Quakes broadcasts to see a lot of changes in 2010
By Jay Hipps · March 11, 2010
The Earthquakes will be making a host of changes to their TV broadcasts this season, both on the screen and behind the mics. Welcome news to San Jose supporters is the news that all match broadcasts in 2010 will be in high definition, a first for the team. Currently, 15 games are scheduled to air on Comcast SportsNet, with 13 on Comcast SportsNet California and one each on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area and Comcast SportsNet Plus. Combined with national TV broadcasts and the MLS Direct Kick pay-per-view package, all 30 Earthquakes games will be available on television.
As for the changes in the broadcast booth, two new faces will be joining the San Jose broadcast team. Jim Kozimor will take over play-by-play duties this year, with John Shrader sliding over one chair to fill the role of analyst. Dan Dibley of KNBR is the team’s new sideline reporter. Read more…
Wednesday news wrap
By Jay Hipps · March 10, 2010
It’s a chilly Wednesday morning by the Bay but hot off the presses is the news that the Quakes have once again prevailed over a Premiership reserve side during their 10-day stay in London. This time, it was the Spurs reserves going down 1-0 on a 51st minute goal from Bobby Burling. Perhaps the most impressive part of the feat is that the only regulars in the San Jose starting 11 were Ramón Sanchez and Cornell Glen; instead, it was Andrew Weber earning the clean sheet in goal, fronted by a back four of Steve Beitashour, Burling, Ike Opara, and Justin Morrow. The rest of the Earthquakes lineup consisted of Simon Elliott, Antonio Ribeiro, Quincy Amarikwa, and Chris Wondolowski. For Tottenham, the side was Alnwick, Walker, Kaboul, Dervite, Smith, Townsend, Livermore, Parrett, Rose, Mason, and Kane. (As reader Dave in San Jose points out in the comments below, there’s now an article on the match, along with a photo gallery, at Spurs’ web site.)
Note to Quakes: Look into acquiring this Livermore person. I see potential for a “Where’s Livermore?” ad campaign.
It’s the second victory in a row for the Quakes over a reserve side for a team from the Prem. On Tuesday, San Jose beat West Ham’s reserves 2-0. Love the hammers on the wall in the dressing room there. Despite the loss, the English press reports that head Quake Frank Yallop thinks Kieron Dyer may yet overcome his injury problem to feature for West Ham.
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We’ve been lax on keeping up with South Africa news in advance of the World Cup, but that will be changing soon. In the meantime, enjoy these two galleries of photos of the new Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, which will host both the first and final games of the tournament. Kudos to all involved in SA for creating some of the most impressive stadiums around for soccer’s big event. We’ll be passing along more photos and other tidbits in the coming weeks and months. And yes — opening kickoff is only 92 days away!
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Three members of FC Gold Pride have been called up to the U.S. women’s national team camp for the team’s two friendlies against Mexico later this month. Joining red, white, and blue regulars — goalkeeper Nicole Barnhart and defender Rachel Buehler — is rookie forward Kelley O’Hara.
The sides square off on March 28th in San Diego (TV: Fox Soccer Channel) and March 31st in Sandy, Utah (TV:ESPN2).
FC Gold Pride opened their training camp on Monday. They’ll be holding a closed-door scrimmage today against Japanese side TEPCO Mareeze, the same side that will feature in Saturday’s free exhibition that begins at 6:30 at the Mustang Soccer Complex in Danville. Look for a report from training camp on this week’s Center Line Soccer podcast.
Soccer fever: catch it!
By Jay Hipps · March 3, 2010
The rabid enthusiasm of soccer supporters is well known; fandom could probably be defined as one of the most contagious diseases known to humankind since one rarely becomes a footie follower without contact from others. As it turns out, though, there is something even more communicable: actual viruses. So, as the Earthquakes depart this afternoon for a week in residence at Tottenham Hotspur’s training grounds outside London — check out this cool aerial shot of the facilities — we feel it necessary to point out that those same facilities were closed down last week after several players caught a “vomiting bug,” as the Guardian reported. (Well, sort of closed down. As Goal.com notes, Spurs manager Harry Redknapp, apparently channeling Yogi Berra, told reporters, “We’ve closed the training ground. Everything is off limits. We’re just going to train there and that’s it.”)
On the bright side, this story provides a perfect excuse to re-introduce the soundtrack to the Solar-Powered Soccer Blog, as we pick a tune from our favorite band that’s named after a disease.
There’s more news from across the pond, too. Former Earthquakes Darren Huckerby and Davide Somma get some ink — er, pixels — over the latter’s loan to English fourth division side Lincoln City. Hucks compliments Somma, saying “When I saw him in America I thought he had everything you need to be a decent player,” then adds this cryptic comment: “He was unlucky not to play more games at San Jose but things are very different over there, sometimes if your face doesn’t fit you don’t get picked.” Is this some weird English idiom? As far as we remember, Somma’s face seemed to fit, just like everyone else’s, right between his ears.
The FC Gold Pride brain trust decided recently that Brandi Chastain didn’t fit into their plans anymore, and she is, understandably, none too pleased about it. She told the Mercury News last month that she thought she deserved a try-out, and the American soccer icon told Big Apple Soccer that her departure left “a bitter taste in my mouth.” This is hardly surprising — in fact, it’s an indication that the remarkable drive that pushed Chastain to compete at the highest level and to return to the pro ranks as a 40-year-old mom last season still motivates her now. Today, USA Today’s Beau Dure notes that she has another issue to raise: Is Marta too expensive for WPS? An interesting rhetorical question, to which we reply “How could WPS claim to be the best women’s league in the world without the best player in the world?”
In any case, Brandi fans, fret not — you’ll get a chance to see her later this month when she appears March 14 as the guest speaker at the seventh annual Salinas Californian All-Star High School Soccer Classic at Salinas High School, details of which are here.
That’s all the news for the day — we’ll let you return your attention to the rockin’ performance by The Hives you see above. Man, that tune is positively infectious, don’t you think?
Gold Pride pre-season schedule features three local exhibitions
By Jay Hipps · February 25, 2010
Bay Area fans will get three free opportunities to see the new and improved FC Gold Pride during their month-long preseason schedule, with exhibition matches taking place in Danville, San Francisco, and Santa Clara. Read more…
Gjertsen signing finally official
By Jay Hipps · February 11, 2010
Center Line Soccer has learned that the San Jose Earthquakes have completed the signing of midfielder/forward Joey Gjertsen, 27, from the Montreal Impact. Gjertsen’s move has been expected since a Montreal paper reported over three weeks ago that the former USL MVP was leaving the Quebec club, but the move had not been made official until today. Read more…
The news wrap rides again!
By Jay Hipps · February 10, 2010
We’ve been doing some brainstorming for the upcoming year here at Center Line Soccer and I think I’ve come up with a winner of an idea for this column: Print it in tiny, tiny letters and call it “All the News That’s Fit to Squint.” No? OK, then — but as long as we’re on the topic, let us know if you have any requests, suggestions, or comments on what you’d like to see from us so we can better serve the CLS community using the form at the bottom of the page. Thanks! Read more…
Marta acquired by FC Gold Pride
By Jay Hipps · February 4, 2010
FC Gold Pride added four-time reigning FIFA World Player Marta to its roster this morning, selecting the talented Brazilian in the Women’s Professional Soccer dispersal draft.
Although the move adds a big dose of world-class luster to the Bay Area soccer scene, it doesn’t come as a big surprise. As Center Line Soccer reported yesterday, Gold Pride general manager Ilisa Kessler and the team’s owners were committed to taking Marta if she was available for selection with their number three pick in the draft. With St. Louis and Philadelphia expected to make more conservative choices — Marta’s salary is reportedly in the $400,000 to $500,000 range — it seemed quite likely that FC Gold Pride would prevail.
There’s no need to speculate any more, however: Marta will be wearing black and gold this season. Eventually, St. Louis chose U.S. international Shannon Boxx and Philadelphia opted for Canadian goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc, leaving FCGP their dream pick. The Pride also added two forwards in the dispersal draft who were picked by the Sol in last month’s draft, Kiki Bosio (Santa Clara) and Lindsay Browne (Clemson).
We’ll have more on the story later today, including interviews with FC Gold Pride general manager Ilisa Kessler and head coach Albertin Montoya. Here is a complete list of players chosen in the draft.
WPS Dispersal Draft (player rights held by the Los Angeles Sol)
Round 1
1. Shannon Boxx, M – Saint Louis Athletica *
2. Karina LeBlanc, GK – Philadelphia Independence
3. Marta, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
4. Casey Nogueira, F – Chicago Red Stars
5. Stephanie Cox, D – Boston Breakers
6. Nikki Washington, M – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
7. Brittany Bock, D – Washington Freedom
8. Aya Miyama, M – Saint Louis Athletica
Round 2
9. Manya Makoski, M – Atlanta Beat
10. Faith Ikidi, D/F – Washington Freedom
11. Kiersten Dallstream, F – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
12. Michelle Enyeart, F – Boston Breakers
13. Kiki Bosio, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area) ^
14. Tina DiMartino, M – Saint Louis Athletica #
15. Estelle Johnson, D – Philadelphia Independence
16. Pavlina Scasna, F – Atlanta Beat
Round 3
17. Pass – Atlanta Beat
18. Pass – Philadelphia Independence
19. Lindsay Browne, F – FC Gold Pride (Bay Area)
20. Pass – Chicago Red Stars
21. Pass – Boston Breakers
22. Pass – Sky Blue FC (NJ/NY)
23. Pass – Washington Freedom
24. Catherine Sorenson, M – Saint Louis Athletica
* via trade with Atlanta Beat (trade prior to draft)
^ via trade with Chicago Red Stars (Chicago receives FC Gold Pride’s 2nd Round pick in 2011 WPS Draft)
# via trade with Chicago Red Stars (Chicago receives Saint Louis Athletica’s 2nd Round pick in 2011 WPS Draft)
NOTE: Mary Casey, GK, is now a free agent; Midfielder Julie Rydahl Bukh’s WPS rights have been released.
Gold Pride to sign Marta?
By Jay Hipps · February 3, 2010
When St. Louis Athletica traded for the top spot in the L.A. Sol dispersal draft yesterday, the obvious conclusion was that they would be picking Marta, the Brazilian midfield maestro who led the league in scoring last season and pulled in big crowds wherever she played. Now, however, it looks like that might not be the case — the four-time reigning FIFA World Player of the Year may be on her way to the Bay Area. Read more…
Departure of LA Sol from WPS leaves Gold Pride as sole West Coast team
By Jay Hipps · January 28, 2010
A frequently-heard complaint during FC Gold Pride’s inaugural season was that the team’s name didn’t designate a geographical area. With Thursday’s announcement that the Los Angeles Sol was being disbanded prior to the 2010 WPS season, what was perceived as a shortcoming may turn into an asset.
“We’re it on the West Coast for professional women’s soccer, and that’s great,” said Ilisa Kessler, FC Gold Pride general manager. “We represent more people now and we’re willing to carry that banner.” Read more…
Quakes to create training field at Airport West site
By Jay Hipps · January 28, 2010
It’s not a stadium, but it’s a start. The Earthquakes will be announcing shortly the construction of a training field on the Airport West site, the property that is under option to team owner Lew Wolff for a new soccer stadium along with a large development featuring office and retail space and two hotels. Read more…
