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The Burlingame Dragons, the U-23 amateur affiliate of the San Jose Earthquakes, kicked off their preseason with a friendly against the Quakes Academy U18 side last Wednesday night with a 1-0 victory.
Since the Dragons saw the match as an opportunity to trial talent, and the Academy side wanted to test its steel against older players, the match was a cagey affair, although one tidy enough to leave both coaches happy. Any lack of excitement on the pitch was more than made up for by the rowdy music and pyrotechnics of Imperio Sismico, which showed up to support their clubs younger affiliates.
During the game and afterwards, officials affiliated with both organizations generously gave their time to talk shop with me, including but not limited to Dragons president Jordan Gardner, coach Eric Bucchere, Quakes Technical Director Chris Leitch, and, most of all, Academy Coach Paul Holocher. After the lights went out (quite literally), he chatted with me on the record for a quarter hour and some more besides, talking about his soccer philosophy.
Catch the interview on the latest interview in the latest "Aftershock" episode below:
"The Aftershock," the leading media-style podcast about the San Jose Earthquakes, is hosted by Colin Etnire and is entering its second season. In addition to the player below, you can subscribe to it via iTunes and Stitcher or find it at the host (here).
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