But all this would probably be acceptable if it wasn’t for the manner in which business has been conducted by the Quakes lately.  It’s clear from O’Brien’s interview with Center Line Soccer that he is none too pleased with the way in which the Quakes waited until the last minute before cutting their ties with him.  This is a sentiment that I definitely share.  What is going on with the Quakes, seriously?  The last game of the season left me with a feeling of great optimism.  Then the Quakes decide to play hardball with a key player and fan favorite, Joe Cannon, asking him to take a pay cut and not picking up the option on his contract in a dangerous game of brinkmanship.  Now instead of saving face, the Quakes have decided to shaft another key player and fan favorite (O’Brien).

It seems like Doyle and some of the big shots at the top are attempting to translate Moneyball into soccer terms.  Seemed like a good fit at first: cash-strapped league with a salary cap, building a championship team from bargain parts, sounded like the same old Quakes recipe for success.  But now we see the ugly side of what it means: treating players as if they are expendable parts, no matter their contribution and commitment.  If there’s one sport where team chemistry and continuity is key to success, it’s soccer.  Moneyball won’t work here.  You can’t dismantle and build up a team every year and hope to lay the foundation for championships.  Our glory years were directly a result of having a team that believed in one another, the club, and the fans.  I fear that Moneyball MLS style will destroy morale, chemistry, and make San Jose an uninviting destination for any player we want to sign.  

All the while, we are making room in our cap for a top-notch forward.  No one will deny that we need such a player.  But in pursuit of that piece of the puzzle we are punching new holes we may not be able to fix.  Word to Doyle and company: keep Moneyball as far away from the Quakes as possible.  Being cutthroat will lead us nowhere and as fans we want loyalty shown to those players who show loyalty to us.  

Well, it wasn’t O’Brien after all.  Seattle has taken James Riley from us in their expansion draft selection today.  After having a bit of a rough beginning to the season, including that horrible own goal against New England, he settled down into a solid defender.  We should be able to pick up someone of equal or better quality, but it’s still always sad to see a Quake go.  Good luck, Riley.

It was always bound to end this way really.  Once the Quakes were confirmed as coming back to the league, most people predicted a kind of “friendly rivalry” developing between the new and old Quakes.  That was always a delusion.  When such strong emotions are invested in something, you can’t just turn them off or tone them down to a lukewarm, happy medium, instead, they can only transform into strong emotions of a different sort.  After living and bleeding with those ex-Quakes through trials and tribulations, when suddenly they score on you, its a betrayal.  Add to that fact the lingering trauma and hard feelings attached to the “theft” of our team, and the two cups won by “our players”, and you have a recipe for fireworks.

Believe me, I know, because at the first preseason game against Houston, I clapped politely at the returning Quakes players in those horrid orange jerseys.  Once they scored against us, I was calling them “traitors”.  I’m sure it works the other way too.  For those ex-Quakes, it must be hard to be heckled by those who once supported you.

But that’s not enough, every rivalry needs some good villains too.  In this case, we have a trio.

Exhibit A: Brian Ching.  Hacks Cochrane in the first meeting of the season.  Then celebrates his goal this past Saturday by running up to the Quakes fans in a blatant display of “f off”. 

Exhibit B: Kei Kamara.  Oh yes, the newest of ex-Quakes.  I defended Kamara longer and harder than most, and even when he left for Houston, I had no hard feelings.  After all, it’s not his fault that he couldn’t hit a luxury condo in downtown San Jose with a tennis ball.  But he had to run his mouth about “wishing he was in Houston earlier”.  Add to that a healthy helping of diving, arguing with every official in the zip code, and getting into it with his old teammates, he took the lion’s share of the fans’ ire (including a classic “we started winning when you left” song).

Exhibit C: Eddie Robinson.  This was always his fate given his tendency to be a first-rate hack.  I overlooked these tendencies when he was a Quake, because he seemed to bleed blue.  But let’s face it, over the last couple of years in Houston, he has become less of the elite defender he once was (he was awesome in 2005, taking the ball effortlessly away from Eddie Johnson on one memorable occasion) and more of the outright thug.  To top it all off, he throws up four fingers to the Casbah after a round of heckling on Saturday.  The audacity of this guy!  Did he forget that two of those rings were won in a Quakes jersey?

So there you have it, a trio of villains and a new rivalry getting more intense with every game.  Fouls and hard challenges were not in short supply, and the crowd was way more abrasive than normal.  Hey, I’m grateful, there’s nothing better than a good rivalry.  There are exceptions to my hate, however.  I can never find it in myself to heckle Craig Waibel (an honorary Quake forever), Brian Mullan (the consummate professional), or Pat Onstad (the lovable Canuck). 

As for the game itself, a draw was a fair result.  The Quakes did themselves no favors by playing the ball in the air, as the Dynamo have a marked height advantage.  Our strength is when we keep the ball on the carpet.  Our early struggles this season were down to the fact that we didn’t have the skill to play on the ground, nor the size to play in the air (with our “target man” being the aforementioned Kamara).  However, Houston were pressing heavily (a trademark of Yallop-Kinnear football), forcing the Quakes into long balls.  Our main offensive engine, Huckerby, found himself faced with two or three defenders every time he received the ball.  Yallop will have to to adjust the gameplan for next Saturday, when the rivalry continues in Houston, in what will be the toughest game in our final home stretch to the playoffs. 

Look for a review of where we stand in the playoff race on Wednesday, with a match preview to follow. 

Even as time went by and the goals were few and far between (only 2), I still had faith.  Even as the critcisms reached a fever pitch and Kamara was portrayed by some Quakes fans as the worst striker in the history of the game, I held out hope.  I believed that at a certain point something would click and the goals would begin to flow.  But it never happened.  Eventually even I gave up on him.  I think it was the game against Chicago where Kamara missed a clear rebound following Salinas’ shot off the post, followed up the next week by a horrible miss after having a clear opportunity in the box against Chivas U.S.A.  At that point, I joined the ranks of the Kamara-haters. 

My girlfriend would hit me in the arm every time I made fun of Kamara during the home game against Colorado.  She didn’t understand how I could be so mean to him, especially when a trivia item about Kei came up on the scoreboard, listing his hobby as “playing the African drums”.  I understood what she meant, he is a human being after all.  But its hard for the voice of reason to penetrate the irrationality of a soccer fan’s heart. 

Now its all moot, because Kamara has been packed up and shipped out to Houston.  It’s necessary in the long run and I agree with the deal giving us a first round draft pick next season.  But he was one of the originals of this new era of the Quakes, for better or for worse.  He went through the lows and struggles of this difficult first season with us, the fans.  His two goals were memorable.  The one against Colorado coming in our first win of the season, and I thought that would open the floodgates at the time.  His second helped defeat Houston in an emotional game, and the high point of the season so far for Quakes fans. 

See ya around Kei.  You may not have set the world alight in San Jose, but for a little while, you bled blue with us.  I guess Ryan Johnson will have to have a new dancing partner now.  Good luck out there, and I hope you make it in Houston (just not against us). 

Now for the Huckerby/Sealy era…

#8: “The Big Bang” – Eric Wynalda

Not the most creative or inspiring goal celebration, but it was the first, thus meriting an honorary inclusion.  After scoring the first goal in MLS history, Wynalda opts for the classic shirt removal, but only stops halfway, either through choice, fatigue, or getting mobbed by his teammates I have no idea. 

#7: “Goal Envy” – John Doyle

Before his GM days, Doyle was a defender and captain for the San Jose Clash.  Not content with those roles, however, I believe he had a secret desire to be a marauding forward.  Exhibit A: he knocked in a few nice goals during his career.  So what?  So have a lot of defenders.  Ah, but how about Exhibit B. how many defenders do you know punctuate a goal with an acrobatic, half-cartwheel, half-backflip celebration.  He deserves marks for breaking the mold of the classic defender first pump upon scoring a goal. 

#6: “Banishing the Dark Side” – Danny Califf

Speaking of defenders, I remember being a bit skeptical when we picked up Califf from the Scum in ‘05.  It seemed like he had been there a little too long and might not be able to turn from the dark side, as other L.A. rejects have when exposed to the light of San Jose.  My fears were completely unwarranted as not only did he help anchor one of the best defenses in MLS history, but he scored the winning goal against his old team on their second trip to Spartan that year.  Not only that, but he ran towards the Casbah kissing the Quakes crest on his shirt.  Can’t ask for a better exorcism than that.  Game.  Set.  Match.

#5: “The Chicken Dance” – Dwayne DeRosario

This one needs no explanation.  DeRo was always good for highlight reel goals and the unexpected, after which he would unleash his patented chicken dance.  The most famous use was after the winning goal of MLS Cup 2001.  Has been tainted a little by its use in an orange jersey.

#4: “Get on the Ground!” – Troy Dayak

Wow, defenders have come up with a lot of good goal celebrations it seems.  In this case, Dayak’s goal against MIami in the 2001 playoffs was momentous and remarkable, but the celebration itself seemed rather ordinary at first (yes, you guessed it, a fist in the air).  However, Dayak is the unwitting victim of a wrap tackle by his teammate halfway through and wrestled to the ground, soon finding himself on the bottom of a pile of Quakes.  Classic.

#3: “Got Some Captain in You?” – Ramiro Corrales (assisted by Ronnie O’Brien)

Yes, I know, not as important as some of the other goals and celebrations on this list, and the new kid on the block, but I have to give it up for this one because of its creativity and humor.  Corrales puts it in the net off an O’Brien free kick, then runs to O’Brien’s side to pull off a hands-on-the-hip, knee-raised Cap’n Morgan impression.  I can only imagine the story and planning behind this one. 

#2: “Super Ekelund” – Ronnie Ekelund

Probably my all-time favorite if not for the emotional resonance of #1.  After putting the Quakes on top in MLS Cup 2003 through a laser of a free kick, Ekelund crosses his arms and raises his chin, cementing his status as a true Quakes superhero fit to be plastered on propaganda posters and inspiring murals for generations to come. 

#1: “Just Like Heaven” – Rodrigo Faria

Yes, that goal.  After the greatest comeback in MLS history, in the playoffs, against our most hated enemy, Faria seals the deal with a goldern goal in extra time.  He then slides to the ground on his knees and lays back with his arms outsretched and face to the sky.  The rain that was threatening all night began to fall and the Quakes players, coaches, and staff piled on him.  On top of it all, he had just lost his father.  His time with the Quakes may have been short, but he is an immortal part of the club’s history and gets the top spot in this countdown for the pure poetry of his celebration. 

One of the most glaring issues (in my eyes) form Saturday’s match was the lack of play through the center of the field. That missing piece has been defined by the “#10″ jersey generally worn by the playmaker or attacking midfielder. Such famous #10s in MLS history include:

Piotr Nowak
Cuauahtemoc Blanco
Marco Etcheverry
Christian Gomez
Mo Johnston
Mauricio Cienfuegos
Carlos Valderamma
Tab Ramos

Quite the group of players. San Jose’s all-time #10s, however … not so much (with one glaring exception). They are (with appearances, goals in parenthesis):

1996: None
1997: Christopher Sullivan (25, 2)
1998: Francisco Uribe (12, 2)
1999: Raul Diaz Arce (18, 4)
2000: Travis Mulraine (18, 0)
2001-2004: Landon Donovan (A lot, a lot) (114, 45)
2005: None
2008: Jean Philippe Peguero (4, 0)

Non-Judas Total: 77 appearances, 8 goals

Now as I said, goals aren’t the #10’s job. But they don’t hurt either.

Our current “#10″ is actually #11, Ned Grabavoy. Nedley is a nice enough player, but you would have to say he is much more of the Sully/Uribe/Mulraine grade than anything listed on the first list.

I think a true #10 should be priority #1 when the transfer window opens up. We need help plenty of places, but I would like to see someone with similar qualities of a Donovan or a Gomez come in to create a link with the forwards. One name that has been tossed around is Zinha, but I think 32 is a bit old for a team that will take a few years to build. However, I have full faith in Frank to find our man. In 2001, he brought Ronnie Ekelund (29 at the time) to play a similar role, with Richard Mulrooney assuming defensive responsibilities. Granted, Ekelund had a much better supporting cast than anyone would now, but hopefully we can find someone when the transfer window opens up July 15.

Big Ups to Persing’s Pieces for the jersey number info. That should be a bookmark for all Quakes fans.

A thousand thank yous to John Todd at Center Line Soccer for taking this picture. I call it “The Money Shot.” Go Earthquakes.

On the news front, SSV has been following the story of former Quake, Chris Carrieri, who is retiring from soccer after seven years and almost as many clubs. The Cary News has a pretty cool interview with him thats a great read and sheds some insight into just how unstable life can be for a lot of these guys. On a similar note, Mike Munoz has a touching update on his blog where he vents some frustrations over trying out for three different clubs in I think almost as many months – all the while praising his girlfriend for her unwaivering support. Yeah, I’m a sucker for cute sh*t like this and I’m super into the whole players blogging thing. And thank god we send our US players to college first because most of these guys are great writers.

I was talking to my breakdancing badger archivist friend Samantha about Friday’s scrimmage against UC Berkeley and I mentioned to her that I saw Ian Russell get into a brand spanking new, didn’t yet have license plates, Mercedes (ok, I don’t know sh*t about cars so I am assuming it was a Mercedes but either way it was new, shiny, and very very slick). She reminded me of the ballin’ tag which got me thinking: I’d certainly love to be proven wrong here, but I’m pretty sure its a rare occurrence that a member of the San Jose Earthquakes could be in the running for this illustrious title. And now, I’m kicking myself I didn’t bring the camera to get a photo of that car to post here and ask the readers to decide.

So now my question is this: can anyone out there send me a picture of that car?

Senior Roster

1. Joe Cannon #1 (G)
2. Preston Burpo #22 (G)
3. Jason Hernandez #21 (D)
4. Nick Garcia #3 (D)
5. Ryan Cochrane #5 (D)
6. Chris Pozniak #13 (D) (Canadian, INT)
7. Ramiro Corrales #12 (D, M)
8. Ivan Guerrero #23 (D, M) (Honduras; green card)
9. James Riley #4 (D, M)
10. Ned Grabavoy #11 (M)
11. Ronnie O’Brien #7 (M) (Ireland, INT?)
12. Joe Vide #6 (M)
13. Gavin Glinton #9 (F) (T&C, INT?)
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.

Developmental Roster

1. Kei Kamara #16 (F) (Sierra Leon but not INT) gen. adidas
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Superdraft Draft Picks

• 15th pick was Shea Salinas (Furman)

Notes:
1st round pick traded to KC for Garcia
3rd round pick traded to LA for Yallop
4th round pick traded to Chivas for Burpo

Supplemental Draft Picks

• 1st pick = Adam Smarte (UCSC) (Liberia, INT?)
• 15th pick = Tim Bohnenkamp (Creighton)
• 29th pick = Greg Curry (UCSB)
• 43rd pick = Tim Jepson (Duke)

In Camp

Not Dev Eligible (or unknown)

• Dan Benton #20 (G) (*SR)
• Eric Denton #2 (D) (*SR)
• Amaury Nunez #?? (M) (Brazil) (??*SR??)
• Yuri Morales #34 (M, F) (*SR)
• Conrod Smith (Trinidad & Tobago) (*SR) LINK
• Matt Taylor #31 (F) (*SR)

Dev Eligible

• Greg Curry #17 (D) (*Dev)
• Jamil Roberts #18 (D) (*Dev) LINK
• Jay Ayres #27 (D, M) (*Dev)
• Matt Hatzke #14 (M)
• Shea Salinas #15 (M) (*Dev)
• Hayden Tinto (Trinidad & Tobago) (*Dev) SAME LINK
• Adam Smarte #8 (M, F) (Liberia) (*Dev)
• Willie Sims #?? (F) (Guatemala) (*Dev)

Already Moved On?

• Nic Platter (G) –Moved on? (Fire)
• Tim Jepson (D) (*Dev)
• Taylor Graham (D) (*SR)
• Robert Sandoval (D) (Mexico – Atlas??)(??*SR?)
• Danny Minutillo (M) (*Dev)
• Chris Roner (D, M) (*SR)
• JP Rodrigues (D) (*Dev) LINK
• Mystery-Marko#24 ?Muslin? ?Marlon? (M) (French? Argentinian?)
• Federico Arias (M, F) (Argentina) –Moved on? (?not signed?) LINK
• Martin Aslund (M, F) (Sweden) LINK
• Ryan Solle (M) (*Dev)
• John Fishbaugher (M, F) (*Dev)
• Javier Ayala-Hil (F) (*Dev)
• Tim Bohnenkamp (M, F) (*Dev)—Moved on? (Seattle?)
• Fabrice Noel (F) (Haiti – not INT though?) (*Dev)
• Takayuki Suzuki (F) (Japan) –Moved on? (injury?)

Once Upon a Rumor

• Mike Munoz (M) LINK LINK
• Freddy Thompson (M) (Guatemala, INT) LINK

Allocations, Slots, & Rights

• Rumored to be starting with about 3 major allocations (~$250,000 each), and 3 minor allocations ($125,000?) though this article suggests $1.125m!?
• Traded away an undisclosed amount of allocation money (perhaps ~125k?) to LA for Joe Cannon
• Traded away an undisclosed amount of allocation money (perhaps ~$75K) to Houston for Rights to Ramiro Corrales. (The league paid his transfer fee at ~$150K. It’s unclear if SJE have to pay the league for that or not with our allocation $$$.)
• Traded away an undisclosed amount of $$ and our 2009 1st round draft pick to TOR for Ronnie O’Brien.
• 1 DP slot – open
• 8 International slots: Pozniak = INT
• Rights to Clarence Goodson if he returns to MLS

Salary Cap

• Rumored to be around $2.3 million

Staff

• John Doyle (General Manager)
• Frank Yallop (Head Coach)
• Ian Russell (Assistant Coach)
• Ronnie Ekelund (Technical Advisor)
• Jason Batty (Keeper Koach)
• Bruce Morgan (Head Trainer)
• Alan Kakinami (Equipment Manager Extraordinaire)
• Joe Dincecco (Team Administrator)

SSV

And on top of that, user Zman Gunner updated us with the new trialists from Friday’s Berkeley game: #25 Conrad Smith, #33 Hayden Tinto (these two are from Trinidad & Tobago), and #36 GK Martin Martinez.

Ok, so that post of a post looks like sh*t but HTML seriously drives me to drink so I’m not effin with the formatting. Instead, just click on Roblar’s link to get the details.

In other news, the Quakes are getting ready to participate in the Carolina Challenge Cup. I wrote up a little blurb about it on the main MLS page which includes the link to where we can all catch the streams online.