Back to Buck Shaw
It’s been almost four months since the Earthquakes played a match at Buck Shaw Stadium, but that streak ends tonight as the Colorado Rapids stop by for a pre-season friendly. There’s no rain in the weather forecast so tonight should be a good opportunity to get a first look at new players like Cam Weaver and Pablo Campos. There’s no word yet if Akiii Riiiiihiiilahtiii will be available, though. (Is that spelled right? Looks like it may be missing a few i’s.) Kickoff is 7:30 and, if you haven’t already made arrangements for tickets, they’re $10 at the door.
As for the Rapids, Goal.com‘s Kyle McCarthy noted this week that they’re a team on the rise under new coach Gary Smith. Pablo Mastroeni is back and a slew of young players has also re-signed with the club. They’ve acquired former Galaxy defender Ty Harden and former Fire-Earthquakes-DC United workhorse Ivan Guerrero. Former MLS MVP Christian Gomez is out after a lackluster single season with the club. So far in the preseason, they’ve defeated Florida International University and Jacksonville University, each by a 3-0 tally, but lost 1-0 to FC Dallas.
It’s the preseason, so the result doesn’t matter. We may or may not see some great soccer on display. Does it matter? It will be great fun to get back to Buck Shaw.
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Speaking of the Galaxy, Harden isn’t the only young player they’ve moved off the roster since the end of last season. On Wednesday, the team waived goalkeeper Steve Cronin, defenders Brandon McDonald, Mike Randolph and Troy Roberts, and midfielder Ely Allen. Cronin once played in San Jose, Troy Roberts’ brother Jamil is on San Jose’s current roster, and several of those players worked under current Earthquakes boss Frank Yallop. It remains to be seen if the Quakes move to acquire any of these folks, but it looks like the Galaxy have once again given up on a bunch of young talent as they have done so often in the past. (Do names like Brian Ching and Brian Mullan ring any bells?)
As the Washington Post‘s Steve Goff points out, at least they still have Chris Klein (age 33), Eddie Lewis (34), Donovan Ricketts (31), Jovan Kirovski (almost 34), Dema Kovalenko (31) and Tony Sanneh (37).
Hard to believe that Sanneh is still playing at that age. How do you have a job in MLS at age 37? Play well for Bruce Arena when you’re 31.
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In other Earthquakes news, the team announced this week that they’ll be facing the Los Toros Rojos of New York (yes, the Solar-Powered Soccer Blog is still refusing to mention the brand name of the energy drink this year) in a U.S. Open Cup play-in match at Buck Shaw on Wednesday, April 27. San Jose’s 2008 Open Cup quest ended in at that stage last year in Salt Lake City, in a match that was marred an epic clash of heads between Earthquakes teammates Ryan Cochrane and Jay Ayres. Earthquakes trainer Bruce Morgan later likened the sound of the collision to that of a watermelon tossed off a five-story building.
At least it wasn’t as messy as a balloon filled with guacamole taking that plunge.
Center Line Soccer photography will get ramped up and back in action this evening, so look for a gallery spread from the game later tonight!
what fun!
Well Joe, you get to show all the highlights! =)
The LA Galaxy are looking older now. The Dema move was a good one though.