Despite the green numbers, four leaf clovers and the Irish blood of Sam Cronin, the team had no good luck on St. Patrick's Day, falling to the Houston Dynamo at AT&T Park. The 1-0 score masked a great, energetic performance by the Quakes. The squad produced 22 shots and numerous quality scoring chances, but in the end, the ball did not bounce into the goal and Houston capitalized on a controversial call in the box against goalkeeper Jon Busch that led to a Brad Davis penalty in the 14 minute.
I have really mixed feelings about the match. I was very happy with how we played especially in the last 20 minutes where newcomers Tressor Moreno and Sercan Guvenisik brought increased energy and chances. Marvin Chavez also boosted the Quakes in the second half with his work rate and ability to get around the defense. It was frustrating to have two calls 3 centimeters outside the box and another borderline situation on a handball in the box. In the end, you have to find a way to put the ball in the net.
It was exciting to play a match at AT&T Park. The rain all week and even in the game made it difficult for the fans, but I was once again impressed by the resolve of our hardcore supporters who braved the elements. While nowhere near as severe as the Great Deluge of 2011, we had rough conditions and fans, especially the supporters section, represented very well by standing and chanting all game long. It was also great to expose folks in San Francisco to the Quakes brand of soccer and garner more media attention and following.
The media buzz around the match was fantastic and this was not due to the Mexico doubleheader. We are getting more interest and exposure from mainstream media, San Francisco Chronicle and Mercury News included, as well as from local TV stations. The Chronicle is now featuring a weekly soccer column on Fridays written by Alan Black and the Mercury News posts MLS power rankings online each week. This is a great way to cultivate our sport and increase interest in the Quakes. Marquee matches like the one at AT&T Park make this possible and are an important step toward putting MLS on par with the other major U.S. professional leagues.
Many people have asked me how to obtain one of the limited edition, green-numbered, shamrock-embellished jerseys from the match. The game-worn jerseys were auctioned off at AT&T Park and we raised close to $3,000 for the Earthquakes Community Fund. Additionally, jerseys with green lettering and numbers will be available for purchase at future games.
