with this match. Frank Yallop and Joe Cannon, two grand figures from San Jose lore, are back with the 'Quakes after having spent time with the Galaxy in recent years. That alone stands to draw reaction from Galaxy fans. I can't imagine both not having an extra incentive from this game, aside from the already grand responsibility they likely feel of starting San Jose's season off on the right foot.
I think it's great to have San Jose back and this new version of the California Clasico will once again have some life. I hope that the rivalry is as strong now as it was in the past, but I don't think it will be right off the bat. Hopefully, though, I'm wrong about the last part.
The Galaxy's main rivals then were the San Jose Earthquakes. The so-called California Clasico preceded the Super Clasico in more ways than one. The California Clasico was built up like most rivalries are - over time. The two teams met often enough, both in regular-season and postseason matches, that the teams had a genuine dislike of each other. Throw in the natural rivalry between teams from Southern California and Northern California and you get what was one of the better rivalries in MLS.
Several years have passed and things are a bit different. Chivas USA and the Galaxy have built up a good rivalry as Chivas USA finally started to figure the Galaxy out and evolve into a solid MLS team. The Galaxy has struggled since San Jose left the league - in fact the only two seasons in which the Galaxy has not participated in the postseason are the only two seasons San Jose has not been a member of the league. San Jose of course moved to Houston, became the Dynamo and figured out the postseason, winning two out of two MLS Cups.
Now that San Jose is back in MLS, I'm anxious to see how the rivalry plays out again. We'll all find out soon enough what the California Clasico will look like when San Jose visits the Galaxy on Thursday.
In some ways, I think the two teams won't generate that spark you get from a rivalry game. The 'Quakes are pretty much an expansion team, though their history and records stand intact from 1996-2005. Technically, the Galaxy has 21 wins, the 'Quakes have 12 and there have been five draws in the clubs' regular-season history. Then there were the two most memorable postseason meetings, MLS Cup '01 and the 2003 Western Conference Semifinal series, both won by San Jose, as well as the 2005 Western Conference Semifinal in which the Galaxy stunned the 'Quakes en route to the MLS Cup crown.
Still, part of me thinks the teams will pick up where they left off. There is plenty of intrigue with this match. Frank Yallop and Joe Cannon, two grand figures from San Jose lore, are back with the 'Quakes after having spent time with the Galaxy in recent years. That alone stands to draw reaction from Galaxy fans. I can't imagine both not having an extra incentive from this game, aside from the already grand responsibility they likely feel of starting San Jose's season off on the right foot.
I think it's great to have San Jose back and this new version of the California Clasico will once again have some life. I hope that the rivalry is as strong now as it was in the past, but I don't think it will be right off the bat. Hopefully, though, I'm wrong about the last part.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Non-believers in draft
So far, San Jose has shown us one thing in its fledgling return to MLS. The team has not yet played a game that matters but the 'Quakes are seemingly set on one issue - they do not care much about the MLS SuperDraft.
The 'Quakes displayed as much when they traded away the top pick in this year's draft for Nick Garcia, a solid but not spectacular defender. Earlier this week, they punctuated that apparent mindset with another trade as San Jose nabbed Ronnie O'Brien from Toronto for allocation funds and next year's number one choice.
Part of me feels these are good moves. You are trading away part of the future for some immediate help today, but that help could be the difference in playing decent soccer and recreating RSL and Chivas USA versions 2005. That was filthy soccer and San Jose wants no part of it.
However, when you trade draft picks you are really banking on finding players elsewhere. Luckily for the 'Quakes, soccer has talented players across the world, not just in the collegiate ranks. Still, while RSL and Chivas USA didn't get a whole lot out of their top picks in '05, one of those choices is now a star. Brad Guzan improved tremendously from early '05 to the end of that first year but it didn't matter as far as results go. The club would have been terrible without his services. Nik Besagno, the first pick in 05, is pretty much a bust at this point.
Toronto fared much better with their first pick as Maurice Edu won top rookie last year but again the results would have been terrible with our without him. Edu, though, is an emerging force and should he stick around could be a major presence in the league for years.
San Jose is taking a risk. Five years from now, Chance Myers may be a USMNT regular and a fixture on the Wizards midfield/defense and Nick Garcia might be out of soccer. Who knows? But it's a risk San Jose is willing to take, a risk with both the '08 and '09 top choices. Best-case scenario, Garcia immediately becomes an anchor on the backline and O'Brien reverts back to '05 form. That may not translate into an MLS Cup appearance but instant respectability is something worthy to strive for.
The 'Quakes displayed as much when they traded away the top pick in this year's draft for Nick Garcia, a solid but not spectacular defender. Earlier this week, they punctuated that apparent mindset with another trade as San Jose nabbed Ronnie O'Brien from Toronto for allocation funds and next year's number one choice.
Part of me feels these are good moves. You are trading away part of the future for some immediate help today, but that help could be the difference in playing decent soccer and recreating RSL and Chivas USA versions 2005. That was filthy soccer and San Jose wants no part of it.
However, when you trade draft picks you are really banking on finding players elsewhere. Luckily for the 'Quakes, soccer has talented players across the world, not just in the collegiate ranks. Still, while RSL and Chivas USA didn't get a whole lot out of their top picks in '05, one of those choices is now a star. Brad Guzan improved tremendously from early '05 to the end of that first year but it didn't matter as far as results go. The club would have been terrible without his services. Nik Besagno, the first pick in 05, is pretty much a bust at this point.
Toronto fared much better with their first pick as Maurice Edu won top rookie last year but again the results would have been terrible with our without him. Edu, though, is an emerging force and should he stick around could be a major presence in the league for years.
San Jose is taking a risk. Five years from now, Chance Myers may be a USMNT regular and a fixture on the Wizards midfield/defense and Nick Garcia might be out of soccer. Who knows? But it's a risk San Jose is willing to take, a risk with both the '08 and '09 top choices. Best-case scenario, Garcia immediately becomes an anchor on the backline and O'Brien reverts back to '05 form. That may not translate into an MLS Cup appearance but instant respectability is something worthy to strive for.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Corrales to San Jose
San Jose added to what is shaping out to be a decent defense corps by adding Ramiro Corrales from Brann via Houston. According to Bernardo Fallas, Corrales joins San Jose for some allocation money.
Corrales joins Nick Garcia, Jason Hernandez and Ryan Cochrane as experienced players on San Jose's defense. Plus he's a former 'Quake, and they love their former 'Quakes up north. With Joe Cannon manning the nets, San Jose's defense doesn't seem as bad as other expansion teams' backlines.
The only question is, will the attackers score some goals to keep the pressure off the defense? Even the best defense will crack if the opponents keep the ball 60 or more percent of the time.
Corrales joins Nick Garcia, Jason Hernandez and Ryan Cochrane as experienced players on San Jose's defense. Plus he's a former 'Quake, and they love their former 'Quakes up north. With Joe Cannon manning the nets, San Jose's defense doesn't seem as bad as other expansion teams' backlines.
The only question is, will the attackers score some goals to keep the pressure off the defense? Even the best defense will crack if the opponents keep the ball 60 or more percent of the time.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Heading west
Kansas City will look quite a bit different in 2008 than it has in recent years. Eddie Johnson is gone as he is headed to England and Fulham. The defense will also undergo a huge transition as mainstays Jose Burciaga and Nick Garcia are now on their way out. Burciaga is headed to Colorado and Garcia is property of San Jose.
For the latter, Kansas City picked up the first overall pick in Friday's SuperDraft. Giving up a proven defender for a draft choice is risky but KC needed to change over their roster. The writing for Burciaga's exit was also on the wall late in the season as he stopped being a regular starter.
For San Jose, the trade is clear that Frank Yallop wants to win now. RSL got nothing out of their draft pick, the first overall in 2005, and Toronto struck gold with Maurice Edu a year ago. But there's a better shot of drafting a Nik Besagno than an Edu, as the first overall pick has more often than not been a bust.
Colorado gets a good left back, a bit of a rarity in MLS. However, their problems are well-rooted and Burciaga isn't the tip of the iceberg that needs to crash into the Dick for things to change there.
For the latter, Kansas City picked up the first overall pick in Friday's SuperDraft. Giving up a proven defender for a draft choice is risky but KC needed to change over their roster. The writing for Burciaga's exit was also on the wall late in the season as he stopped being a regular starter.
For San Jose, the trade is clear that Frank Yallop wants to win now. RSL got nothing out of their draft pick, the first overall in 2005, and Toronto struck gold with Maurice Edu a year ago. But there's a better shot of drafting a Nik Besagno than an Edu, as the first overall pick has more often than not been a bust.
Colorado gets a good left back, a bit of a rarity in MLS. However, their problems are well-rooted and Burciaga isn't the tip of the iceberg that needs to crash into the Dick for things to change there.
Friday, January 11, 2008
The gang's all back together
... in San Jose.
Like Frank Yallop, Joe Cannon's stay in Los Angeles was not what it could have been. Like Yallop, Cannon had long been considered one of the league's best at what he did yet neither could recreate that magic with the Galaxy.
Yallop left the Galaxy for San Jose, and he's now taken his preferred goalkeeper with him. The Galaxy received allocation money for the move which lets us know how much they wanted to part company with him.
Joe Cannon was never really a fan favorite with the Galaxy. He'd been a favorite of Colorado fans but his previous tenure with San Jose apparently was too much for some Galaxy faithful to truly embrace him as one of their own. Plus, there was that whole incident Andrea unknowingly triggered with Joe and his future intentions of returning to play in San Jose.
In the end, the trade I felt was the worst trade Frank Yallop made - the Cannon-for-Herc-and-Ugo deal - just got even worse. Yallop blew up the team in December 2006 to get Cannon (the move triggered the Hartman-to-KC deal) and now none of those figures are with the club.
I'm curious to know how Galaxy fans feel about this trade. On the one hand, Joe may feel like Yallop in that he's getting away from what turned out to be a troubling situation and is now headed away from the limelight and to something new. On the other, Joe's talent can't really be overlooked. His move does create a hole, unless Steve Cronin is mentally and physically ready to assume the duties.
Like Frank Yallop, Joe Cannon's stay in Los Angeles was not what it could have been. Like Yallop, Cannon had long been considered one of the league's best at what he did yet neither could recreate that magic with the Galaxy.
Yallop left the Galaxy for San Jose, and he's now taken his preferred goalkeeper with him. The Galaxy received allocation money for the move which lets us know how much they wanted to part company with him.
Joe Cannon was never really a fan favorite with the Galaxy. He'd been a favorite of Colorado fans but his previous tenure with San Jose apparently was too much for some Galaxy faithful to truly embrace him as one of their own. Plus, there was that whole incident Andrea unknowingly triggered with Joe and his future intentions of returning to play in San Jose.
In the end, the trade I felt was the worst trade Frank Yallop made - the Cannon-for-Herc-and-Ugo deal - just got even worse. Yallop blew up the team in December 2006 to get Cannon (the move triggered the Hartman-to-KC deal) and now none of those figures are with the club.
I'm curious to know how Galaxy fans feel about this trade. On the one hand, Joe may feel like Yallop in that he's getting away from what turned out to be a troubling situation and is now headed away from the limelight and to something new. On the other, Joe's talent can't really be overlooked. His move does create a hole, unless Steve Cronin is mentally and physically ready to assume the duties.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Presto change-o
I was mildly relieved that Preston Burpo was not snatched up by San Jose in last week's expansion draft. Now, I'm scratching my head trying to figure out why Chivas was so quick to ship him out of town.
Preston Burpo is now with San Jose after the expansion team dealt its fourth-round SuperDraft pick next year to Chivas in exchange for the 35-year-old goalkeeper. With Brad Guzan linked to a move abroad, it seemed like Burpo was a valuable player to keep around. Now, if Guzan does make a move to Europe, Justin Myers and Sam Reynolds are next in line to play the position.
Surely Burpo is more valuable than a fourth-rounder. Chivas struck gold in 2006 when taking Jonathan Bornstein in the fourth round but more often than not fourth-round picks struggle for playing time and are non-factors with their teams.
Either Chivas is certain that Brad Guzan is not going anywhere next year or they have other plans to fill the goalkeeping position.
As far as San Jose goes, now Frank Yallop need not worry about a starting goalkeeper. Burpo is a solid goalie and will provide some grit back there. He knows Jason Hernandez and will have an instant connection with one of his central defenders. And Yallop can go out and get a young goalkeeper and groom him if he pleases or he could choose to focus his attention on other positions. Another upshot is that Burpo used to play for Seattle for so long the Sounders might be interested in bringing him back when they join MLS in 2009 and might give up more than the fourth-rounder San Jose did to get Burpo from Chivas. Yeah, Kasey Keller and Seattle have been linked for years but Burpo nonetheless was a popular Sounder for many years.
Preston Burpo is now with San Jose after the expansion team dealt its fourth-round SuperDraft pick next year to Chivas in exchange for the 35-year-old goalkeeper. With Brad Guzan linked to a move abroad, it seemed like Burpo was a valuable player to keep around. Now, if Guzan does make a move to Europe, Justin Myers and Sam Reynolds are next in line to play the position.
Surely Burpo is more valuable than a fourth-rounder. Chivas struck gold in 2006 when taking Jonathan Bornstein in the fourth round but more often than not fourth-round picks struggle for playing time and are non-factors with their teams.
Either Chivas is certain that Brad Guzan is not going anywhere next year or they have other plans to fill the goalkeeping position.
As far as San Jose goes, now Frank Yallop need not worry about a starting goalkeeper. Burpo is a solid goalie and will provide some grit back there. He knows Jason Hernandez and will have an instant connection with one of his central defenders. And Yallop can go out and get a young goalkeeper and groom him if he pleases or he could choose to focus his attention on other positions. Another upshot is that Burpo used to play for Seattle for so long the Sounders might be interested in bringing him back when they join MLS in 2009 and might give up more than the fourth-rounder San Jose did to get Burpo from Chivas. Yeah, Kasey Keller and Seattle have been linked for years but Burpo nonetheless was a popular Sounder for many years.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Quakes redux
And here's how they'll look... or the players they'll trade away to get to Opening Day 2008.
Ryan Cochrane - Houston
Clarence Goodson - FC Dallas
Ned Grabavoy - Columbus
James Riley - New England
Joseph Vide - New York
Ivan Guerrero - Chicago
Brian Carroll - D.C. United
Jason Hernandez - Chivas USA
Gavin Glinton - Los Angeles
Chris Pozniak - Toronto FC
Some pretty serviceable players, if they stick around.
Ryan Cochrane - Houston
Clarence Goodson - FC Dallas
Ned Grabavoy - Columbus
James Riley - New England
Joseph Vide - New York
Ivan Guerrero - Chicago
Brian Carroll - D.C. United
Jason Hernandez - Chivas USA
Gavin Glinton - Los Angeles
Chris Pozniak - Toronto FC
Some pretty serviceable players, if they stick around.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Stocking rosters
Now, this isn't what I think Frank Yallop would or should do. This is what I came up with when trying to figure out a 10-man list. And I tried to stay away from Jaime Cardenas' 10, which follow mine, just because I want to compare our teams so he could see that my time wasting was better spent than his.
LB's list
G Kevin Hartman - Kansas City
D Kelly Gray - Galaxy
D Jason Hernandez - Chivas
D Mike Petke - Colorado
D Chris Gbandi - FC Dallas
M Corey Ashe - Houston
M Andy Dorman - New England
M Joe Vide - New York
M Diego Gutierrez - Chicago
F Andy Herron - Columbus
Jaime's list
1- Brian Carroll (D.C. United)
2- Josh Tudela (Galaxy)
3- Clerance Goodson (F.C. Dallas)
4- Ryan Cochrane (Houston)
5- Preston Burpo (Chivas USA)
6- Connor Casey (Colorado)
7- Chris Pozniak (Toronto FC)
8- Ned Grabavoy (Columbus)
9- John Wolyniec (New York)
10- Chris Loftus (New England)
Okay, now getting back to Frank Yallop...
I think he'll take Pat Onstad as his goalkeeper. He obviously can't get Joe Cannon and went to Onstad the last time that happened, and it worked out well for him.
Perhaps we'll see him go after Kevin Harmse as well because Frank brought Harmse in himself.
I wouldn't be surprised if he took Laurent Merlin from Chivas. Frank didn't seem like he wanted to have parted ways with Merlin, that it was just a numbers game, so he might be willing to give the Frenchman a shot at San Jose.
Really, though, the pickings are slim. Some teams have some good players to choose from (Houston, Kansas City, Chivas, Galaxy) but some don't (DC, Chicago, RSL, Toronto) and you can only take one player away from each team, so that's that.
LB's list
G Kevin Hartman - Kansas City
D Kelly Gray - Galaxy
D Jason Hernandez - Chivas
D Mike Petke - Colorado
D Chris Gbandi - FC Dallas
M Corey Ashe - Houston
M Andy Dorman - New England
M Joe Vide - New York
M Diego Gutierrez - Chicago
F Andy Herron - Columbus
Jaime's list
1- Brian Carroll (D.C. United)
2- Josh Tudela (Galaxy)
3- Clerance Goodson (F.C. Dallas)
4- Ryan Cochrane (Houston)
5- Preston Burpo (Chivas USA)
6- Connor Casey (Colorado)
7- Chris Pozniak (Toronto FC)
8- Ned Grabavoy (Columbus)
9- John Wolyniec (New York)
10- Chris Loftus (New England)
Okay, now getting back to Frank Yallop...
I think he'll take Pat Onstad as his goalkeeper. He obviously can't get Joe Cannon and went to Onstad the last time that happened, and it worked out well for him.
Perhaps we'll see him go after Kevin Harmse as well because Frank brought Harmse in himself.
I wouldn't be surprised if he took Laurent Merlin from Chivas. Frank didn't seem like he wanted to have parted ways with Merlin, that it was just a numbers game, so he might be willing to give the Frenchman a shot at San Jose.
Really, though, the pickings are slim. Some teams have some good players to choose from (Houston, Kansas City, Chivas, Galaxy) but some don't (DC, Chicago, RSL, Toronto) and you can only take one player away from each team, so that's that.
Exercise in futility
Another year, another expansion draft.
A year ago, Toronto FC pillaged from around the then-12 team league to form the basic foundation of its club. Now, it's San Jose's turn to scour from the 13 existing teams.
San Jose coach Frank Yallop will have this list of players to select from. It's quite an expansive list. There are some MLS Cup winners on there, former league award winners and all-stars and high draft choices - there's even a World Cup winner on there!
In the end, though, this draft won't mean much. In fact, it won't mean anything. There may be some serviceable players who come out of this draft, and some of them might even do well for San Jose. But if the last three expansion teams' draft history is any indication, San Jose's opening day lineup will not consist of many of the guys on the aforementioned list.
A quick review of the 2004 and 2006 expansion drafts:
2004:
Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake entered the league with different philosophies. Chivas wanted Hispanic players while RSL just wanted players. The two teams stockpiled their respective first-ever rosters with old players, young players, American players, foreign players but looking back most of those guys were simply marginal players.
Here's what happened with the expansion drafts:
Chivas
Arturo Torres, quit
Orlando Perez, with team
Ezra Hendrickson, traded early 06
Francisco Gomez, cut early 06
Antonio de la Torre, cut preseason 05
Matt Taylor, cut mid 07
Craig Ziadie, vanished
Jamil Walker, cut preseason 05
Thiago Martins, traded preseason 06
Jeff Stewart, vanished
RSL
Andy Williams, with team
DJ Countess, gone
Pablo Brenes, gone
Brian Kamler, gone
Nelson Akwari, gone
Chris Brown, with team
Matt Behncke, gone
Rusty Pierce, gone
Kevin Ara, gone
Erick Scott, gone
I went into detail with Chivas USA because I've literally been there from the beginning, from the first-ever expansion draft at the ESPN Zone in Anaheim in November 2004. Thomas Rongen was all smiles, Arturo Torres was all smiles and everything seemed good. The only players who made any sort of impact, though, were Orlando Perez and Ezra Hendrickson. Torres and Matt Taylor played significant minutes during their respective Chivas careers but neither did much except run a lot.
RSL has Andy Williams and Chris Brown still around but some of those other guys are just scary, like when you pull out some stinky brown and dark green mush that used to be food from your refrigerator scary.
2006:
Toronto coach Mo Johnston tried a different approach. Instead of stockpiling a team, he stockpiled players he could trade away. He selected some good players last year but their contributions for Toronto FC were nonexistent.
Toronto FC
Paulo Nagamura, gone
Danny O'Rourke, gone
Jose Cancela, gone
Adrian Serioux, gone
Nate Jaqua, gone
Rod Dyachenko, gone
Jason Kreis, gone
Tim Regan, gone
Ritchie Kotschau, gone
Will Hesmer, gone
Not one player is still with the team. I don't know if any one of these guys even made it past May. Honestly, I think that was an absurd way of going about things but whatever.
Anyway, if you are trying to guess what San Jose's first-ever roster will look like based on the expansion list, forget it. Now, that doesn't mean we all can't play the role of GM and try to piece together a roster from it, not at all. In fact, I'm probably going to do that later myself. But it'll ultimately be as pointless as the real draft itself.
A year ago, Toronto FC pillaged from around the then-12 team league to form the basic foundation of its club. Now, it's San Jose's turn to scour from the 13 existing teams.
San Jose coach Frank Yallop will have this list of players to select from. It's quite an expansive list. There are some MLS Cup winners on there, former league award winners and all-stars and high draft choices - there's even a World Cup winner on there!
In the end, though, this draft won't mean much. In fact, it won't mean anything. There may be some serviceable players who come out of this draft, and some of them might even do well for San Jose. But if the last three expansion teams' draft history is any indication, San Jose's opening day lineup will not consist of many of the guys on the aforementioned list.
A quick review of the 2004 and 2006 expansion drafts:
2004:
Chivas USA and Real Salt Lake entered the league with different philosophies. Chivas wanted Hispanic players while RSL just wanted players. The two teams stockpiled their respective first-ever rosters with old players, young players, American players, foreign players but looking back most of those guys were simply marginal players.
Here's what happened with the expansion drafts:
Chivas
Arturo Torres, quit
Orlando Perez, with team
Ezra Hendrickson, traded early 06
Francisco Gomez, cut early 06
Antonio de la Torre, cut preseason 05
Matt Taylor, cut mid 07
Craig Ziadie, vanished
Jamil Walker, cut preseason 05
Thiago Martins, traded preseason 06
Jeff Stewart, vanished
RSL
Andy Williams, with team
DJ Countess, gone
Pablo Brenes, gone
Brian Kamler, gone
Nelson Akwari, gone
Chris Brown, with team
Matt Behncke, gone
Rusty Pierce, gone
Kevin Ara, gone
Erick Scott, gone
I went into detail with Chivas USA because I've literally been there from the beginning, from the first-ever expansion draft at the ESPN Zone in Anaheim in November 2004. Thomas Rongen was all smiles, Arturo Torres was all smiles and everything seemed good. The only players who made any sort of impact, though, were Orlando Perez and Ezra Hendrickson. Torres and Matt Taylor played significant minutes during their respective Chivas careers but neither did much except run a lot.
RSL has Andy Williams and Chris Brown still around but some of those other guys are just scary, like when you pull out some stinky brown and dark green mush that used to be food from your refrigerator scary.
2006:
Toronto coach Mo Johnston tried a different approach. Instead of stockpiling a team, he stockpiled players he could trade away. He selected some good players last year but their contributions for Toronto FC were nonexistent.
Toronto FC
Paulo Nagamura, gone
Danny O'Rourke, gone
Jose Cancela, gone
Adrian Serioux, gone
Nate Jaqua, gone
Rod Dyachenko, gone
Jason Kreis, gone
Tim Regan, gone
Ritchie Kotschau, gone
Will Hesmer, gone
Not one player is still with the team. I don't know if any one of these guys even made it past May. Honestly, I think that was an absurd way of going about things but whatever.
Anyway, if you are trying to guess what San Jose's first-ever roster will look like based on the expansion list, forget it. Now, that doesn't mean we all can't play the role of GM and try to piece together a roster from it, not at all. In fact, I'm probably going to do that later myself. But it'll ultimately be as pointless as the real draft itself.
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