Final Week to Take Advantage of Early Bird Special for 2012 Earthquakes Season Tickets
Fans who place a $50 deposit on 2012 Earthquakes Season Tickets before Oct. 22 will receive a complimentary NASL Quakes Throwback Jersey. In addition to the jersey, Season Ticket Holder benefits include: Special invitations to private Season Ticket Holder events, first priority to purchase Earthquakes playoff and international game tickets, a personal Fan Relations Representative to provide excellent customer service, and flexible ticket exchange policies for games they are unable to attend. For more information, call 408.556.7700 or visit www.sjearthquakes.com/2012-season-tickets.
Fourth Annual Soccer Silicon Valley Community Foundation Banquet
Tickets to the Fourth Annual Soccer Silicon Valley Community Foundation Banquet on Wednesday, Oct. 19 are still on sale. The event features a ceremony to induct former Earthquakes defender Troy Dayak into the club’s Hall of Fame as well as the premier of a History of San Jose Exhibit, “City of Champions: 2001, A San Jose Soccer Odyssey.” It begins at 6 p.m. PT at the San Jose City Hall Rotunda on. Individual dinner tickets are $100 with a $25 discount for Earthquakes Season Ticket Holders. Table sponsorships are also available for $1,500. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.sjearthquakes.com/ssvcf-dinner.
Earthquakes Set to Host Viet Heritage Night
The San Jose Earthquakes will host Viet Heritage Night on when they take on FC Dallas in the final home game of the 2011 regular season on Saturday at Buck Shaw Stadium. The event will feature an autograph session with former Quakes player Dzung Tran, an appearance by Miss Viet NorCal and Vietnamese themed music, dance and martial arts demonstrations in the Epicenter Fan Zone before kickoff.Tran suited up for San Jose in 1985, 1986 and 1988 when the club was a part of the Western Soccer Alliance and played for the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks in 1991. Born in Vietnam, he moved to the United States in 1978 and grew up in Livermore and San Jose. He is the only player from Vietnam to play for the Earthquakes dating back to the club’s roots in the North American Soccer League.
Quakes Kick Off Wells Fargo Goals for Education Donation Drive
The San Jose Earthquakes and Wells Fargo hosted a kickoff event for the 2011 Goals for Education program on Oct. 12 at Lincoln High School in San Jose to encourage donation requests. Earthquakes players Khari Stephenson, Brad Ring, and Rafael Baca surprised teams from San Jose PAL during practice and stuck around to sign autographs and serve as assistant coaches for the day. For each goal the Earthquakes score in 2011, Wells Fargo will donate $250 to the program. The Earthquakes have scored 36 goals so far this season with two games to go, and have raised $9,000 for the Goals for Education program. The total amount raised will be dispersed to local youth sports programs and athletic departments based on the requests received by Oct. 30. There are two ways to submit a donation request, in person or online. During the donation request period, registration forms will be on hand at the San Jose Earthquakes Front Office (located at 451 El Camino Real, Suite 220, Santa Clara, Calif. 95050) and a representative will be available to assist in the process. Entrants may submit a form online at www.sjearthquakes.com/goals4education. Each donation request requires background information about the program or department, how much money is being requested, specifically how the donated money will be used and how many people will be impacted by the donation. For more information about the Goals for Education program and the Donation Request Form, visit www.sjearthquakes.com/goals4education.
Quakes President David Kaval’s Office Hours
Earthquakes President David Kaval announced in his blog, “Kaval’s Kickoff,” on www.sjearthquakes.com last week that he would offer fans the chance to drop by his office and chat about the club Mondays between 3 and 5 p.m. PT. Any fan who wishes to participate can visit the club’s Front Office at 451 El Camino Real, Suite 220 in Santa Clara, Calif. Fans will be seen on a first come, first served basis.
Earthquakes to Induct Dayak to Club’s Hall of Fame During Halftime of FC Dallas Game on Saturday
The Earthquakes will induct star defender and member of the 2001 and 2003 MLS Cup champion teams, Troy Dayak, to the club’s Hall of Fame during a ceremony at halftime of Saturday’s game against FC Dallas at Buck Shaw Stadium. The match will also feature a commemorative Troy Dayak Hall of Fame pin (5,000) presented by Xfinity. Dayak is the third player ever selected to the Earthquakes’ Hall of Fame. He joins former Earthquakes great and current general manager John Doyle, who was inducted in 2005, and the club’s all-time leading scorer, Ronald Cerritos, who was inducted in 2010. Dayak’s jersey will be on display at all Earthquakes home games, alongside Doyle’s and Cerritos’. The team established the Earthquakes Hall of Fame as a tribute to honor the players who have made exceptional and lasting contributions to the club both on and off the field throughout its history.
Quakes Close Out 2011 Season at Home on Saturday Against FC Dallas
The Earthquakes will play their final match of the season this Saturday against FC Dallas at 7:30 p.m. PT. San enters the game with a 7-12-14 record, eighth-best in the Western Conference. Forward Chris Wondolowski will target the MLS Budweiser Golden Boot for the second year in a row, defender Jason Hernandez will make his 99th career start with the Quakes, and the club hopes to record the sixth consecutive sellout at Buck Shaw Stadium. In addition, the Earthquakes will induct Troy Dayak into the club’s Hall of Fame, 5,000 commemorative Dayak pins will be given out at the gates courtesy of Xfinity and a special area of the Epicenter Fan Zone will be dedicated to Viet Heritage Night.
Wondolowski Aiming for No. 1 on Quakes Career Goals List
Chris Wondolowski continues to chase Ronald Cerritos for No. 1 on the club’s career goals list. The Danville native tallied once against Seattle Sounders FC on Oct. 15 at CenturyLink Field in a 2-1 loss to up his career total in San Jose to 36. Cerritos is the club’s all-time leader with 61 from 1997-2001 and 2005.
MLS Budweiser Golden Boot Update
Chris Wondolowski struck once over the weekend to move into a two-way tie atop the Budweiser Golden Boot standings. Here’s a glance at the standings heading into this week:
T1. Chris Wondolowski (SJ) – 15 goals, 1 game remaining
T1. Dwayne De Rosario (DC) – 15 goals, 2 games
3. Thierry Henry (NY) – 14 goals, suspended for final game
4. Andres Mendoza (CLB) – 13 goals, 1 game
*4 tied with 12 goals
Last year, Wondolowski won the Budweiser Golden Boot with 18 goals. He scored 10 in San Jose’s final eight games to overtake LA Galaxy’s Edson Buddle.
Wondolowski’s ’11 Campaign Among the Best in Club History
For the second-consecutive season, Chris Wondolowski has posted one of the top-five goal-scoring seasons in Earthquakes history. With his goal against Seattle Sounders FC on Oct. 15 at CenturyLink Field, Wondo tied Ronald Cerritos for the second-most goals in a single season. Wondo is the first player in Earthquakes history to score 15 goals or more twice in their career. The five best single-season goal outputs in club history include:
1. Chris Wondolowski – 18 goals in 2010
T2. Chris Wondolowski – 15 goals in 2011
T2. Ronald Cerritos – 15 goals in 1999
4. Ariel Graziani – 14 goals in 2001
5. Ronald Cerritos – 13 goals in 1998
Wondolowski is Mr. October
Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski is earning the reputation of Mr. October for his fall goal-scoring sprees. He is tied with Dwayne De Rosario and Christian Gomez for No. 2 all-time in MLS history for career goals scored in October with 10. Former LA Galaxy forward Edson Buddle leads the list with 11. Wondo’s entire October haul has come in the last two seasons, more than double the next player on the list over that same time period.
Wondolowski Joins Elite Goal-Scoring Club
Chris Wondolowski became the ninth player in MLS history to score 15 or more goals in back-to-back seasons with his strike against Seattle Sounders FC on Oct. 15 at CenturyLink Field. In addition, Wondolowski’s two-year output of 33 goals ranks No. 8 all-time. The Danville native scored 18 in 2010 to win the Budweiser Golden Boot and has 15 goals in 2011 with one game remaining. Below is a list of players who have scored 15 or more goals in back-to-back seasons:
Chris Wondolowski – 2010, 2011
Dwayne De Rosario – 2010, 2011
Taylor Twellman – 2002, 2003
Diego Serna – 2000, 2001
Carlos Ruiz – 2002, 2003
Jaime Moreno – 1997, 1998
Roy Lassiter – 1998, 1999
Stern John – 1998, 1999
Raul Diaz Arce – 1996, 1997, 1998
Baca-to-Wondolowski Connection
Rookie midfielder Rafael Baca earned his third career assist on Oct. 15 in a 2-1 loss against Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field. The former Loyola Marymount standout slid a through ball behind the Sounders FC defense to spring Chris Wondolowski for the first goal of the match. Baca’s previous assists came at Portland on Sept. 21 and at home against Chicago, both on Wondolowski goals.
Road Warrior
Chris Wondolowski is tied for No. 1 in MLS in goals scored on the road with nine. He added to that total in San Jose’s last away game with a 24th-minute strike against Seattle Sounders FC on Oct. 15 at CenturyLink Field. Seattle’s Fredy Montero is tied with Wondo atop the list.
Quakes Set Career Milestones for Minutes Played
After 33 games, many Earthquakes players have set new all-time career highs for minutes played in a single season. The list includes:
Steven Beitashour – 1,565; Previous record: 640 in 2010
Bobby Burling – 1,951; Previous record: 1,659 in 2008 with Chivas USA
Jon Busch – 2,880; Previous record: 2,700 in 2009 with Chicago Fire
Justin Morrow – 720; Previous record: 59 in 2010
Brad Ring – 1,600; Previous record: 435 in 2010
Khari Stephenson – 2,194; Previous record: 776 in 2010
Chris Wondolowski – 2,582; Previous record: 2,308 in 2010
Busch the Shot Stopper
Thirty-three games into the season, Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch is No. 2 in the league in saves with 110. New England Revolution keeper Matt Reis leads the pack with 111 saves in 27 matches.
Hernandez Moves Up All-Time Starts List
Hernandez moved to within two starts of No. 8 on the Earthquakes’ all-time starts list on Oct. 15 with his 90 minutes played against Seattle Sounders FC. The defender has started 98 games since joining San Jose at the outset of the 2008 campaign. Next on the list is Eddie Lewis who started 100 games during his Quakes career from 1996-99.
