Misc. Notes
New Stadium Appeal Meeting Set for February 22
The San Jose Planning Commission will meet Wednesday, Feb. 22 to hear the appeal by the Newhall Neighborhood Association of the Earthquakes planned development permit for their proposed new stadium at Newhall and Coleman Avenues in San Jose. The club’s PD permit was initially consented for approval by city planners on Dec. 14, but was appealed by a Newhall Neighborhood Association member in early January. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at San Jose City Hall.
Quakes Re-Acquire Tottenham Hotspur Midfielder Simon Dawkins
San Jose announced last week that the club has re-acquired midfielder Simon Dawkins on loan from club partner Tottenham Hotspur. Per league and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Dawkins, 24, was recently named to Tottenham Hotspur’s 25-man roster following the conclusion of the January transfer window in England. He was on the bench for Spurs in Sunday’s FA Cup match against Stevenage, but did not make an appearance. In 2011, Dawkins scored six goals and had two assists for San Jose in 26 games.
Quakes Close Southern California Trip with 2-0 Win vs. Fire
Steven Lenhart and Brad Ring scored in a 2-0 win against the Chicago Fire at Oxnard Community College on Saturday, the club's final day in Southern California. Lenhart headed home a Ramiro Corrales cross in the third minute to give San Jose an early lead. Brad Ring doubled the Quakes’ lead in the 38th minute, heading in a corner kick from Marvin Chavez.
Wondo Strikes Again in 2-2 Draw vs. Houston
The Houston Dynamo and San Jose Earthquakes drew 2-2 on Feb. 14 at Oxnard College in Onxard, Calif. Chris Wondolowski and Anthony Ampaipitakwong provided the goals for San Jose in the squad's fourth game of the preseason. The goal was Wondolowsi’s third in three preseason games. Wondo’s tally came in the 30th minute as he headed in a Ramiro Corrales cross to equalize. San Jose leveled again in the 78th minute as Anthony Ampaipitakwong tapped in a pass from Khari Stephenson in the area.
Opara Named to U.S. Olympic Qualifying Camp
Earthquakes defender Ike Opara has been selected to join the U.S. Olympic squad in camp from Feb. 19-29 as head coach Caleb Porter works to finalize a roster ahead of CONCACAF qualifying for the 2012 Summer Games. The camp culminates with a friendly against Olympic hopefuls from Mexico on Feb. 29 at FC Dallas Stadium. The match kicks off at 7 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live on Galavision. The Americans will also scrimmage against FC Dallas and the San Antonio Scorpions on Feb. 22 and Feb. 24, respectively.
Season Opener Less Than a Month Away
The San Jose Earthquakes’ 2012 season opener against the New England Revolution is now less than a month away, in just 26 days. Start time at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday night, March 10, is slated for 7:30 p.m. as part of MLS First Kick 2012, with the Quakes launching their fifth season since returning to MLS as an expansion franchise in 2008.
Earthquakes to Play Dynamo at AT&T Park on March 17
The Quakes have announced that the club will host the Houston Dynamo at AT&T Park in San Francisco on Saturday, March 17, as part of a doubleheader with Olympic hopefuls from Mexico and Senegal. The Earthquakes open the twin bill by taking on 2011 MLS Cup finalist Houston at 2 p.m., with Mexico taking on Senegal at 4:30 p.m. in a final tune-up before Olympic qualifying. Tickets can be purchased at www.tickets.com, the AT&T Park box office, Giants Dugout stores, or by calling 1-800-225-2277. For more information about special packages for the March 17 event, fans can call 408-556-7700, or e-mail seasontickets@sjearthquakes.com.
2012 Earthquakes Pre-Season Schedule
The Earthquakes returned to the Bay Area after a 10-day Southern California road trip came to an end on Saturday. The club will train in San Jose during the week before heading to Portland to participate in a four-team round-robin tournament.
All games will be held at JELD-WEN Field. Individual tickets for the tournament, which start at $10 per doubleheader session, are on sale now at the JELD-WEN Field box office and area Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com, or by phone at (800) 745-3000. Participating teams and match schedule are below:
San Jose Earthquakes Preseason Schedule (schedule subject to change):
Jan. 15 – Report Date
Jan. 16-29 – San Jose, Calif. at Earthquakes Training Facility
Jan. 30 – Travel to Tucson, Ariz.
Feb. 1 – Earthquakes vs. FC Tucson (T 1-1) at Kino Sports Complex
Feb. 4 – Earthquakes vs. Sporting Kansas City (L 1-2) at Kino Sports Complex; Return to San Jose after match
Feb. 5-9 – San Jose, Calif. at Earthquakes Training Facility
Feb. 10 – Earthquakes vs. Colorado Rapids (W 2-1) at Alex G. Spanos Stadium in San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Feb. 11- Travel to Ventura, Calif.
Feb. 14 – Earthquakes vs. Houston Dynamo (T 2-2) at Oxnard Community College in Ventura, Calif.
Feb. 18 – Earthquakes vs. Chicago Fire (W 2-0) at Oxnard Community College in Ventura, Calif.; Return to San Jose after match
Feb. 20-25 – San Jose, Calif. at Earthquakes Training Facility
Feb. 26 – Travel to Portland, Ore.
Portland Preseason Tournament Schedule
Monday, Feb. 27 – Chivas USA vs. AIK / 5 p.m., San Jose vs. Portland – 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 1 – AIK vs. San Jose / 5 p.m., Chivas USA vs. Portland – 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 4 – San Jose vs. Chivas USA / 2:30 p.m., AIK vs. Portland – 5 p.m.
March 10 – MLS First Kick
Quakes President David Kaval’s Office Hours
Earthquakes President David Kaval’s office hours continue during the preseason. 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.
2012 Season Tickets on Sale
Season tickets for the San Jose Earthquakes’ 2012 campaign are on sale now. Packages include 20 games at a significantly discounted rate, as well as a bevy of exclusive season ticket-holder benefits. Prices start at $2,300 for Netsuite VIP On-Field seats and are as affordable as $260 in the Supporters’ Section. For more information about pricing, payment plans and more, visit www.sjearthquakes.com/season-tickes or call an Earthquakes sales rep at 408-556-7700.
Earthquakes Youth Academy Update
Academy U-16s, U-18s vs. De Anza Force
The Earthquakes U-16s won 2-0 while the U-18s lost 3-1 against the De Anza Force on Saturday at the Mustang Soccer Complex. Luis Navarro scored his fourth goal of the season for the U-18s. With the loss, the U-18s fell to 3-3-1 in Northwest Division play and 7-8-2 overall. Meanwhile, goals by Elisama Padilla and Andy Perez helped the U-16s improve to 4-2-1 in the division and 8-6-3 overall. Padilla leads the squad with 10 goals in 16 games.
