As the editor of SJEarthquakes.com, I saw every piece of content published last season. From photo galleries of the Governator being scarved to evil monkeys, I witnessed it all.
We already unveiled its 10 best moments from 2010, but there can never be too many lists at this time of the year. Here are my picks for Best of SJEarthquakes.com:
Best Supporters Chant
No brainer: "You are my Wondo, my Wondolowski. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know Chris, how much we love you. Please don't take my Wondo away." Cheers to the 1906 Ultras for that one.
Best Tifo Action
I like to think the Evil Monkey had his finger pointed straight at destiny. This photo was snapped on May 8 during San Jose's 4-0 romp over the New York Red Bulls, a prelude to the Quakes dramatic Eastern Conference Semifinal victory.
Best Fan Outfit
Halloween brought some top-notch costumes to Buck Shaw Stadium for the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal against New York, but two stood above the rest: Mini Q and Where's Wondo.
Most Likely to Become a Quakes Play-by-Play Commentator
Best Goal
No additional commentary needed on this one. Chris Wondolowski's left-footed volley against the Colorado Rapids on May 1 was an absolute cracker.
Best Non-Jon Busch Save
Jon Busch had too many acrobatic, game-saving saves to pick just one. That said, the award for Best Non-Jon Busch Save goes to Jason Hernandez for his dramatic goal-line clearance against the New York Red Bulls during the first leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal at Buck Shaw Stadium.
Most Memorable Moment
I remember sitting in the Earthquakes Conference Room with SJEarthquakes.com reporter Miguel Duarte on November 3 waiting anxiously for two things: A San Jose go-ahead goal and Domino's Pizza.
What I saw over a 5-minute stretch was nothing short of spectacular. A Bobby Convey go-ahead goal set the stage for an equalizer from Juan Pablo Ángel. With the aggregate square at two apiece, Chris Wondolowski fittingly scored the ultimate goal, an 81st minute game winner.
Unfortunately, Miguel was running around the office building trying to track down a lost delivery guy during the scoring spree, but that match was something I will never forget. Surely Quakes fans will always remember where they were when San Jose knocked off New York at Red Bull Arena.
Quote of the Year
"We're more about improving the quality of the team through a designated player than finding the Tom Cruise of soccer. We'll settle for somebody that helps us win more games. The guy can come from Omaha." ~Lew Wolff on signing the club's first DP.
Best Photo
The Governator got scarved. It doesn't get any better than that.
Best Video
Props to MLSSoccer.com's Scott Riddell for this one. His feature on Chris Wondolowski as an MVP candidate was brilliant.
Best Article
The 2010 season brought a flurry of content that was missing in previous seasons. MLSSoccer.com's push to generate fresh material league wide created a number of top-notch articles for fans to read. However, there's one thing MLSSoccer.com didn't have: Bloggin' With Buschy. San Jose's goalkeeper turned in several witty accounts from the final weeks of the regular season. His first submission, Road Trip, takes the award.
Special Thanks
There were a number of contributors to SJEarthquakes.com during the 2010 campaign. First and foremost, a big thanks to our part-time multimedia coordinator Chris MacDougall for his video editing skills. Miguel Duarte also deserves credit for his work as a part-time reporter for our weekly previews as well as his work on From the Pitch and 10 From 10. And, even though they typically like to remain anonymous, here's a quick shout out to our PR staff: Jed Mettee, Jordan Stepp and former intern Andrew Howard. Lastly, I'd like to extend a huge muchas gracias to MLSSoccer.com's staff of editors and writers for their regular content contributions.
We'll see you in 2011!
