I bet you’d look good on the Buck Shaw

It’s been a few days since the news has emerged that former Norwich City star Darren Huckerby is being pursued by the Quakes, and the rumors seem to be heating up.

The fact that Huckerby is leaving the Canaries at all has come as a shock to the club’s fans, who have responded by lobbying for a testimonial match and creating YouTube tribute videos (the Arctic Monkeys soundtrack is a nice touch, we think). As for the tribute match, Huckerby’s former teammate Iwan Roberts is all for it, according to the Pink’Un. (The Pink’Un story also makes liberal use of quotes from stories from Center Line Soccer’s Jeff Carlisle and Elliott Almond of the Mercury News.)

Speaking of Yallop, he’s quoted quite a bit in a story by Ipswich Town correspondent Mark Armstrong on MyFootballWriter.com:

Yallop, who won the Player of the Year accolade from the Portman Road fans 20 years ago, said: “The league rules say that Toronto have first refusal on Darren but I am sure he will be aware of our interest via his agent.

“I must stress, however, that we will only be able to do something if Toronto decide, for whatever reason, not to pursue their interest in signing him or if Darren turns down the chance to go there.

“We are next in line and I can’t deny I would love to have Darren here. He is a player I have admired for a number of years and I have always liked the way he plays the game.

“Darren is pacy, he goes straight at opponents and usually past them, plus he has a number of tricks and a decent scoring record. He’s exciting, a potential match-winner and the fans over here would love his style of play.”

“I have been looking at DVDs of him playing for Norwich in the season just ended and I can see he still has plenty to offer, but I cannot say any more than that at this stage.

“I think Darren intends to come out here, visit Toronto and then depending on how he feels he might come and give us a look in San Jose. I suppose things should be a lot clearer in a week or two.”

Considering the fierce rivalry between Ipswich Town and Norwich City, it probably seems a bit odd to those in the UK that a Tractor Boys legend like Yallop would speak so glowingly of Huckerby. Bearing in mind Yallop’s last place of employment, however, it’s not something Quakes fans would likely have a problem with.

• • •
In other news:-Oakland A’s GM and Earthquakes executive VP of Sports Operations Billy Beane’s efforts to quantify the various components that make up the Beautiful Game are drawing more attention in England, according to this story on Bloomberg.com.

- The Earthquakes’ weekly update is here.

- Joe Cannon shares his thoughts on Mothers’ Day in his latest blog for the Quakes.

Quakes chasing a Canary?

Besides things we’d rather forget — like the fact that Columbus set a team record with 18 corner kicks on Saturday, and the Crew’s Robbie Rogers was named MLS Player of the Week after his brace against the Quakes — there’s one interesting item in the news, courtesy of the UK-based publication Pink’un.

According to their story, the Quakes and Toronto FC are both chasing former Norwich City forward Darren Huckerby:

The 32-year-old was axed by Norwich manager Glenn Roeder last week and is being linked with a whole host of new challenges after his four-and-a-half years at Carrow Road, with a move overseas looking the favourite.

Huckerby has already been rumoured to be heading for Toronto, who are in their second season in Major League Soccer, with reports at the weekend claiming San Jose Earthquakes are also interested.

However, Toronto would appear to have the advantage - they already have former Norwich team-mates Jim Brennan and Carl Robinson, who are currently captain and vice-captain respectively - on their books and, according to the report, have first refusal on the player.

Huckerby is primarily a forward but can also play on the left wing. His career stats with the Canaries show a total of 48 goals in 203 appearances, although his output dropped to just five goals in 37 total appearances in the recently completed 2007-08 season. His Wikipedia entry notes that he was named Norwich City player of the year in 2005 and 2007.

Post-game press panoply

Ouch. That one hurt.

The Quakes’ defense had been relatively solid so far this year. Sure, there were some mistakes that led to goals, but giving up an average of a goal a game is going to get you pretty far in MLS. So, after shutting out the highly-touted offense of FC Dallas last week, following similarly decent defensive results against New York, Colorado, and Chicago, more emphasis was placed on offense. Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop told us that he wanted his players to have the attitude that “I’m going into this match looking to score a goal,” and it worked. The Quakes scored twice. The bad news is that they let in three, thanks to an ugly 11-minute span in the second half that saw Columbus slice open the Quakes defense with the deadly combination of speed and diagonal through balls. (Full credit to Columbus, though — that’s the best team we’ve seen in MLS so far this year.)

What makes this loss more challenging is that it brings into question the team’s depth. Last night’s performance looked like someone trying to cover a bowl full of leftovers with a piece of plastic wrap that was just a little too small. If you cover one half, you leave the other half exposed. Stretch the wrap to cover both sides and you may open up a hole in the middle.

The easy way out would be to say “they’re just not good enough,” or “they need better players,” but we think that sells the current roster short. The Quakes have talented players all over the field, guys who have already proven themselves in MLS. What they’re lacking is the intuitive understanding of their teammates’ play — where they’ll be at any moment, how they move, and what decisions they’ll make in a certain situation. Soccer at this level is a game of collective improvisation, and that kind of understanding doesn’t appear overnight.

This is a difficult loss and it’s sure to test the team’s resilience. But if they remain committed to each other and to the direction of the coaching staff, they can turn this experience into a new resolve to dig a bit deeper to find ways to succeed.

Here’s today’s media roundup:

- Center Line Soccer’s Jeff Carlisle turned in three stories for MLSnet.com last night: a match report and post-game wrap-ups highlighting the Quakes and the Crew. MLS also provides video highlights of the match here.

- Game coverage is also provided by the Mercury News, the Columbus Dispatch, and the Associated Press (provided here by the International Herald Tribune).

Pre-game press roundup

Quakes fans will find out later today if that Crew Stadium magic travels well, or if Columbus is going to revert to the form that saw them finish next-to-last in the Eastern Conference last year. Here’s today’s media roundup:

- First off, there’s a brief mention of former NASL Quake Godfrey Ingram at icWales.co.uk, where they’re building up for the upcoming FA Cup final between Cardiff City and Portsmouth. Apparently, Ingram was almost transferred to Cardiff City in ‘82, but the club welshed on the deal. (Get it? A team from Wales welshed? OK, sorry — it probably is too early in the morning for wordplay.)

- Mercury News reporter Elliott Almond provides a splendid profile of Peguero Jean Philippe, who, as our colleague Jeff Carlisle first noted here, is projected to get his first start tonight.

- The Columbus Dispatch files this pregame report from the visiting team’s perspective.

Loosey-goosey

Had a chance to watch the team practice yesterday and the mood is definitely upbeat. Frank Yallop is pushing for a win and emphasizing goal scoring — check out the audio interview here — but if the guys are feeling any pressure, it doesn’t show.

Even the coaches are loosey-goosey. As practice wound down, a three-sided kickaround developed between Yallop, assistant coach Ian Russell, and goalkeeper coach Jason Batty. While we’re certain that even Yallop would admit that he doesn’t have the wheels to play anymore, we can report that he still delivers a ball from 40 yards with great accuracy.

Former Quakes midfielder Ronnie Ekelund was also on hand, and said that things were going well in his transition from player to coach. “I’ve been with Frank before, just on the other side of the fence, but he’s easy to work with and I think we’ve got a good bunch of guys here.” Yallop’s collaborative approach to his coaching staff means that Ekelund doesn’t have any specific responsibilities (set pieces, for example), but is free to contribute ideas or observations to both players and his fellow coaches. At home games, he has been stationed above the action to watch the match unfold from more of a bird’s eye view. “I come down at half time and give my input.”

The positive mood among the players means that even the act of heading back to the locker room can give rise to some friendly competition. As Kei Kamara and a teammate left the Buck Shaw pitch on the way to the showers, Kamara called for two balls from equipment manager Alan Kakinami. Standing at one side of Stanton Field, the new artificial turf practice field, first Kamara and then his compatriot kicked a ball towards the small gate on the other side of the field in an impromptu game of soccer golf. (Kamara won, to the immediate response of “Rematch!”)

In short, Yallop wants a home win and spirits are high. We think Columbus is going to have their hands full on Saturday night.

• • •Today’s media round-up:

- Fan correspondent Kevin Matthiessen turns in his review of last Saturday’s match for Soccer by Ives, and even manages to work in a plug for Center Line Soccer. Thanks, Kevin! You remain our favorite fan correspondent writing for a blog operated by a former New Jersey newspaper reporter.

- Tacoma’s News Tribune looks forward to a rivalry in 2009 between the Quakes and the Sounders. It’s not mentioned in the story, but we understand there are already discussions underway between supporters of the two teams for a special cup competition between the two sides every year. Stay tuned…

- CSTV.com notes the signing of former South Carolina goalkeeper Mike Gustavson to a contract with the Quakes.

- NPSL side Real San Jose is offering a special deal on tickets for Earthquakes fans. At 3:00 on Saturday, RSJ faces the reigning Northwest Conference champion, Sonoma Sol, at Paz Rocha Stadium on the campus of Yerba Buena High School. Earthquakes fans who show their Quakes game ticket can get a 50 percent discount, bringing the cost of an adult ticket to see Real San Jose to $5 and a youth ticket to $2.50. See their web site for more details.

- Finally, MLSnet.com offers just the facts, ma’am, about Saturday’s match.

Views from campus

Santa Clara University’s student newspaper The Santa Clara has two Quakes-related stories today. And why not, with so many former Santa Clara students on the Quakes’ roster? The current count is five: Joe Cannon, Ryan Cochrane, Eric Denton, and developmental players Matt Hatzke and Jamil Roberts.

The first is a report from the game and includes a number of glowing reviews of the new stadium:

“It’s a nice little stadium to play in,” said Quakes midfielder Ronnie O’Brien. “It has a very intimate feel.”

“It was incredible,” said Cannon. “The fans are right there close to you. The fact that it’s a small intimate stadium makes it feel like Europe. This is going to be a tough place to come in and play… San Jose has always had great fans. Let’s keep proving it.”

Don Gagliardi, president and founder of Soccer Silicon Valley, was thrilled with the outcome of the stadium renovations at Buck Shaw.

“It looks tremendous. I’ve been to a lot of Santa Clara games, but obviously this field is a lot nicer and there are a lot more people,” said Gagliardi. “They’ve done a lot of great stuff to improve the atmosphere here. It really gives the intimate feel that makes for a great environment.”

The paper’s second story covers parking and other logistical issues at the new venue. Not very exciting, to be honest, but we’re including it for the sake of completeness.

More to come later today…

Buck Shaw lauded, plus DC gets a shirt sponsor

There’s not a lot about the Quakes in the news today so we’re going to broaden our scope just a bit. First though, we’d like to announce that blog headquarters is now officially solar powered. Yes, we have installed a 4.56 kW photovoltaic system here at the fabulous penthouse offices of the Jay Hipps CLS blog, which means that the electrons used in the making of the blog were freed without the use of fossil fuels. We can’t say the same for the server farm that brings you this content or even for our fellow staff here on CLS, but please consider yourself a reader of America’s premier solar-powered soccer blog.

We only have one Earthquakes-related story today, courtesy of ESPNsoccernet. In his column citing Ten things to note from Week 6, writer Steve Davis singles out Buck Shaw Stadium for praise:

4. Buck Shaw Stadium’s coming-out party could only have improved if the Earthquakes had scored. The little venue was jam-packed. It sounded great and looked even better. A $4 million renovation ensured an immaculate pitch. All of which begs the question: If a smaller community such as San Jose can unearth a smaller, more intimate venue option, why couldn’t the franchise in New York?

A proper venue is coming for RBNY. Still, all those years in Giants Stadium have sucked away resources from MLS in exorbitant lease fees. What a waste.

The big news in MLS today, though, is DC United’s deal with Volkswagen to put the German automaker’s logo on United’s jerseys for the next five years. According to the Washington Post’s Steven Goff, the deal will pay DC over $14 million during that span.

Wynalda returns to the field

Mention the name “Eric Wynalda” to American soccer fans and you’re likely to get a mixed reaction. His polarizing personality tends to evoke diametrically opposed reactions: people either love him or hate him. So, we’ll let you draw your own conclusions to the news that the 38-year-old former San Jose Clash star has returned to the field with the PDL’s Bakersfield Brigade. After passing a physical Thursday, he saw action in a pair of games this weekend.

We don’t know if he’s going to travel for away games, but if he does it could make for an interesting weekend when the Brigade travels north to face the San Francisco Seals (July 18) and San Jose Frogs (July 19). Maybe former Clash coach Laurie Calloway can take a page from Waldo’s book and hire a plane to fly over the stadium, trailing a banner that says, “Fire Wynalda.”

In other news, our own Embele Awipi recaps Saturday night’s match in his weekly column for the Salinas Californian.

Post-game press roundup

We’re not sure where to begin our discussion of last night’s match. There were so many firsts — first game in Buck Shaw, first game in Earthquakes history with a decent sound system, first time you could actually watch a replay in the Quakes’ home stadium, and so forth — that it’s going to take a while to sink in.

We know one thing for sure, though: you had to be there if you wanted the full Earthquakes experience. Watching at home on TV just isn’t the same, and it actually would have been a bit weird last night. We sat down to watch our Tivo-ed copy of the match this morning and, where we expected to find John Shrader and Troy Dayak telling us about the starting lineups, we instead discovered the Phillies batting in the bottom of the 10th against the Giants. That would have been disappointing on its own, but the man batting for Philadelphia was named Carlos Ruiz! What a way to mess with a Quakes fan’s mind. If the next Phillies batter had been named Diego Serna, we think a lot of people would have just turned off the TV and slowly backed out of their living rooms. (Home viewers weren’t completely shut out — the baseball game finished promptly and the broadcast joined the Quakes match just after kickoff.)

• • •Match reports:
- Center Line Soccer, Embele Awipe
 
- MLSnet.com, Jeff Carlisle
Carlisle also surveys the post-game opinions of the team in this piece for MLSnet.com.
 
- San Jose Mercury News, Elliott Almond

- Dallas Morning News, Isaiah Guzman

- Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Mark Emmons

Finally, Goal.com has a general interview with Quakes striker Kei Kamara.

Home sweet home

The danger on the rocks is surely past
Still I remain tied to the mast
Could it be that I have found my home at last?
Home at last

Those old Steely Dan lyrics capture the Quakes’ situation pretty well. While the McAfee Coliseum is a fine place for a weekend getaway, Buck Shaw is the new home of the Quakes. While the team still faces significant challenges (scoring and winning, for example), at least they’re finally home.

Having seen the team’s new digs up close yesterday, we’re happy to say that we’re impressed. The real standout is the gorgeous new field, but comparing the whole stadium complex to how it looked just six months ago is night and day.

We’ll talk about the pitch first. CLS photog Joe Santos has posted a great gallery of images from yesterday’s media open house, but it’s impossible to get the full effect of the field from just the photos. Fruitless though it may be, we’ll try to paint the picture in words.

You might think that a carefully manicured expanse of turf might elicit comparisons to a putting green, but that’s not the first thing that came to mind when we saw it. We saw the uniform green color, the perfect flatness of the field, and the smooth roll of kicked balls and immediately thought “billiard table.” So, if you can imagine a pool table that’s made of grass and measures 110 by 71 yards, you’re pretty close to picturing the playing surface at Buck Shaw. Yes, it’s that nice.

(And, if you’re not impressed with that, we spotted a Gordon Biersch tent being set up in the Club Quake pre-game party area. That ought to make someone happy.)

• • •On with today’s media roundup:

- First up, Mercury News reporter Elliott Almond talks to the five Quakes who once played for Santa Clara University. The big scoop here? Santa Clara coach Jerry Smith says Joe Cannon “is an unbelievable goal scorer. In games we needed to win, we would take him out of goal and put him up front.” SC assistant Cam Rast adds that Cannon “has a rocket of a shot.” And all this time, John Doyle has been looking in places like Argentina for new striker!

- In a piece for MLSnet, Center Line Soccer’s Jeff Carlisle previews the game from a San Jose perspective. MLSnet also provides a preview from the Dallas point of view. The Dallas Star-Telegram also has a pre-game story.

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