By Pearl Allison Lo

SAN JOSE– 41 years since they were inaugurated, seven years since the stadium proposal, since playing in Spartan Stadium, leaving San Jose and playing at Buck Shaw Stadium, the San Jose Earthquakes now have their own home sweet home, Avaya Stadium.

In a more friendly environment than their first regular season game, the atmosphere was a sold-out 18,000 people strong.

Technically though, the Quakes were not strangers to playing in new stadiums, or Avaya itself. San Jose got to play in the first game ever at the new San Francisco 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium and of course the first game in their own Avaya Stadium February 28, when they won in the preseason finale versus the Los Angeles Galaxy.

The games have worked out well, with the Quakes winning all, 1-0, 3-2 and 2-1 respectively.

Still, the inaugural event of course deserved the attention it got.

The pregame ceremony started with a video. Then,The Great Soccer Ball Relay announcing the stadium opening, reached its final destination after commencing January 8. People kicking the ceremonial bright orange game ball included a member of the original 1974 team and Brandi Chastain. Krazy George then burst out of the giant drum behind the ball and started leading the crowd in chants, and then of course there were fireworks.

The 1906 Ultras’ first tifo at Avaya came via the movie 300. The supporters unveiled a huge banner depicting six red and gold barechested Spartan soldiers surrounding the Quakes logo, above the words: “This is where we hold them. This is where we fight. This is where they die.”

In the spirit of greenness, bicycle parking is allowed in the VIP lot. With a forecast of possible showers on game day, the rain held off for a perfect pitch.

The first goal of the new stadium came just five minutes in by way of San Jose’s Fatai Alashe, which was his first goal as he put in a triple header after Ty Harden then Clarence Goodson each headed the ball.

“I think when those goals went in the roof was almost getting shouted off the hinges,” said Head Coach Dominic Kinnear.

A day before the opening, Shea Salinas in his first ever Q&A with FanTalk, replied to a fan, “The stadium is amazing! I think it is one of the best fan viewing experiences in the country.”

On the atmosphere, Kinnear said,  “When you walk out here, just the energy and enthusiasm from some friends and family before the game, you know it’s spreading throughout the whole city and soccer community, it’s wonderful. The atmosphere was just fantastic…My thanks always go to Mr. Fisher and Mr. Wolff and Dave Kaval for putting together a great project and fulfilling everything and making the players love this place and giving MLS another wonderful stadium. Glad we won the game.”

Melissa McKenzie of the Santa Clara Weekly commented, “The atmosphere was incredible. The stadium is absolutely gorgeous and I love the fact that in addition to standard stadium food they’ve brought in food trucks. It’s a really exciting place to see soccer.”

On the patient and long wait for the stadium, “Many people have waited 40 years for this. We’ve been homeless and nomadic for 40 years. Now we have a home. Just as one 40-year era has ended, another one is just beginning,” said Gary Singh, a columnist at Metro Silicon Valley and author of The San Jose Earthquakes: A Seismic Soccer Legacy, which recently launched.

There were familiar faces on the other side, including former goalie Jon Busch and Head Coach Frank Yallop, now on the Chicago Fire.  “It was kind of nice to be the first (visiting) team here,” said Yallop, who also expressed feeling “emotional,” the stadium was a “special place,” “magnificent job,” was “excited” when he saw the plans and mentioned the boxes down low.”

On partaking in his dad’s soccer dream come true, Chris Wondolowski laughed and said, “It’s my dream as well. …been a dream to always play for the Earthquakes and yet alone, be able to open a stadium. It’s something special.”

The Quakes capped season ticket holders at 12,000 on Monday and launched the stadium’s official app Avaya Stadium on Wednesday.

Fans still have the Devotion Wall for season ticket holders and the LED Field Boards to look forward to, as mentioned on President Dave Kaval’s kickoff writeup on sjearthquakes.com. The latter will be available at San Jose’s second home match Sunday, April 5 at 2pm.

This is what Wikipedia had before the game. What will it have after?

 

Return of Dominic Kinnear (2015–present)[edit]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it. (March 2015)