Breathe….breathe in the air

Given that I’m about to head to China for the Olympics, the Pink Floyd reference seems apt.

For those wondering where the heck I’ve been for the last two weeks, my family and I took in some badly needed vacation in the clean mountain air of New Hampshire, before I irreparably scar my lungs at the Olympics.

Of course, Murphy’s Law being what it is, the doings in Camp Quake kicked into overdrive while I was away, with no fewer than four new players arriving to bolster San Jose’s attack. It proves once and for all that if you cover soccer in this country, there is never a good time to take a vacation. Heck, I scheduled my wedding in December of 2006 thinking that period was guaranteed to be a time of no breaking news. So what happens? Bob Bradley gets hired as U.S. national team coach the day before my nuptials. So much for my clever plans.

As for the present, I have to say that had the Quakes opened the season with the current lineup, their chances of making the playoffs would have improved considerably, but it takes two to tango when it comes to trades, and it now appears that teams are more willing to deal.

The Sealy trade still strikes me as a bit of a head-scratcher, though. It’s not that I don’t think he’s quality. The guy is a proven double digit scorer in MLS, but the fact that he’s on record as having overseas ambitions leads me to think that San Jose may have overpaid in what I think is a now-futile quest to make the playoffs. If the acquisition of Pat Noonan ever takes place, then perhaps he can give Sealy a bit of insight as to why he should stay stateside.

Did I say futile? Yep. True, there are plenty of games left, and Yallop almost pulled off a miracle late-season run last year with Los Angeles. But being unable to beat a bad New York team at home doesn’t exactly leave one with the feeling that a winning streak is in the cards. Could it happen? Yes. I just don’t think it will.

But even if a playoff spot appears to be unreachable, one thing these deals have given Quakes fans is hope for the future. People have a reason to watch again, and who knows, maybe an October surprise is in the works.

In the meantime, feel free to check out my work over at ESPN while I’m at the Olympics over the next three weeks. And for those of you left watching the Quakes, take another bit of advice from Pink Floyd. “Don’t be afraid to care.”