San Jose Earthquakes v Sounders FC
August 2 Kick off 12pm
Referee:
Assistants:
4th:
Prost Amerika Viewing Party – Fado Irish Pub, 801 1st Avenue
Rock Bottom Quakes Return Hoping for Turnaround
Sounders FC make one of their shorter trips this season, hoping to start the process of garnering points on the road, which will be vital to their play-off hopes. Their hosts sit last in the Western Conference Table. The sides have already met twice at Qwest Field with Sounders winning both matches, 2-0 and more recently 2-1.
See a gallery of the last meeting between the clubs
However at home, San Jose are a tougher prospect. Their nine games have garnered three wins and three draws, with 14 goals scored and 15 conceded. Sounders away form shows just one win in seven games with seven goals scored.
Brad is Back!
Brad Evans returns from ‘national service’ and Sigi Schmid is delighted to have him back, despite Bob Bradley playing him in a different position, “He played at outside back and midfield. But, soccer is soccer. He will be able to play. I’m not worried about that. We have been playing him in the two days already in the middle of midfield which is his position, which is the one he had earned and won. He’s not going to lose it because he left for the national team.”
Costa Rican defender Leo Gonzales is also available after Gold Cup duty.
The History Bit
The match is being billed as the Earthquakes 35th Anniversary Reunion. Both Seattle Sounders and the San Jose Earthquakes were members of the North American Soccer League (NASL) in the 70s. Former players, coaches and staff from the North American Soccer League will be honoured this weekend.
Members of the NASL Earthquakes will be in San Jose all weekend to participate in a number of activities, including a golf tournament, a reunion game on Saturday, August 1, and a ceremony at the Earthquakes-Sounders game on Sunday, August 2.
Heritage Cup at Stake
At the conclusion of the game, the inaugural “NASL Heritage Cup” will be presented to members of the supporter’s groups of the winning team. The Heritage Cup is contested by teams who celebrate the history of North American soccer by taking their names from the franchises their cities held in the NASL.
Form
San Jose are four games without a league win but their last outing was very promising, holding the mighty DC United to a 2-2 draw at the Buck Shaw. Christian Gomez had scored twice to give the visiting Eastern Conference side an early lead, scoring twice in 21 minutes. But Ryan Johnson pulled a goal back for the Earthquakes after 36, and Cornell Glen’s second-half penalty brought the Quakes level, earning them a share of the points. With only Aaron Pitchkolan definitely out, San Jose could be at full strength and league table appearances may be deceptive, given their somewhat tighter home record.
The Quakes to Watch
San Jose were missing Ryan Cochrane, Bobby Convey and Simon Elliott through either injury or Confederations Cup duty for the sides’ last meeting. All suited up for the last game although only Convey started.
A glance down the San Jose Earthquakes roster reveals some familiar names, both to old time Seattle Sounders fans and to followers of the EPL. Chris Wondolowski arrived from Houston in exchange for Cam Weaver and an additional draft pick.
Huckerby in Action against the Sounders
34-year-old goalkeeper Joe Cannon was the league leader in saves last season with 124 saves, recording nine shutouts. He was one of only six players in league to play every minute of every game. Off the field, he earned his second US Soccer Foundation Humanitarian of the Year award for the Earthquakes. As a Colorado Rapid in 2006, he was named to the MLS All-Star team that defeated English Premier League champions Chelsea where he improved his record in All-Star games to 3-0-0.
Arturo Alvarez is a doubtful for this game with a right hamstring strain. He is the second top scorer so far this year with five goals, two behind Ryan Johnson. A Texan who came to San Jose from Dallas, he scored on his debut with the Quakes against the Los Angeles Galaxy on August 3, 2008. His combined six goals and six assists were both career highs for another of the Quakes left-footers.
24-year-old Jamaican Ryan Johnson is San Jose’s top scorer this season with seven. A resident of Boston, MA, he played 11 games for Osters IF in Sweden. He gets around and will need to be marked by someone with a GPS system and a passport. His fellow Jamaican Tyrone Marshall marked him in the last game and Tyrone later told us how much he had enjoyed the banter with an opponent that accompanies his game. That could be a great 1 on 1 to watch, so if Tyrone starts look out for it. Ryan is the only Quake outfielder to play in every game and is 29 shots on goal is a team high.
Also by way of Scandinavia comes Ramiro Corrales whose last club was SK Brann Bergen in Norway. The 32-year-old Californian spent three seasons in Norway and is considered the team’s engine both offensively and defensively. Ramiro is sixth all-time in San Jose club history in minutes and starts and played twice for USA, ironically against Sweden and Mexico in 2008, as his family is originally from Culiacan, Sinaloa in Mexico.
Ljungberg Sole Absentee
Long term absentees Taylor Graham and Chris Eylander will be out, but Taylor is approaching bench fitness. Freddie Ljungberg is suspended having received more cards than the King of Swaziland on Fathers Day in the last match. The club reports no new injury doubts arising from training or the All Star game.
Injury List
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
OUT: DF Aaron Pitchkolan (L groin avulsion);
DOUBTFUL: MF Arturo Alvarez (R hamstring strain);
QUESTIONABLE: MF Ramiro Corrales (R ankle sprain); FW Ryan Johnson (L AC joint sprain);
PROBABLE: DF Ryan Cochrane (L ankle surgery)
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
OUT: GK Chris Eylander (L medial knee bone bruise); DF Taylor Graham (R metatarsal fracture); MF Michael Fucito (R foot sesamoiditis)
Sounders F.C. Players and Staff with San Jose Connections
Nate Jaqua: Sounders forward Nate Jaqua played under Quakes head coach Frank Yallop with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007 and was traded from Houston for current Quake Kelly Gray. Jaqua and Gray played with the Chicago Fire and in college at the University of Portland. Jaqua also played in Chicago for part of the 2006 season with current Quakes forward Ryan Johnson.
Roger Levesque: Roger played with the Earthquakes from 2003 to 2005, appearing in six matches for San Jose.
Taylor Graham: Taylor played with current Quakes defender Nick Garcia in Kansas City from 2003-2004 as did Sounders defender Tyson Wall from 2006-2007.
Patrick Ianni: Defender Patrick Ianni played in Houston from 2006-2008 and played with current Quakes Ryan Cochrane and Kelly Gray.
Kasey Keller: Quakes midfielder Simon Elliott played with Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller at Fulham F.C. in the 2007-2008 season in England.
Tyrone Marshall: Marshall played for the Galaxy under Quakes head coach Frank Yallop from 2006-2007 and with Simon Elliott from 2002-2003. Marshall also played on the Jamaican national team with Quakes forward Ryan Johnson.
Ezra Hendrickson: Sounders assistant coach Ezra Hendrickson played with the Los Angeles Galaxy with Simon Elliott from 1999-2002.
Brian Schmetzer: Sounders assistant coach Brian Schmetzer was the head coach of the USL-1 Sounders when Cam Weaver played there in 2006.
Chris Henderson: Sounders technical director Chris Henderson won the MLS Cup in 2000 with the Kansas City Wizards where he played with Nick Garcia from 1999-2000. Chris also played in Colorado with Quakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon from 2003-2005, played with Simon Elliott with the Columbus Crew in 2005 and with Quakes general manager of soccer operations John Doyle in the early 1990s with the United States National Team.
Buck Shaw Stadium
Santa Clara University’s Buck Shaw Stadium is the temporary venue for the majority of the Earthquakes’ home games during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, with an option for 2010. High-profile games will be moved to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, home of the Oakland Raiders.
For another match preview, please visit Sounder at Heart.
Recent Comments