The San Jose Earthquakes made quite a statement this weekend in going to Seattle and getting three points in front of 38,000 rowdy fans at CenturyLink Field. After the weekend’s matches, the Quakes are tied with the Colorado Rapids and Real Salt Lake at the top of the stacked Western Conference. I was so happy with the style and quality of play that the team exhibited in the match. I also thought that Frank Yallop coached a great match, setting the right lineup and making intelligent and effective substitutions. Steven Lenhart was on fire up top, causing havoc and generally getting into the Seattle defenders’ heads. His effort led to a foul in the box and an easy Wondo PK for the only goal of the match.
There is no way to describe the collective defense displayed by the Quakes, other than to say, “Wow.” From Sam Cronin playing the entire field, to Marvin Chavez stealing the ball in the midfield, to Victor Bernardez killing every threat that materialized in the box, to Jon Busch making a spectacular save on a Fredy Montero strike late in the match, it was an entire team effort. It was great to see the work rate and effort all the way to the final whistle. The team still has not let up a goal in the run of play. They should be very proud of that fact.
I have to reiterate how critical the offseason moves by John Doyle and Frank Yallop were to achieve the result this weekend. The hard work to shore up the back line with Big Vic has already paid huge dividends. Getting Steven Lenhart back and playing at a high level was another huge success. There is no player that gets under other players’ skin more than Lenny the Lionhart. Plus, he has great hair that is an inspiration for the entire Quakes Country.
The great win sets up a huge home match this weekend against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 7, at Buck Shaw Stadium. Our team has a chance to get some valuable points against a Vancouver team that has not let up a goal all season. It should be another great early-season test. I am challenging the entire Quakes fan base to come out and support the team as we defend our spot at the top of the Western Conference standings. We have a chance to keep the sellout streak going by notching our eighth straight Buck Shaw sellout. Let’s make it happen!
On the stadium front, the schematic design meetings are continuing. We are spending this week addressing the supporters’ area (we have gotten great feedback from the fans on this), as well as the premium areas like suites and a club that we will soon announce for our fans. We are also looking at the programming of the scoreboard club, the Epicenter and the concourses. It has been great working with our architects at 360 Design, as well as our construction team at Devcon, to ensure that we build a great venue for our fans and team.
