The San Jose Earthquakes celebrated Independence Day in style on Saturday with a record crowd of 41,028 on hand at Stanford Stadium for the biggest Bay Area soccer event of the summer. The highlights included a reunion with players from the 1994 US World Cup team, fireworks and a stellar goal from Steven "Greatest American Hero" Lenhart.
Here's what San Jose's players had to say about the Fourth of July:
Fireworks are obviously a headlining feature during the Fourth of July. What's the best fireworks show you have ever seen?
Jason Hernandez: New York City, down by the Hudson River.
Chris Leitch: Probably one of the shows I saw in Columbus when I was younger.
Brad Ring: My family’s lake house in Cambridge, Wisconsin. There were different families all around the lake and we’d all shoot off fireworks.
Chris Wondolowski: I remember flying over one on a plane, looking at them go off out the window when coming back from Houston. That was pretty cool.
Do you prefer lighting off your own fireworks or watching a show?
Hernandez: Go to a show, I don’t have time for all that drama. I don’t need to go to a hospital.
Leitch: Yeah, definitely lighting off my own.
Ring: Lighting off my own, absolutely.
Wondo: Yeah, I like lighting them off, for sure. It seems over the years they keep getting better and better.
Everyone has some kind of family tradition for the Fourth - BBQ, blowing stuff up, etc. What was yours?
Hernandez: We had a BBQ and fireworks show at my hometown of Englewood, NJ, and my family used to go to the high school and watch the show.
Leitch: We used to go to our uncle and aunt’s house and light off fireworks.
Ring: Going to the lake house.
Wondo: Not really a tradition, but there’s usually some sort of BBQ going on with family and friends.
What's your favorite BBQ food?
Hernandez: Keep it simple, a cheeseburger.
Leitch: Probably just cheeseburgers and hot dogs, pretty basic.
Ring: Hamburgers and brats... keep it traditional.
Wondo: I love ribs, heavy barbeque sauce.
Every meal needs a dessert. What kind of pie are you closing things out with?
Hernandez: Can’t go wrong with apple pie, a la mode.
Leitch: Banana Cream
Ring: Apple pie, 100% percent
Wondo: McDonald’s apple pie.
There have been many epic patriotic movies made over the years. Will Smith shooting up aliens in Independence Day, Mel Gibson going crazy on the British in The Patriot, and of course you can't discount Team America. What movie do you watch to get the patriotic juices flowing?
Hernandez: Independence Day. That’s a classic, and I’m a big Will Smith fan.
Leitch: The Patriot.
Ring: The Patriot.
Wondo: I’m gonna go with The Patriot. That was pretty quality, although Team America is right up there.
This is an easy choice, but we're going to ask the question anyway. PF Flyers or adidas Predators:
Hernandez: PF Flyers, man! Benny the Jet!
Leitch: PF Flyers.
Ring: PF Flyers.
Wondo: PF Flyers, no hesitation.
Finally, what every Quakes fan really wants to know: Which Quakes player could knock off San Jose legend Joey Chestnut in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest?
Hernandez: Andrew Weber, without a doubt, hands down.
Leitch: Wondolowski. He can do it all.
Ring: Weber, for sure. He has a big appetite.
Wondo: Andrew Weber, no doubt. He’s a big guy and can put down some food.
