Quakes waive two from developmental squad; plus, injury updates

There’s nothing in the general media about the Quakes today, so we’ve taken the advice of long-time local broadcaster Scoop Nisker and made some news of our own.

Yesterday, the Quakes waived Greg Curry and Adam Sloustcher, two defenders who had signed developmental contracts earlier this season. We expect that many of our readers would hear this news and think, “Ah, the Quakes are making room on the roster for some new talent,” and while that may be the case, there’s no one waiting in the wings. Earthquakes spokesperson Jed Mettee told us this morning that the team’s developmental roster is now down to six players, which means that they could conceivably sign an additional four developmental players before they hit the league limit of 10. The senior roster is currently full, so someone will have to be shown the door if the team signs a new player, as is expected, when the transfer window opens on July 15.

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James Riley was shown a red card for a rough challenge on a 50/50 ball in the 83rd minute of Sunday’s match against DC United and was helped off the field afterwards, apparently unable to put any weight on his left leg. The Quakes tell us that the problem was a cramp, so no long-term damage was done.

The same cannot be said for Jovan Kirovski, however.  His status last week was probable, due to a right ankle sprain. This week, the results from his MRI are back and the diagnosis is a stress fracture, which means he could be out as little as two weeks or, depending on how quickly it heals, much longer.

There’s bad news for Gavin Glinton, too. It was thought that his sports hernia surgery would keep him out of the lineup for only a few games, but he has now been diagnosed with a strain to his right adductor, a muscle that connects the pelvis to the femur (sing it with us: “the hip bone’s connected to the thigh bone”). What makes the situation more ominous is that it is a mirror image of the problems on the left side that had him in and out of the Galaxy lineup last year.

DC United hundió a los Quakes 3-1
¡… 8 perdidos!

DC United despuntó 3×1 a San José Earthquakes en el estadio RFK ante 17,922 aficionados en una calurosa tarde que marcó los 90° de temperatura. Con esta nueva perdida quedaron sepultados en la tabla de la Conferencia del Oeste con un récord de 3-8-2  y 11 puntos (10 goles a favor y 20 en contra). Read more

La calidad del DC superó a Los Quakes con una victoria de 3-1

Ryan Johnson (19) delantero del San José Earthquakes protege el balón del zaguero Gonzalo Peralta (2) del DC United. Foto por Jose Argueta/isiphotos.com

La actuación brillante que separó la victoria de 3-1 del DC United sobre el San José Earthquakes el domingo en la tarde en el estadio RFK. Fue la cortesía por parte del defensa colombiano Gonzalo Martínez, quién paso varias temporadas en la “Serie A” de Italia, dándole el gol de la victoria de un esfuerzo individual, el repique de su tiro dentro del poste, rompiendo de esta manera un partido debatido y mostró de nuevo la diferencia, la importancia y la calidad de cómo es que se define.

Este resultado de Los Earthquakes será de perfeccionarlo hacia la experiencia. Toda la semana el cuerpo técnico y jugadores hablaron de la importancia de originar actitud agresiva apropiada en cada partido, y en lo sucesivo desligaron esa determinación contra el DC. Solamente con actitud no se ganan los encuentros, pienso que calidad también se requiere, y de eso a Los Quakes les hace falta. Read more

Many positives despite Earthquakes’ loss

The next time someone asks us how long it takes for a team to jell, as Jon Swenson of Sharkspage did a couple weeks ago, we’ll finally be able to give a definite answer: including preseason, about four months or 20 games, give or take. We can say that because, despite the lopsided score line, the Quakes turned in their most balanced performance of the year yesterday at RFK Stadium.

The Quakes were solid defensively — two of DC United’s three goals came off deflections in the box, and the second came off an outstanding individual effort by Gonzalo Peralta — and their attack came from everywhere. We saw overlapping runs on both wings that resulted in scoring opportunities, along with long shots, set pieces, and the occasional long ball out of the back. The fact that the only opportunity the team could finish came off a blunder by DC goalkeeper Zach Wells doesn’t diminish the fact that the team was creating chances, and that’s a big step.

All the near misses do point out the need for a confident finisher, though. The race for a starting spot at forward for the Quakes is being treated like a bizarre variant of hot potato, where no one seems willing to grab hold and make that position their own. Ryan Johnson has certainly put in the effort, and we applaud him for it, but both he and coach Frank Yallop will tell you that he’s naturally a wide midfielder, not a forward.

With the midsummer transfer window opening soon, the Earthquakes have a chance to find that player. Let’s hope they do, and it takes a lot less than 20 games to get him integrated into the lineup. If that happens, we might get a chance to see some playoff soccer out at Buck Shaw this year.

Post-game reports from all over:

- MLSnet.com offers a match report, a story from the Quakes’ locker room, and video highlights.

- The Mercury News and Washington Post have match reports, too.

We were also going to link to a story on the match from the Washington Times, but then we read this sentence: “Midfielder Clyde Simms ripped one of his trademark 25-yard drives to earn his second goal in as many games.” Really? Clyde Simms has a trademark on low shots that are mistakenly deflected into the net by defenders? Uh, no. Nobody needs to read that.

DC quality outpaces Quakes in 3-1 victory

San Jose Earthquakes’ forward Ryan Johnson (19) shields the ball from DC United defender Gonzalo Peralta (2). Photo by Jose Argueta/isiphotos.com

(Por este articulo en español, haga clic aqui.)

(UPDATED) It took a moment of brilliance to separate the sides in DC United’s 3-1 home victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday afternoon at RFK Stadium. It came courtesy of Gonzalo Martinez, a Colombian defender who spent several seasons in Italy’s Serie A, who scored the game winner with an outstanding individual effort that ended with his shot ringing off the inside of the post, breaking up a deadlocked match and showing yet again the importance that quality finishing can make.

It was a result that the Earthquakes will have to chalk up to experience. All week, the team’s coaches and players spoke of the importance of bringing the proper aggressive attitude to each match, and they succeeded in unleashing that determination against DC. Attitude alone can’t win matches, though — there needs to be quality as well, and in that, the Quakes were lacking. Read more

Earthquakes/DC pre-game press wrap

As we officially enter summer, it’s a good news/bad news day here on the solar-powered soccer blog. (Summer = good news, unless you’ve been inconvenienced by the mini heat wave we’ve experienced the last few days.)

For instance, there’s good news and bad news regarding today’s televised soccer. The good news is that three games are on national TV today: the Quakes/DC match on TeleFutura (channel 66 in the Bay Area), the Spain/Italy Euro 2008 quarterfinal (ESPN and ESPN-HD), and the second leg of the US/Barbados World Cup qualifying series (ESPN Classic). The bad news is that all three matches kick off within a half-hour of each other, so it’s going to be next to impossible to watch all three, even with technological assistance. Personally, we’re going to skip the Barbados match — there’s simply no way back for the Caribbean nation after their 8-0 loss in the first leg.

The theme continues when we cast a glance at the international scene. Kai Kamara’s Sierra Leone side has once again accomplished the unexpected, earning an away draw to South Africa in qualifying for both the 2010 World Cup and the African Cup of Nations. Kamara went 90 minutes before being subbed in stoppage time. So what’s bad about that? Well, just like San Jose, Sierra Leone isn’t scoring a lot of goals, either — the match was scoreless. The best news on this front is that Kamara’s stretch with his national side now comes to an end, so he’ll be back with the Quakes for next weekend’s match in Chicago.

Today, though, the focus is on RFK Stadium, where San Jose will take on DC United. Here’s the pre-game press wrap:

- Our own Jeff Carlisle previews the game for MLSnet.com. (There’s also a story from the DC perspective as well as a fact sheet.) Pre-match previews are also available from the AP and Goal.com.

- Steven Goff of the Washington Post offers a preview here.

A good bit of business

In talking to Frank Yallop prior to this weekend’s game against D.C. United, one topic that came up was the solid play of Kelly Gray. In the course of that discussion, Yallop revealed why, when Gray was available on waivers earlier in the season, he didn’t take him.

Read more

The pre-pregame

Since the Quakes headed straight to DC after their scoreless draw in Salt Lake City on Wednesday night, we don’t have a lot of first-hand news for you about the team.

Well, mostly. Actually, we have discovered today that Kelly Gray is writing a bi-monthly blog for Goal.com. (For them and not for Center Line? Geez, what are we, chopped liver? The folks at Goal.com couldn’t even be bothered to find a current picture of Gray to run with his column. Humph.)

The other story in the press today, and we think it may be a mistake, actually, is a pre-game piece by Michael Erler in the San Mateo Daily Journal.  It’s a good story but there is this bit here:

The Earthquakes’ grueling trip continues tonight at our nation’s capital against the D.C. United…

It’s not tonight, the game is tomorrow, and the words “the D.C. United” just shouldn’t appear together. (We suspect his editors played a part in that since Erler is a pretty knowledgeable writer.)

That’s it for today. We’re off to watch the Holland/Russia match and recommend that any soccer fan do the same. Hmm, there must be an orange shirt around here somewhere…

Quakes need to bring attitude to DC

Ivan Guerrero, right, is back from international duty with the Honduras national team. File photo, John Todd, centerlinesoccer.com/isiphotos.com.

Attitude is everything. How one approaches training and matches goes a long way in getting the desired results. Against Real Salt Lake Wednesday evening, the Earthquakes were forced through injury and a referee’s decision to toughen up and play to get a point. A good workmanlike effort. Nothing like having to fight for each other when you need to build team unity. They’ll need the same mindset on Sunday at RFK. Read more

The return of the Rowdies

The name “Tampa Bay Rowdies” will bring back all sorts of memories to Earthquakes fans from the NASL era. Starting in 2010, a new generation of soccer fans will get a chance to watch the Rowdies play soccer.

The team will compete in the USL-1, according to the league’s press release. The team’s ownership has hired former Rowdie player and Tampa Bay Mutiny coach Perry Van Der Beck and plans to build a privately-financed stadium as well.

Center Line Soccer’s Tim Hanley actually played for the Rowdies back in 1980-81 and has a number of humorous stories about his time with the club. Here’s one:

When Frank Worthington came to the Rowdies for the ‘81 outdoor season, the press conference was held at the Bay Harbour Inn, a nice hotel just outside of Tampa. Frank had played in the NASL with the Philidelphia Fury and so was accustomed to the atmosphere. During the questions portion, one of the local reporters asked Frank if he intended to work
hard or is this just a summer holiday? This question had become more frequent as a number of Brits in the past had really come over for an extended holiday at the NASL’s expense. Right when this reporter queries Frank about work habits, out of Frank’s duty-free bag drops a fifth of scotch and a fifth of vodka. The bottles shatter on the floor and, as the powerful fumes spread, the pace of the reporter’s scribbling increases.

The ESPN report of the Rowdies’ announcement doesn’t mention any shattered booze bottles, so it sounds like they’re off on the right foot. Still, we have to admire the tenacity of the NASL players in their quest to put the “rowdy” in the Rowdies.

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