A new day in San Jose

It was just a few days ago that we wondered what it would take to for the San Jose Earthquakes to change their luck. If last night was any indication, we now know the answer: the signings of a right-footed, left-sided English speedster; a Brazilian midfielder with Serie A experience; a scoring Wizard; and a visit from the Honduras Olympic team.

Yes, if yesterday’s 4-0 thrashing of the Central American Olympians was any indication, things are changing in San Jose, if only because it provided a new benchmark for the team. The Quakes didn’t field all their regular starters — Michael Gustavson started in goal, with Jay Ayres in defense, and Matt Hatzke and Shea Salinas in the midfield — but the result will buoy the team’s confidence. The whole team has been working hard in practice, but their hard luck tale in MLS has prevented them from seeing the progress they’ve made. A 4-0 win demonstrates that yes, the team really is coming together — all that hard work really is paying off. The quality of the competition last night wasn’t up to MLS standards, but confidence breeds confidence, so a 4-0 win is a good first step. Oh, and if you missed the match, check out our video highlights (including footge of all four goals) and photo gallery, courtesy of our own Harvey Rañola and Joe Nuxoll, respectively. For the game story, CLS columnist Pete Ratajczak provides all the details in a report for MLSnet.com.

As for the new guys, check out this page for audio from the press conference as well as exclusive interviews with coach Frank Yallop and GM John Doyle about how Francisco Lima, Darren Huckerby, and Scott Sealy were signed and what they will bring to the team. (For those of you who are concerned about Sealy being in the last year of his contract, we encourage you to listen to the Doyle interview for his rationale on that signing.)

Oh, and if anyone is concerned about Lima’s fitness, we have already have proof that he’s in better shape than Marcelo Vega, Cuauhtémoc Blanco, or 99.999 percent of the 37-year-old males out there, thanks to a quick jersey change at yesterday’s press conference:

Any questions? Didn’t think so.