This Week
The San Jose Earthquakes (7-2-2, 23 pts.) play their second home match in seven days when they host the Columbus Crew (3-4-2, 11 pts.) of the Eastern Conference this Saturday, May 19. Kickoff at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara is slated for 7:30 p.m. PT. The match will air live on Comcast SportsNet California, 1590 KLIV (English) and 1370 KZSF (Spanish).
Earthquakes Schedule for the Week of 5/14/12
Tuesday, May 15 – 10:15 a.m. – Practice at Earthquakes Training Facility
Wednesday, May 16 – Off
Thursday, May 17 – 10:15 a.m. – Practice at Buck Shaw Stadium
Friday, May 18 – 10:15 a.m. – Practice at Earthquakes Training Facility
Saturday, May 19 – 7:30 p.m. PT – Columbus Crew at Earthquakes, Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., LIVE on Comcast SportsNet California , 1590 KLIV and 1370 KZSF
Sunday, May 20 – Off
Injury Report
Out: Victor Bernardez (L – MCL sprain), Joey Gjertsen (R – knee surgery), Shea Salinas (L – fractured clavicle), Tim Ward (L – non-specific soft tissue injury); Doubtful: Marvin Chavez (L – hamstring strain).
Earthquakes vs. Columbus Crew All-Time
MLS Regular Season: 13-18-4
Home: 10-6-2 (34 GF, 32 GA)
Away: 3-12-2 (18 GF, 28 GA)
Shootout (1996-99): 3-2; Overtime (2000-03): 1-1-1; Playoffs: 2-2-0
All-Time Scoring: San Jose – 52, Columbus Crew – 60
San Jose’s Record in May: The Quakes are 28-28-14 all-time in May in MLS play.
Opponent Info
Columbus Crew Scouting Report
Columbus (3-4-2, 11 pts.) is coming off of a come-from-behind, 2-1 victory over 10-man FC Dallas at Crew Stadium on Saturday. The Crew got first career MLS goals from second-year forward Justin Meram and Chilean defender Sebastian Miranda to grab the three points. Columbus wasted little time in capitalizing after the visitors suffered a red-card ejection in the 63rd minute, as Meram, an injury substitution late in the first half, fired from distance following an Eric Gehrig steal in the 67th. Miranda capped the rally five minutes later with a snapped header assisted by Nemanja Vukovic. Meram’s strike ended a scoreless streak of 263 minutes for Columbus. Andy Gruenebaum, playing in the long-term injury absence of William Hesmer, made two saves in goal for the Crew. Columbus is 1-2-2 over its last five, and 1-2-1 away from home in 2012. Eddie Gaven has a team-best two of the Crew’s eight goals. Vukovic has two assists.
History of the Quakes – Columbus Crew Rivalry
The Earthquakes are 13-18-4 all-time against the Crew, including 10-7-2 at home and 1-1-1 at Buck Shaw Stadium … San Jose and Columbus, two of the 10 original sides from the inaugural MLS season in 1996, have had a strong rivalry in MLS history, facing off on two separate occasions in the playoffs and competing in a number of memorable games … In 2001, the Quakes eliminated the Crew from the MLS Cup Playoffs with two convincing wins, 3-1 and 3-0, en route to winning the MLS Cup … Columbus turned the tables on San Jose in 2002 by knocking the Quakes out of the postseason with a pair of 2-1 victories that both came on 81st-minute goals … Quakes midfielder Ronnie Ekelund scored one of the best goals in league history against Columbus on Sept. 7, 2002, as Richard Mulrooney lifted a free kick up for Ekelund, who half-volleyed a shot from 25 yards out and into the upper corner … The Quakes went on to win 4-3 in overtime with current goalkeeper Jon Busch in net for the Crew … That result marked the team’s only regular-season overtime win in team history (1-1-26), with the league eliminating overtime for the regular season following 2003 … In 2010, both games ended in ties … After a 2-2 draw in San Jose, with goals from Eddie Gaven and Chad Marshall for the Crew and Arturo Alvarez and Chris Wondolowski for the Earthquakes, the two sides battled to a 0-0 tie in Columbus … Last season, the Earthquakes took the first game, 3-0, with goals from Wondolowski, Brandon McDonald and Khari Stephenson all coming over a 12-minute span in the second half … The teams last played to another scoreless deadlock in Columbus on July 16, 2011.
Earthquakes Leaders vs. Columbus Crew
Chris Wondolowski has two goals and one assist in nine career appearances, with both goals (2010, 2011) coming in five games with the Quakes … Ramiro Corrales has three goals in 20 appearances, with all three goals coming in 15 games in a San Jose uniform … Jon Busch is an undefeated 1-0-7 with four shutouts against his former team, including 1-0-2 the last two seasons with the Quakes … All three of those contests were shutouts for Busch, who has not allowed a goal to Columbus in 270 minutes as a San Jose player.
Columbus Crew Leaders vs. San Jose
Midfielder Eddie Gaven has two goals and two assists in 14 career appearances, with both goals (2009, 2010) coming in eight games with the Crew … Defender Chad Marshall has two goals (2005, 2010) in 12 career appearances … Goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum is 1-0-0, with his only appearance coming on May 27, 2009, in Columbus.
Earthquakes – Columbus Crew Connections
Quakes forward Steven Lenhart played the 2008, 2009 and 2010 seasons with the Columbus Crew after being chosen No. 48 overall (Round 4) during the 2008 MLS SuperDraft … Lenhart produced 13 goals and four assists over 63 total appearances for the Crew, scoring four times in 10 games during the club’s MLS Cup championship season as a rookie in 2008 … Lenhart was acquired by the Quakes from Columbus in a draft-day trade on Jan. 13, 2011 … Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch also began his MLS career in Columbus, making 84 appearances with 25 shutouts there from 2002-06 … As a rookie in 2002, Busch played with current Crew head coach Robert Warzycha … Quakes defender Tim Ward played 17 games for the Crew from 2006-07 … Columbus defender Danny O’Rourke was the Earthquakes’ first-round selection (No. 4 overall) during the 2005 MLS SuperDraft, playing 13 games for San Jose that season … O’Rourke (2001-04), Crew defender Rich Balchan (2007-10) and Quakes midfielder Brad Ring (2005-08) all played at Indiana … Quakes midfielder Sam Cronin (2005-08), defender Ike Opara (2007-09) and injured Crew goalkeeper William Hesmer (2001-03) all played at Wake Forest … Hesmer was teammates with Quakes midfielder Khari Stephenson with the Kansas City Wizards (2004-05) … Stephenson and Crew defender Shaun Francis are both Jamaican nationals … Crew midfielder Eddie Gaven played for the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in 2005 with Quakes defenders Jason Hernandez and Tim Ward … Columbus defender Chad Marshall played college soccer at Stanford … Quakes midfielder Simon Dawkins (Edgware) and Crew midfielder Chris Birchall (Stafford) are both natives of England … Birchall played with Quakes forward Alan Gordon with the LA Galaxy from 2009-10 … Quakes assistant coach Mark Watson made 14 appearances, all starts, for Columbus during the inaugural year of MLS in 1996.
Miscellaneous Notes
Quakes Second in the Western Conference
The San Jose Earthquakes (7-2-2, 23 pts.) are currently in second-place in the MLS Western Conference. Real Salt Lake (8-3-2, 26 pts.) tops the standings, but has still played two more games than the Quakes. Seattle Sounders FC is third (7-2-1, 22 pts.) with one game in hand over the Quakes. San Jose also trails only RSL in the race for the 2012 MLS Supporters’ Shield, with Eastern Conference leader Sporting Kansas City (7-3-0, 21 pts.) falling off a bit following three straight defeats after a perfect seven-game start. The New York Red Bulls (7-3-1, 22 pts.) now pace the East after four straight wins. RSL is idle this whole week, while Seattle visits Vancouver on Saturday (2 p.m. PT).
Quakes Among MLS Category Leaders
Through 10 weeks of the 2012 MLS season, the Earthquakes lead the league with 25 assists. They are now second behind the New York Red Bulls (23) with 22 goals scored, ahead of D.C. United at 20. With 12 scores conceded, the Quakes boast the top goal differential in MLS at +10.
Race for the Budweiser Golden Boot
Chris Wondolowski remains alone atop the 2012 Budweiser Golden Boot race with 11 goals. Teammates Kenny Cooper and Thierry Henry of the New York Red Bulls share the second spot at nine goals apiece, with Henry missing a second straight game through injury at Philadelphia on Sunday. The D.C. United forward tandem of Maicon Santos (6) and Chris Pontius (5) round out the top five on the leaderboard.
Buck Shaw Success
The Earthquakes complete a two-game mini-homestand inside Buck Shaw Stadium on May 19 against the Columbus Crew (7:30 p.m.). San Jose is 4-0-1 at Buck Shaw thus far on the year, outscoring opponents by a count of 13-6. The Quakes are undefeated at Buck Shaw through their last eight (6-0-2) dating back to 2011, and had a club-record streak of eight straight sellouts at the venue snapped on April 21. This mini-homestand will take San Jose into its season-long four-game road stretch through the month of June, beginning with the season’s first California Clasico at The Home Depot Center on May 23, and leading up to the highly-anticipated June 30 clash with the LA Galaxy at Stanford Stadium.
Earthquakes Set to Host Swansea City on July 31
The San Jose Earthquakes announced their 2012 international friendly last week, with Welsh side Swansea City of the English Premier League coming to Buck Shaw Stadium on Tuesday, July 31, for a 7:30 p.m. kick-off. Individual tickets for the match go on sale to the general public this Friday, May 18, at 10 a.m., and can be purchased by visiting sjearthquakes.com or by calling (800) 225-2277. Season ticket holders should use their Bonus Game “A” ticket for the contest. Season ticket holders are also currently able to purchase additional individual and group tickets for July 31 until Friday by calling their fan relations specialist. Swansea City, founded in 1912, are the first Welsh club to reach the Premiership since the league was formed. The Swans have won the Welsh Cup 10 times, third-most in the competition’s history, and placed 11th in the just-concluded EPL season with a record of 12-15-11.
Earthquakes Reserves Play to Pair of 1-1 Draws
Following an idle month, the San Jose Earthquakes (1-1-2, 5 pts.) contested a pair of 1-1 draws against California rivals over a span of seven days in MLS Reserve League action. In their road debut at The Home Depot Center on May 8, the Quakes and LA Galaxy traded first-half penalty kicks, with Sercan Guvenisik converting his opportunity for the visitors in the 31st minute. Then on May 14 in San Jose, the Quakes scored in the second minute through Cesar Diaz Pizarro off a Guvenisik assist, only for visiting Chivas USA to find a last-gasp equalizer from a free kick in the third minute of stoppage time. The Quakes reserves next travel to Chivas USA on Friday, June 8 (11 a.m.). Two final home dates are set for Aug. 12 and Sept. 4. Home matches kick off at 11 a.m. at the Earthquakes Training Facility. Reserve League games in San Jose are open to the public and free of charge.
Inaugural Earthquakes 5K/10K Challenge Less Than Two Weeks Away
The San Jose Earthquakes will stage the first annual Quakes 5K/10K Challenge, benefitting The Health Trust and the San Jose Earthquakes Community Fund, on Sunday, May 27. The 5K/10K Challenge begins at 8 a.m. with three options for runners of all ages. The costs of entry are $50 for the 10K, $40 for the 5K and $15 for a Kids Fun Run. All participants get a race t-shirt, a ticket to a future Earthquakes home game at Buck Shaw Stadium, and access to a post-race celebration. The Memorial Day Weekend event will start and finish at the site of the Quakes’ planned new stadium at 1125 Coleman Avenue in San Jose. Supervisor Ken Yeager of District 4 will serve as honorary chair. More information and a registration link are available at www.quakeschallenge.com.
First XFINITY Soccer Clinic of 2012 in the Books
The Earthquakes kicked off their 2012 XFINITY Youth Soccer Clinic Series last Friday, May 11, at Watson Park in San Jose. The free clinic attracted over 100 boys and girls, ages 8-12, with club ambassador Kelly Gray and players Anthony Ampaipitakwong, Rafael Baca, Ellis McLoughlin and Khari Stephenson serving as instructors. The clinic series has returned for its third year. The Quakes will host four more sessions at locations around the Bay Area, with dates to be announced at a later time. Over the last two years, the club has partnered with XFINITY to coordinate a total of 11 free soccer clinics to enrich the lives of local youth players. Participating children receive a soccer ball, ticket to an upcoming home game and the chance to meet Quakes players during an exclusive autograph session following the clinic.
Earthquakes, Wells Fargo Kick Off 4v4 Series
Following a successful inaugural run a year ago, the first of four Earthquakes 4v4 Presented by Wells Fargo tourneys took place this past Saturday, May 12, at San Jose’s Overfelt High School. Over 50 teams, from U-8 to adult levels, participated in the event, with Earthquakes midfielder Shea Salinas signing autographs and the Wells Fargo Historical Mobile Museum providing free photos to attendees to commemorate their experience. The Earthquakes and Wells Fargo have teamed up to host this series of youth and adult soccer tournaments in the Bay Area for a second straight year. In addition to events in San Jose, East Palo Alto and Hayward, the 2012 series will also include a stop in San Francisco. All participants receive an Earthquakes ticket, event t-shirt and sponsor gifts. For more information, visit sjearthquakes.com/4v4.
A Look Back at Week 9 MLS Honors and Considerations for Quakes
In addition to his MLS Player of the Week award, Chris Wondolowski was named to MLSsoccer.com’s Team of the Week for Week 9, while Steven Lenhart earned honorable mention. Jon Busch was nominated for Save of the Week for his incredible stop of D.C. United midfielder Dwayne De Rosario’s bicycle kick on May 2. It was Busch’s second nomination of 2012, with Real Salt Lake’s Nick Rimando winning the fan vote.
Tickets on Sale Now for LA Galaxy at Buck Shaw Stadium
The Earthquakes have begun selling tickets to their Oct. 21 match against the LA Galaxy at Buck Shaw Stadium. Season ticket holders have pre-sale options until the public on-sale date of Friday, May 18, at 10 a.m. The match, presented by Wells Fargo, marks the end of San Jose’s 2012 regular-season home slate.
Odwalla Player of the Month Selected
The San Jose Earthquakes have named Menlo Park’s Kyle Smith as the Odwalla Player of the Month for May. Smith plays U-14s for Menlo Park United. The striker and captain leads his team with 13 goals in four games so far this season. In 2011, Smith helped his squad win the Stanford Cup while playing for Alpine Strikers (CYSA). He was recognized for his sportsmanship at a different tourney in Pacifica, also in 2011.
Wells Fargo Goals for Education
Wells Fargo has again pledged to donate $250 for each goal the Earthquakes score in 2012 through the Goals for Education program. With 22 goals through 11 games, the donated total for this season already stands at $5,500. Thanks to 40 goals in 2011, the partnership raised $10,000 for local youth soccer and athletic development programs a year ago. After fielding dozens of applications, the Earthquakes and Wells Fargo awarded 16 grants to deserving organizations, and with Quakes midfielder Anthony Ampaipitakwong on hand, made special check presentations at America SCORES Bay Area and Castro Valley Soccer Club in January.
Earthquakes, Wondolowski Support Street Soccer USA
Two-time MLS leading goal-scorer Chris Wondolowski and Street Soccer USA, a non-profit organization that seeks to end homelessness through sports, have partnered to make a difference in the lives of the homeless in the Bay Area through the “One Goal at a Time” campaign. For every goal Wondolowski scores during the 2012 season, the Quakes star has pledged a $100 donation to Street Soccer USA (SSUSA), and is asking fans to join in his mission. Additionally, the Earthquakes Community Fund will match Wondolowski’s donations. Wondolowski, who has been a national ambassador for SSUSA since August of 2011, got an early start on his 2012 scoring account with a strike in San Jose’s season opener on March 10, and has a league-leading 11 goals through 11 contests.
Quakes Extend Partnership with Santa Cruz Beach Soccer Championships
The Earthquakes announced last week that they have extended their partnership with the Santa Cruz Beach Soccer Championships, which also recently added One World Futbol Project as a title sponsor. The Quakes are partnering with the event for the second straight year. Two 5-on-5 beach soccer tournaments will take place on separate weekends this year, on June 2-3 and June 16-17, in front of the famous Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Click HERE for more information about the partnership and the event.
Earthquakes Broaden Partnership with Kaiser Permanente
The San Jose Earthquakes have broadened their partnership with Kaiser Permanente to promote healthy living and active lifestyles for Bay Area youth. The signature program of the joint venture is Get Earthquakes Fit presented by Kaiser Permanente. Designed by long-time Quakes head athletic trainer Bruce Morgan, Get EQ Fit encourages students to engage in 20 minutes of physical activity each day for five weeks. It is targeted toward underserved schools and schools lacking a physical education department due to budget cuts. In 2012, at least 25 Bay Area schools will be incorporating this program into their third- and fourth-grade curriculum. For more information on Get Earthquakes Fit presented by Kaiser Permanente, and to nominate a school for the program, visit www.sjearthquakes.com/community/get-fit.
Earthquakes Partner with Alaska Airlines
The San Jose Earthquakes are partnering with Alaska Airlines to give fans the opportunity to win trips to Cabo San Lucas, Hawaii, Reno/Tahoe and Los Angeles through the “Score a Direct Kick” sweepstakes. The Quakes will select three winners from four separate drawings, one for each location. Winners will receive two tickets to a San Jose home game, where they will participate in a halftime contest, with the grand prize a trip courtesy of Alaska Airlines. Entries are currently being accepted. For more information about the contest, complete rules, and to enter to win, visit alaska.sjearthquakes.com.
Quakes President Dave Kaval’s Office Hours
Earthquakes President Dave Kaval’s office hours continue during the 2012 season. Fans can drop by his office at 451 El Camino Real, Suite 220 in Santa Clara, Calif., on Tuesdays between 3 and 5 p.m. PT. Participants will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis. Be sure to follow his blog, Kaval’s Kickoff, exclusively at www.sjearthquakes.com, and new this year, follow him on Twitter at @QuakesPrez.
Earthquakes Youth Academy Update
Academy U-18s Roll Over Breakers
The Earthquakes Youth Development Academy U-18 side routed the Santa Cruz Breakers Academy, 4-0, at the Morgan Hill Soccer Complex on Saturday. Cristian Cruz and Luis Navarro gave the U-18s a 2-0 advantage at the break through goals in the 28th and 45th minutes, respectively. Navarro’s was his team-leading eighth. Jonathan Monterroso effectively put the game out of reach with a 72nd-minute strike, before Julio Cervantes closed out the scoring with his seventh of the season one minute from time. Randell Black and U-16 goalie JT Marcinkowski combined on the shutout in goal, with Black playing the first 55 minutes. The U-18s completed their regular season at 11-12-3 overall and an even 6-6-2 in the Western Conference.
Academy U-16s Edged
The Earthquakes Youth Development Academy U-16s were edged by the Santa Cruz Breakers Academy, 3-2, on Saturday afternoon in Morgan Hill. The U-16s finished their regular season with a record of 10-13-3 overall and 6-7-1 in the Western Conference.
Reserves Call-Up for Randall
Earthquakes Youth Development Academy product Brian Randall made his MLS Reserve League debut against Chivas USA on May 14 at the Earthquakes Training Facility, flashing some serious speed in front of Quakes coaches and players over the final 19 minutes after coming on as a substitute for Sercan Guvenisik. The 17-year-old forward has three goals for the U-18 side this season. Fellow academy players Raul Cardona and Julio Cervantes were also available off the bench, but did not appear in the match.
