San Jose Earthquakes 2014 preseason schedule announced: LA Galaxy match in Fresno highlights schedule

The San Jose Earthquakes unveiled their 2014 preseason schedule today with an exhibition against rival LA Galaxy in the inaugural Central California Cup highlighting a slate that contains six preseason friendlies.

The Quakes will report for camp starting January 25 and train at their facility in San Jose through February 1. The team will then depart for a week in Tucson where they will face MLS sides Seattle Sounders and Houston Dynamo in matches to be played at the Kino Sports Complex.

Returning to the Bay Area from the desert, the Earthquakes will take an excursion to Fresno for a preseason edition of the California Clasico on February 15 at Chukchansi Park in Fresno. The Quakes reserve squad will face the hometown PDL side Fresno Fuego in a match prior to the 7:00 p.m. clash against the Galaxy. The Earthquakes last played in Fresno during the 2009 and 2010 preseasons when the senior squad played the Fuego in a pair of friendlies.

Though neither the Earthquakes nor the Galaxy are strangers to playing in Fresno, the Central California Cup will represent the first time that two MLS teams have competed against each other in the Raisin Capital of the World.

Following their Central Valley weekend, the Quakes return for a week of training in San Jose ahead of the third out-of-the-area visit of the preseason. Starting February 21 and into the first week of March, the Earthquakes will participate in the Rose City Invitational in Portland. For San Jose, it marks the team's third straight entry in the four team round-robin event, with this year's opponents being the host Portland Timbers (Feb. 23, 7:30 p.m.), the Vancouver Whitecaps (Feb. 26, 5 p.m.), and Jamaican top-flight squad Portmore United FC (Mar. 1, 2:30 p.m.). All three tournament matches will be held as doubleheaders at JELD-WEN Field, the home stadium of the Timbers.

At the conclusion of the Rose City Invitational, the Earthquakes return to San Jose to conclude their preseason preparations. The team has not announced whether it intends to play any exhibition matches locally, but in years past it as often held scrimmages against local competition. In addition, training sessions at the Earthquakes training facility adjacent to the new stadium construction site are typically closed to the public.

The Earthquakes open the MLS season against Real Salt Lake on March 15 at Buck Shaw Stadium, but before league play gets underway, they will contest the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal tie with Toluca on March 11. The return leg is scheduled in Mexico on March 19 before the Quakes play their first road league match on March 22 at MLS Cup champions Sporting Kansas City.

2014 San Jose Earthquakes Preseason Training Schedule

Jan. 25 thru Feb. 2 - San Jose
Feb. 3 thru 9 - Tucson
Feb. 10 thru 20 - San Jose
Feb. 21 thru March 1 - Portland
Mar. 2 thru Mar. 10 - San Jose

2014 San Jose Earthquakes Preseason Match Schedule

Feb. 5 - Seattle Sounders (Tucson)
Feb. 8 - Houston Dynamo (Tucson
Feb. 15 - LA Galaxy (Fresno)
Feb. 23 - Portland Timbers (Portland)
Feb. 26 - Vancouver Whitecaps (Portland)
Mar. 1 - Portmore United FC (Portland)