A Dynamite Game Plan.

A couple of weeks ago, a diary entry on the MLS_UK blog made me realize I hadn't noticed a big difference between going to an MLS game compared to a match in England.  The UK based Sounder correspondent, Liam McGrath, seemed pretty excited at the prospect of getting a free haircut and tacos - although CDC regulations surely prevent getting both at the same time. Such promotions have been a staple in American baseball parks for decades, but they are completely unfamiliar to British fans.  Baseball teams had already devised marketing strategies to increase attendance, with games promoted with free stuff, prizes for the fans - and sometimes even - the detonation of high explosives. 

San Jose Giants Beer Batter T-shirt 

Marketing promotions at the major league level are usually in the form of the aforementioned ‘free stuff’:  Snuggies, bobble heads and caps.  Minor league baseball, by its very definition, has lower attendance levels: clubs are often located in smaller markets, with smaller stadia and with much younger teams.  My own personal favorite San Jose Giants tradition is the Beer Batter.  The Giants pick an opposing batter, and each time he swings and misses the PA plays the refrain from ‘Roll out the barrel’ - if he strikes out then it’s half price beer in the stands for the rest of the inning.  It keeps the fans engaged and happy and it’s a cool way to psych out the opposition. 

My fave bomb squad T-shirt

The most amazing, off the wall, pre-game appearance I ever saw at a minor league baseball game was Captain Dynamite – he placed what appeared to be a coffin in the outfield, climbed into it, and after a count-down – as his moniker implied - it blew up.  Miraculously, he survived each explosion, staggering out of the smoking splinters each time, but I have to think he’s a trifle deaf by now.

MLS marketing promotions make the most of both strategies, but I haven’t seen any dynamite related events (yet).  Fans still get free stuff in the form of giveaways and rewards for shut outs, but there are also goal shooting or dribbling contests to win everything from KFC (Kickin’ for Chicken) to flights to Hawaii.  In fifteen years of MLS, the quality of play has undoubtedly been the major reason for the growth of soccer in the US, but free stuff has undoubtedly made some contribution to the larger attendance levels we see now. 

The development of younger players in the baseball farm system has also been mirrored in MLS - the reserve league has reappeared this year and can provide the fans with even closer access to the game.  The Quakes play theirs at the Nutrilite training facility and fans line up on the sideline; get too close you might get bowled over by the assistant.  Furthermore, each team also has their own academy players, typically teenagers, with the aim of developing local soccer talent – all of which sounds like a ‘farm system’ to me. 

The American version of the beautiful game has undoubtedly been inspired by its own national pastime of baseball. I will not, however, be talking to my season ticket rep about bringing in Captain Dynamite for an explosive half time show any time soon.  How about an Earthquakes Snuggie though?

Find out what other British fans are saying about MLS here.

We’re still here!

Just a few miles across San Francisco Bay in Oakland, Christian evangelist Harold Camping believed that around sunset Saturday, May 21, the Rapture would begin.  At this point in time, he said, believers would go to heaven and non-believers would endure five months of hell on Earth. Well, in the South Bay the San Jose Earthquakes home game against the New England Revolution started at 7:30 PM (with sunset at 8:14 PM), and with about five months to go in the MLS season, I wasn’t quite sure if I should set off for the game or not.  But how could I miss the spectacular half time show would surely follow?

After Saturday’s rapture, Mr. Camping predicted that the world would then end on October 21^st 2011, which is coincidentally the day before the last game of the Quakes regular season against FC Dallas.  I knew Camping’s heart wasn’t really in it when I discovered that the lease on his Family Radio station, over whose airwaves the doomsday was predicted, does not expire until 2023.  Most of the fans seemed impervious to any signs of impending disaster – there was no panic buying of Korean barbecue, garlic fries or Boddingtons.  There was a 3.7 earthquake just north of Oakland just before kickoff, but even though we didn't feel it we were feeling confident, if not hopeful, of our second home win in a row.

Credit: Joe Nuxoll at Center Line Soccer

With no real scoring chances in the first half, the game livened up in the second half, with the first MLS goal for the Quakes’ Ellis McLoughlin.  While Lenhart attracted the attention of the Revs defenders, Wondo’s cross found the rookie’s head and he turned it past Revs’ goalie Matt Reis – great finishing skills for such a young player.  The Quakes will probably get another nomination for MLS goal of the week with Bobby Convey’s blistering 25-yard free kick in the 83^rd minute.  Convey’s insurance goal paid off when the Revs pushed forward for the remaining minutes, and pulled one back when Tierney curled a sweet shot past Jon Busch.    

SN: Surely you can't be serious? 
4th Official: Please don't call me Shirley.

During the game, Revs head coach Steve Nichol, was again doing his best “Alex Ferguson versus fourth official” impersonation, and by the end of the game he looked completely exasperated.  Nichol still looks a little lost on the bench without his assistant Paul Mariner, and maybe the Revs miss him in the same way Chelsea misses Butch Wilkins.  I have a recollection of a Revs game in Houston, where Nichol had already been banned from the touchline before the game, and Mariner stepped in for the evening only to get himself ejected by half time.  In the second half, the pair was in cahoots up in a sky box, and I’m presuming that the language was not spotless while discussing the ancestry and visual acuity of the match officials. 

Nichol didn’t ascend to heaven on Saturday, and as a non-believer he can now look forward to another five months of hell.  Rapture notwithstanding, the Quakes fans are all still here at Buck Shaw stadium, and the Quakes players, who had gone missing for a couple of weeks, are back too.
However, in contrast to Steve Nichol, we’re starting to believe again.  

A full match review can be found at Center Line Soccer here.
A polished version of this post can be found at UK_MLS.

The Rapture and MLS follow the same schedule – coincidence?

Just across San Francisco Bay in Oakland, Christian evangelist Harold Camping believes that around sunset this evening, Saturday, May 21, the Rapture will begin. 

At this point in time, he said, believers will go to heaven and non-believers will endure five months of hell on Earth. After Saturday’s rapture, Camping then predicted that the world will end on October 21^st 2011. 

Three coincidences I noticed about the MLS schedule and that of the Rapture:

•          The Quakes home game this evening starts at 7:30 PM, and sunset is 8:14 PM
•          There are five months to go in the MLS season
•          The last game of the Quakes regular season against FC Dallas is October 22, 2011. 

So, I’m not quite sure if I should set off for the game or not, but how could I miss the spectacular half time show that will surely follow? 

To my relief, it turns out that Camping may not be fully vested in his position because the lease on the Family Radio station over whose airwaves the doomsday was predicted, does not expire until 2023. 

Enjoy the game everyone…here’s hoping for a win for the rapturous Earthquakes fans.

Three things Wondo learned this week.

Wondo’s become so indispensable to the Quakes that he’s one of only two players - the other being Jon Busch - to play every minute of every game in the 2011 season so far.  Wondo came off on the 80^th minute last Saturday due to McDonald’s "shouldn't even have been a red" card that necessitated a defensive substitution.  He did look somewhat confused as to what to do next. After wandering aimlessly around the half way line, the fourth official coach pointed out the location of Quakes bench. 

Wondo learned three unwritten rules about life on the bench at Buck Shaw:

1. After exiting the field, shake hands with the replacement, then take a left towards the Quakes bench; that's a left remember - just like NASCAR.  
2. A folded towel will make for a softer seat and there is all the icy cold Gatorade you can drink in the big orange bucket at the end of the bench - hands off the Pink Starburst; that's Ampai's private stash. 
3. Keep all conversation relevant to the game. No fraternizing with the photographers, assistant referee or ball kids - and positively no interaction with the Ultras until after the game.  

 Given the infrequency of his substitutions it might be worth writing this list out, and keeping in a safe place for future reference. .

Perspective

The Quakes came into Saturday’s home game against Columbus Crew with only one win (away from home in Dallas) and firmly entrenched at the bottom of the MLS Western Conference with only six points from eight games.  Even though we are all die hard fans, when it comes down to it, there’s no real lasting effect on our lives when the team loses.  Sure, we’re morose, grouchy and dismayed, but those feelings are transient, and the following Saturday we don our Quakes gear and carry on to the next game.

This week I learned about the lives of a couple of the rookie players on the team that made me think about the proper perspective that soccer should have in life – I may have even recalibrated my own perspective a little. 

An article by Elliott Almond in the San Jose Mercury News this week, told the story of Quakes forward Matt Luzunaris, 22, and his relationship with Austen Everett, former goalkeeper of the University of Miami women’s soccer team. Matt was only twelve years old when he lost his sixteen year old brother to cancer, and he contacted Everett on Facebook after reading about her inspiring return to collegiate soccer after a bout with non Hodgkin’s lymphoma.  Austen is currently recovering from a stem cell transplant with her family in Seattle after a reoccurrence of the disease.  Matt was signed by the Quakes after scoring two goals in the winter tryouts, and he is hoping that Austen will be well enough to move down to San Jose in July.  In the meantime, he is representing the Quakes in the community with a recent visit to the Stanford University children’s hospital.

Before the regular squad came out to warm up prior to the Crew game, Luzunaris (who is recovering from a hip injury) was getting in some work with Rafael Baca and defender Justin Morrow.  Baca also came to the Quakes after impressing in the winter tryouts.  In fact, he was invited to the combine by Quakes assistant coach Ian Russell when they met at the funeral of his college teammate at Loyola Marymount, David Kucera.  Baca told ESPN “I told [head coach Frank Yallop] thank you for the opportunity and that I was going to make the most out of it.” A slight player listed at 5’ 8”, he has been described as versatile, sharp and energetic; LMU's head soccer coach believes he “can be a fantastic wide midfielder at the next level.” Baca was not surprised that his status as a foreign player (he is not a U.S. citizen and does not possess a green card) makes it problematic for teams to sign him, and so, despite standout success at the college level, MLS teams stayed away from him in the draft. This week, Baca was wearing the #30 on his kit, but isn’t currently listed on the official Quakes roster – I do know that the roster still has more space, so I hope he gets his chance to play soon. 

Photo by Joe Nuxoll
CenterLineSoccer.com.

If we cast our minds back to the start of last season, one of the Quakes more recent trade acquisitions was coaching local under-fourteen soccer teams to supplement his income.  In 2010, he began to get regular starts, which brought increased consistency, and with the improved understanding for the game he gained from coaching, Chris Wondolowski finished the season with the Golden Boot. 

Wondo has just skippered the Quakes to a much needed 3-0 victory – in just one season his own perspective has changed for the better.  I hope that Matt Luzunaris and Rafael Baca are able to cash in their hard work, and can reevaluate their viewpoints at the end of this year with the same sense of victory.

For a detailed match report and more great photographs from Joe Nuxoll, please visit Center Line Soccer here.
This blog is also posted at the Eurosnob-free majorleaguesocceruk.com.


P.S. 05/17/2011 - Baca and Luzunaris hooked up for the first goal in a 3-0 win in the SJE reserve game on Tuesday.  As reported on Center Line Soccer: "The Earthquakes finally tallied on the afternoon after some aggressive play from Baca on the goalkeeper forced a turnover just inside the area. Spinning to find space, Baca sent the ball across the penalty spot for Luzunaris to neatly finish with an overhead volley into the exposed goal. The 51^st minute strike was finished with aplomb, but was all the product of the pressure Baca exerted in chasing down the ‘keeper."

Bring a friend to Buck Shaw...

Okay, okay – that last post was written when I was a little bit frustrated by the late equalizer in Vancouver.  In times of stress I’ve been known, on more than one occasion, to become more than a little sarcastic (or sardonic – I can’t remember which).  I find a sense of humor can often defuse tricky situations or allow cheerfulness in the face of adversity. 

The theme of my blog is a lighthearted look at our lives as fans and, come what may, I’m a diehard Quakes fan ready to support my team through thick and thin.  So it’s time to look forward to this week’s home game against Columbus Crew.  While the Quakes haven’t won in their last four games, the Crew hasn’t lost since their season opener.  Sometimes playing a team firing on all cylinders can be invigorating, and cause a team step up a notch. 

I know every one of the players in the starting XI wants to succeed in front of their home fans.  I know that every one of the players sitting on the bench, would rather be starting.  I know that every fan is rooting for the team ready to cheer the hat trick that brings a victory. 

Meet me at Buck Shaw?  If you know anyone who can play right midfield, bring him too…

If I sat in the bleachers like the Quakes are playing...

• Field positioning: The bleachers are pretty cozy, but we can free up some space on the aisle if we all squish up in the middle.  That way the opposing fans can come in and take advantage of the free seats with easy access to the concessions while we are falling over reach other on spilled beer in the middle.  I do not want to see two of our own players going for the same ball, not moving for a throw in, or Wondo playing defense.

• Lose focus in the last 15 minutes: I spend most of the week sitting in comfy chairs - a nice sofa for the EPL matches on Saturday mornings; an ergonomically designed chair that supports my lower back at work  and a lounger on the deck on a sunny afternoon. None of these chairs builds up the necessary core strength needed for a full ninety minutes on a rock hard aluminum bleacher at Buck Shaw stadium.  There are some players on this team who appear to be unable to maintain their level of effort (fitness) or focus for the full 90 minutes.

• Inch perfect passes:  Somehow, when we start out, we have a plan to navigate down the steps, down the path behind the goal and buy a beer, but somehow wind up with a bulgogi sandwich and a pretzel instead. The end result is that we’re even thirstier than when we set out.  The players seem to have lost confidence in the fundamental skills and plan of action that were on show in the first couple of games.

• Making the playoffs: I can cruise Expedia all year, but if I don’t give up my hard earned cash, they won’t give me reservation for a playoff game.  Besides, if I don’t put some money in the bank soon, I won’t have enough saved up for the trip.  Time is running out to bank enough wins to make the post season.  

Waiting on a stadium - 'til the cows come home.

The Quakes didn’t play this weekend in MLS, but did have a much needed win over the Portland Timbers last Tuesday night in the US Open Cup.  This should have been a home game, but our regular pitch at the University of Santa Clara was unavailable, and no other suitable venue could be found in the Bay Area.  The single biggest gripe of the average Quakes fan is that, in our fourth season, it’s more than time to vacate the austere aluminum bleachers and put our new stadium in place. Our plight was only magnified by the extraordinary atmosphere of Jeld Wen Field, though thankfully we kept the flannelled lumberjack Timber Joey and his chainsaw idle for a few hours.   

Significantly, once again, local hero Chris Wondolowski led the team out as skipper over the usual Ramiro Corrales; no one at the club appears to have mentioned this.  While local blogger Robert Jonas has also noticed the switch, his co-host at Center Line Soccer’s Quakescast Kelly Gray tweeted that he would be following it up.  I have no word on whether Wondo was made captain as a result of the players-only meeting immediately after the Chivas game, but the move is consistent with that timeline.   

Other club pundits have played up the cup victory over the Timbers as a turning point for the team whose offense has been underperforming since the away win in Dallas all the way back in week 2.  I’m not so convinced – the Quakes goal eventually came off defender Ike Opara’s head on a corner in the 120^th minute against a Timbers team comprising mainly reserve players.  This didn’t do anything to restore my faith in the current Quakes midfield set up:  Wondo is being heavily marked, and is not getting the kind of service that helped him to the Golden Boot in 2010. 

To further complicate the Quakes’ situation, news came through on Thursday that Spurs midfielder Simon Dawkins would be out for two months after surgery.  It turns out Dawksy has freakishly big calves and the bilateral fasciotomy he underwent was essentially a “letting out” of the muscle sheath, to allow the muscle compartment to expand.  He is the target of some leg pulling (groan) from his team mates being the only player to wear long pants at training in sunny California – looks like it’s time to switch to Capri pants at least. 

Lionel Moossi - outstanding in his field. 

This week will be a busy one for coach Yallop: he will have to rearrange the midfield (again) for the away game on Wednesday in Vancouver.  I just hope they will remember to pack their metric boots, eh?  Just three days later the Quakes will play their next home game against Columbus Crew on Saturday evening.  There’s no word yet on when or where our ‘home’ game against the Chicago Fire in the next round of the US Open Cup will be staged – the game has to be completed by May 28^th.  Perhaps there’s a local dairy farmer who has a pasture we can use – the players can warm up running drills around the cow pats, and there’s all the milk you can drink at half time.  

Full match report on the Timbers cup game at the new look Center Line Soccer here. 
This blog is also posted at MLS_UK in the Eurosnob-free blog at www.majorleaguesocceruk.com

Two free radicals that revolutionized the team’s chemistry.

One topic that comes up over a teardrop-diluted pint when your team’s not doing so well is team chemistry.  In the off-season, the San Jose Earthquakes lost two players in the expansion draft: veteran goalkeeper Joe Cannon and attacking midfielder Arturo Alvarez. Both had played with the previous incarnation of the Quakes (v1.0) that went on to become the Houston Dynamo in 2004.  Both had their own unique personality that I wonder how much they are being missed in the dressing room. 

Joe Cannon (@JoeCannon1love): 

Joe greets the 1906 Ultras

Even though Joe came back from the LA Galaxy to the Quakes 2.0 in 2008, the fans loved him anyway.  During the 2008 season he wrote a ‘renaissance man’ blog, sometimes about life as a soccer player, but also on a wide range of topics from that year’s election to an encounter with a guy who had fallen on hard times – totally eclectic.  If you ever doubt the exuberance of MLS players in the preseason, or on road-trips, follow Joe’s banter with Jay Demerit or Landon Donovan (or both) on Twitter.  Always the joker on Facebook, after a spectacularly bad performance by the whole team in the season opener in 2009, Joe wrote a series of posts that became increasingly pessimistic throughout the night.  I came across them early the following morning, only to find a few hours later his whole page was gone.  I guess he (or someone else) thought better of his soul-searching, but it was indicative of how competitive a guy he is and that he wears his heart on his jersey sleeve.  All goalies are crazy, and Joe was always on the field early before each game practicing his yoga and stretching before taking some ground balls. After spending much of the 2010 season injured after breaking his ankle in practice, Joe was left unprotected on the roster and was picked up by the Vancouver Whitecaps in the expansion draft.

Arturo Alvarez (@artieart10):

A moment of indecision while 
Artie considers a right footed shot

My first recollection of watching Artie play the last three seasons is that he was always cheerful, and had one of the broadest smiles in MLS – the second of course was his left foot.  There were spells where his famous left foot scored for the Quakes – he was not always consistent, but he could occasionally be brilliant; there was always an air of anticipation in the bleachers when he got the ball. It’s hard to believe that he’s still only 25, since he’s been with both iterations of the Quakes, who drafted him as an 18 year old in 2003.  Alvarez was picked up in the expansion draft by the Portland Timbers, but before he found out how handsome he looked in green, he was traded on later the same day to RSL.  Things worked out pretty well for Artie – he played in the CONCACAF Champions League final this month – and he’s still smiling. 

Perhaps these two free radicals revolutionized the team’s chemistry.   

From deluge to drought in six games.

I’m a pretty light hearted person, and when I started my soccer blog this season, it was my intent to keep things upbeat and look at the lighter side of the San Jose Earthquakes season as viewed from the bleachers among the fans at Buck Shaw stadium.  The Quakes were coming off a glorious comeback playoff win against the New York Red Bulls and a narrow defeat in the conference championship game to the eventual champions, the Colorado Rapids. 

The fans started in an optimistic frame of mind, and despite a loss to RSL in the opener under apocalyptical rain, we felt the team played well.  We’ve gone from deluge to drought in just six games and, after a loss to a ten-man Philadelphia Union it’s getting ever more difficult to find anything positive to say about the team’s fortunes. 

Frank Yallop rolled out a drastically new line up: Philadelphia native Bobby Convey was out, along with team captain Ramiro Corrales, Khari Stephenson, Ryan Johnson and Sam Cronin. In last week’s diary entry I highlighted how the leadership and commitment of Bay Area native and Quakes forward Chris Wondolowski might one day earn him the captain’s armband.  Well, it happened much sooner that I thought and he was awarded the captaincy over Jason Hernandez, who is the usual back up to Corrales. I don’t know how last minute this decision was, but the front office tweeted it would be Hernandez as skipper just minutes before the game. 

Up front Yallop stuck with Sealy (at which I continued to shake my head) and added new signing Steven Lenhart up front for his first start.  I was hoping that Lenhart’s mustache had been cursed and its removal this week would end the drought. To complete the new look Ampaipitakwong, Burling and Morrow, who all had good outings for the reserve squad last week, were included at midfield and defense respectively.    

For neutral viewers the game will be most memorable for the two questionable decisions by the referee: the red card in the 41st minute and the penalty decision in the 75th minute.  The red card came in the 41st minute when Jordan Harvey stamped on Chris Leitch’s stomach, and Leitch was lucky not to get a card himself when he retaliated.  After this, and the tetchiness between McDonald and the Philly goalkeeper Mondragon, the game had become chippy enough for me to consider battering some fish for my half time snack. 

The Quakes went into the second half with the man advantage and should have been able to capitalize offensively against ten men.  To Philadelphia’s credit they continued to push forward, but it was (in my opinion) a soft penalty awarded to the Union for the winning goal – Hernandez was defending and adjudged to have handled the ball; it was more like ball to hand and completely unintentional and unavoidable.

Although the Quakes effort was much improved over last week’s loss to Chivas, the level of possession and accurate passing is still not as high as I know it can be; I saw it in the home opener, and I just hope they can remember where they left their shooting boots.  I am hopeful that today’s more effective defensive efforts will be maintained – Morrow, in his first MLS start particularly impressed; he played solidly and wasn’t outpaced. 

As I write, Timber Joey is just firing up his chainsaw after Kenny Cooper’s goal for the Timbers tonight against RSL.  I’m a little more hopeful that this week’s Quakes qualifier at Portland in the US Open Cup won’t reduce the log to a pile of sawdust.  Whether or not the Quakes will be offensive enough (as it were) to carry them to the next round remains to be seen.  

Full match report at the new look Center Line Soccer here. 
This blog is also posted at MLS_UK in the Eurosnob-free blog at www.majorleaguesocceruk.com