First, let’s talk about the weather. I’m not sure that there could have been worse weather for an opening game. That being said, I was absolutely amazed at the resilience that the fans showed despite the conditions. It seemed that as the wind and rain got stronger, the more fans came in and packed the seats. As a former player, trust me when I say that this makes a huge difference to the players.
Now to the game itself. I was lucky enough to have a great view of the game from the press box and what stood out most to me was the movement of the ball through the midfield. RSL has one of the best midfields in MLS and the Earthquakes mids had the majority of possession and were able to create some great chances. Regardless of the result, if the Quakes can put together a performance like that every week, they will win a lot of games this season.
I was also extremely encouraged by Wondo even though he didn’t score. He got himself in great positions and, had it not been for Nick Rimando harnessing “The Force,” I think he would have snuck a couple in.
On a different note, I have started a new segment on Quakes Exclusive called 90+, as well as a weekly podcast on SJEarthquakes.com aptly named the QuakesCast. 90+ is a segment where I put a new player each week on the spot and make them answer as many rapid fire questions as they can in 90 seconds. Be sure to watch this week's Quakes Exclusive to see how Jon Busch does with my line of questioning. Meanwhile, the QuakesCast is a weekly show where Robert Jonas and Joe Nuxoll of Centerlinesoccer.com and I talk about all things Quakes - upcoming games, tactics and more. Be sure to tune in and let us know what you think.
If you have questions or suggestions please contact me at kgray@sjearthquakes.com or find me on twitter @kelg22. You can also contact me on TheSocialFootballer.com. Now let’s beat those Hoops this weekend!
Go Quakes!
