Category: San Jose Earthquakes

San Jose sports podcast with Ana Kieu: Earthquakes finish season in Seattle; San Jose State notch first win of the season vs. UNLV

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Photo credit: @KNBR and @SJSUSpartanFB

On the San Jose sports podcast with Ana:

1. The San Jose Earthquakes wrapped up the 2018 MLS season in Seattle. The Quakes lost to the Seattle Sounders FC 2-1 in full-time. What more could you say about the Quakes’ future?

2. Reno 1868 FC wrapped up the 2018 USL season in Orange County, Calif. with a 1-0 loss to Orange County SC. Do you think Reno will be back stronger in 2019?

3. The San Jose State Spartans defeated the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 50-37 inside CEFCU Stadium on Saturday. This was the Spartans’ first win since November 25, 2017 versus the Wyoming Cowboys.

4. Spartans sophomore receiver Tre Walker celebrated his birthday on Sunday just a day after the 50-37 win over the Rebels. How great was that?

Ana does the San Jose sports podcasts each week for SportsRadioService.com

Earthquakes fail to play spoiler, lose 2-1 to Sounders in season finale

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose Earthquakes’ season was a lost cause, but despite all the setbacks, the Quakes were looking to play spoiler in their final match of the 2018 MLS season at the Seattle Sounders at CenturyLink Field on Sunday.

Yes, Chris Wondolowski was a starter for the Quakes. And, if there’s anything else positive to say about this match, San Jose battled with Seattle until the very end. The #DecisionDay match was 90 minutes plus three minutes of stoppage time.

The Quakes and Sounders played great amounts of defense to keep themselves in the match. The match was in a scoreless draw at the end of a hard-fought 45-minute first half.

The Quakes finally broke things open in Seattle when Danny Hoesen helped generate his own goal for a 1-0 lead at the 64th minute. However, that was the lone goal for the Quakes, and the #WondoWatch was in effect…but without a sight of a Wondo goal.

The Quakes made their first substitution of the match at the 73rd minute. Magnus Eriksson took the field to replace Eric Calvillo. That substitution, however, was ineffective as the Sounders tied the match 1-1 just six minutes later on a Raul Ruidiaz goal.

The Quakes made a late substitution at the 87th minute. Luis Felipe went in for Jackson Yueill. Again, that didn’t make a difference in the outcome of the match.

Sure, Tommy Thompson shot his shot for what could’ve been a go-ahead goal, but his shot went just wide of the net. The match saw three minutes of stoppage time, which was in favor of the Sounders. Ruidiaz scored his second goal of the game to seal the 2-1 win for the Sounders…and spoil the Quakes’ hopes of crashing the party in Seattle.

Notes
Quakes’ starting lineup

Sounders’ starting lineup



Up Next
See you next season, Avaya Stadium faithful!

Earthquakes end final home game with 0-0 draw with Rapids

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif. — With all eyes on the Wondo Watch, The San Jose Earthquakes (4-20-9) weren’t able to get their captain Chris Wondolowski the two goals needed to break London Donovan’s record in a 0-0 draw with the Colorado Rapids (7-19-7) in the final home game of the season at Avaya Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

It’s not like the Quakes didn’t give it their best effort as the whole team was trying to set up Wondo throughout the entire match. Wondo’s best chances came at the 38th minute one-timing a centering pass from Nick Lima that was blocked by a defender and in the 54th minute he had a clear shot attempt from 18 yards out that sailed high over the net.

“I think they did a good job of marking up,” said Wondo. “I felt our final ball was lacking, our final movement. My shots went into defenders, they blocked them or I missed the target. That’s all on me.”

The first half of play was mostly quiet until about 10 minutes left till intermission. Rapids defender Kortne Ford had an apparent hand ball not called by referee Tim Ford in the 35th minute.

In the 37th minute, Rapids forward Shkelzen Gashi had his attempt from eight yards out just sail wide right of the far post that had beat Quakes goalie JT Marcinkowski.

Tommy Thompson had a quality chance to score in the 40th minute, but his attempt was  saved by Rapids goalie Tim Howard.

In the 45th minute, San Jose had two chances to score, but Shea Salinas’ attempt was tipped over the net by Howard. Then on the ensuing corner kick, Anibal Godoy’s header attempt was also stopped by Howard.

In the second half, the Quakes controlled the play and tempo–winning the possession battle 65% to 35%–and looked like they were going to send the Blue and Black faithful home happy. In the 56th minute, Jackson Yueill’s header attempt on a centering pass was kept out of the net, thanks to the cat-like reflexes by Howard.

San Jose’s best attempt to break the deadlock came in the 71st minute. Yeuill one-tocuhed a back pass to Shae Salinas, who dribbled past one defender and shot the ball just wide right of the goal.

In the match’s final moments, Colorado’s Jack Price almost spoiled the afternoon for the Quakes. Price’s close range shot was tipped over the net by Marcinkowski in the 90th minute.

“Disappointing we didn’t win,” said interim head coach Steve Ralston, who was coaching his final home game for the Quakes. “I thought the performance was really well by the entire group. Unfortunately we couldn’t break them down in the final third (of the match).”

“He came in a very tought spot,” said forward Danny Hoesen regarding Ralston’s upcoming final game as interim coach. “He’s very professional and a good guy. Obviously it would be nice for him to get a win (in his final game as head coach). There will be a little bit extra motivation (next week in Seattle).”

GAME NOTES: Colorado’s Bismark Boateng received a yellow card in the 51st minute for a hard tackle on San Jose’s Jackson Yueill. Ford received a yellow card in the 78th minute for closelining Thompson.

The Quakes finished the match with 13 corner kicks compared to Colorado’s 3.

Vako entered the match in the 81st minute as a substitution for Hoesen.

San Jose is 29-21-16 overall against Colorado with a 16-8-8 record at home.

The announced attendance was 17,474.

UP NEXT: The Quakes travel up to Seattle to take on the Sounders in the regular season finale on Sunday, October 28 at 1:30 pm PT.

San Jose sports podcast with Ana Kieu: Yet another loss for the Earthquakes…and SJSU

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes and @SJSUSpartanFB

On the San Jose sports podcast with Ana:

1. The San Jose Earthquakes wrapped up a friendly against Cruz Azul FC in a scoreless draw last Saturday. What are your three takeaways from the match?

2. The Quakes host the Colorado Rapids on Sunday and close out the season on the road against the Seattle Sounders the following Sunday. What do you see the Quakes doing and what are your score predictions for these matches?

3. The San Jose State Spartans suffered their sixth straight loss 52-3 to the Army Black Knights at Levi’s Stadium last Saturday. You already wrote your three takeaways from that tough loss, but what else can you say about this team?

4. There has been a lot of speculation from the fans and media that San Jose State’s only win will happen versus UNLV at CEFCU Stadium on October 27th. Do you agree with those folks?

Ana does the San Jose sports podcast each week for SportsRadioService.com

Earthquakes hold their own vs. Cruz Azul in 0-0 draw in friendly

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif. — In what must have felt like a home game for the visiting Cruz Azul, the Mexican Liga MX team, came into Avaya Stadium with the majority of the fans rooting for them and left with a 0-0 draw over the San Jose Earthquakes in an international friendly at Avaya Stadium on Saturday evening.

In front of a sold-out crowd, Cruz Azul–the current leader atop the standings in the Liga MX–dominated the first half of play as they had two scoring chances hit off the left post in the first 26 minutes of the match. Martin Cauteruccio had the best opportunity for Cruz Azul. San Jose had a tough time stopping Edgar Mendez from creating multiple chances in their defensive zone. Cruz Azul would have six corner kick opportunities in the first half (finishing with nine to the Quakes’ zero) but weren’t able to cash in on any of them.

The Quakes’ only good opportunity to score came in the 41st minute when Eric Calvillo received a pass from Chris Wehan and dribbled inside the d-box from the left point when fired a shot that Cruz Azul goalie Jose De Jesus Corona was able to make a diving save.

“I know I could’ve hit it harder,” said Calvillo. “It’s unfortunate I couldn’t get the goal I’ve dreaming about (my whole life). But I know it’s not going to be my last opportunity and I’m read for more.”

In the second half, Quakes head coach Steve Ralston flipped the lineup over and it seemed to change the momentum of the game as substitutes Danny Hoesen and Tommy Thompson generated chances for the Quakes.

“It’s been a difficult week right? A lot of stuff happening,” said Ralston. “For those guys to come out and play the way they did, I’m really pleased.”

Cruz Azul head coach Pedro Caixinha also flipped over most of his lineup in the second half bringing in the team’s leading scorer Elias Hernandez and former Quake Rafael Baca. Neither put a dent into the box score.

Cruz Azul had two late scoring chances in the final minutes, but both shot attempts sailed wide.

GAME NOTES: The Quakes’ Florian Jungwirth was issued a yellow card in the 67th minute for arguing with the referee.

Cruz Azul’s Antonio Sanchez also received a yellow card at the 76th minute for tripping San Jose’s Dominic Oduro.

Cruz Azul’s Pablo Aguilar received a yellow card in the 76th minute for a hard tackle on Jungwirth.

The Quakes’ overall record in international friendlies is 11-10-10, dating back to 1996. They have an 8-2-6 record in the past 14 friendly matches. However, against the Liga MX teams, they are 1-7-4 in international friendlies.

This was the first match since the Quakes hired Matias Almeyda as their new head coach for the 2019 season. Ralston, will remain in his role as interim head coach for the Quakes’ final two regular season matches.

UP NEXT: The Quakes will host their final regular season game on Sunday, October 21 against the Colorado Rapids at 2:00 pm PT at Avaya Stadium.

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu: Not much left for San Jose to salvage

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

On the San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana:

1. The Quakes lost to the Red Bulls 3-1 at Avaya Stadium this past Saturday. What are your three takeaways from San Jose’s loss to New York?

2. The #WondoWatch continues as Chris Wondolowski scored his 144th MLS goal in the Quakes’ loss to the Red Bulls. Wondo’s just two goals away from matching Landon Donovan’s career-scoring mark of 146 goals.

3. The Quakes host the Colorado Rapids this Saturday and wrap up the season on the road against the Seattle Sounders FC. What are your three keys to a Quakes win for the final two matches?

4. Time to flip the script to San Jose State football. The Spartans lost to the Colorado State Rams 42-30, despite putting up 30 unanswered points in the second half. With the loss, San Jose State lost its fifth straight game. What’s the bottom line for the Spartans?

5. The Spartans head to Levi’s Stadium to face off against the Army Black Knights this Saturday. What does going into a well-known stadium with five consecutive losses mean for San Jose State?

Ana does the San Jose Earthquakes podcasts each week for SportsRadioService.com

Get to know the Earthquakes’ new head coach Matias Almeyda

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

There is a new man in charge of the San Jose Earthquakes’ head coaching duties. That new man is Matias Almeyda, a Azul, Argentina native, who was welcomed as a member of the Black and Blue in San Jose, Calif. on Monday.

You can get to know the Quakes’ new head coach before the start of the 2019 MLS season. Here are five things that you should know about Almeyda.

1. Almeyda was one of the most shocking signings in the head coaching department for the Quakes, who shocked the domestic and foreign soccer worlds with the Monday signing.

2. Almeyda most recently served as the head coach of Chivas de Guadalajara from 2015-18. Almeyda led Chivas to five major trophies in three seasons, including the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League.

3. Prior to his Chivas’ tenure, Almeyda served as the head coach of two clubs in his native Argentina (River Plate and Banfield) and led both clubs to promotion from the second tier in his first season.

4. Almeyda was a successful player in Argentina and Europe. Almeyda made nearly 300 appearances for clubs around the world. The majority of Almeyda’s playing career was spent in Italy for Inter, Lazio and Parma. Almeyda also earned 35 caps for the Argentina National Team and represented his birth country at two FIFA World Cups in 1998 and 2002, respectively.

5. Almeyda was linked to a few high-profile jobs before the Quakes’ announcement, including several in MLS and Europe. Almeyda was also linked to the Mexico, Costa Rica and Argentina National Team openings.

Again, best of luck to Almeyda!

Earthquakes hire new head coach Matias Almeyda

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Earthquakes announced Monday that the club has hired Matias Almeyda as their latest head coach. Almeyda’s a former Argentina National Team midfielder who most recently led Mexican side Chivas de Guadalajara to the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League title. Interim head coach Steve Ralston will remain in his position for the final two matches of the 2018 MLS season before Almeyda takes over in 2019.

The assistants on Almedya’s coaching staff will be announced at a later date.

“What we saw in Matias was a coach that brought success by creating a culture we strive to emulate,” said Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli. “He has demonstrated leadership qualities in Argentina with River Plate and Banfield, as well as in Mexico with Chivas. He has always had a winning mentality, both as a player and a coach, and most importantly, he is someone that knows how to redirect a team in a difficult situation with a commitment to a distinct style of play and youth development.

“Matias came here because he welcomes the challenge of helping our organization open a new chapter after a grueling season. He had several other opportunities available to him from clubs and national teams around the world but made it very clear the Earthquakes were the one he wanted to lead.”

Almeyda, 44, comes to San Jose with an extensive background both as a player and manager. He most recently served as head coach of Chivas from September 2015 to June 2018, where he led the club to five trophies in his three seasons. During his tenure, Almeyda managed numerous Mexican National Team players, including Carlos Salcedo, Omar Bravo, Alan Pulido, Oswaldo Alanis, Rodolfo Pizarro, Miguel Angel Ponce and Isaac Brizuela.

Almeyda’s side won the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League with consecutive wins over MLS clubs Seattle Sounders FC (3-1 agg.), New York Red Bulls (1-0 agg.) and Toronto FC (3-3 agg.; 4-2 PKs). It marked the club’s first CONCACAF Champions League title since 1962, the first year of the competition’s existence, and secured Chivas’ first-ever qualification for the FIFA Club World Cup.

In addition to their international success, Chivas also performed well domestically under Almeyda. Chivas won the nation’s biannual tournament, Copa MX, in 2015 (Apertura) and 2017 (Clausura), as well as the 2016 Supercopa MX. The club also won the Clausura 2017 Liga MX championship, their first league title in more than 20 years. He was subsequently named Liga MX’s Best Coach after winning the league double.

Prior to joining Chivas in 2015, Almeyda was head coach for multiple clubs in his native Argentina.

In June 2011, Almeyda made the rare transition from player to head coach, where he was tasked with leading a River Plate side that had just suffered relegation. In his debut season as manager, Almeyda led the Argentine power to a commanding 20-5-13 record and promotion back to the nation’s top league. The team also reached the semifinals of Copa Argentina with five consecutive victories, in which they allowed one total goal, before bowing out to Racing in penalties.

Almeyda left River Plate in November 2012, joining Argentina’s Club Atletico Banfield a few months later. Banfield had also recently suffered relegation and turned to Almeyda to restore the club to the Primera División.

Banfield won the championship and earned promotion in his first season, finishing with a 22-8-12 record and +31 goal differential, scoring a league-best 71 goals in 42 games. Only one other team finished with more than 54 goals that season.

After avoiding relegation in 2014, Almeyda’s side surged ahead in 2015, finishing in eighth place in the 30-team league with a 14-8-8 record and earning qualification for the 2016 Copa Sudamericana. Almeyda departed for Chivas after the team’s successful 2015 season.

Almeyda became a head coach after a lengthy playing career that featured stints in five countries. The defensive midfielder played in nearly 300 club matches, including 129 in Italy’s top-flight Serie A, 63 in Argentina’s Primera División and 28 in Spain’s La Liga, also making 20 appearances in UEFA Champions League competition. He featured for some of the world’s most storied clubs, including Inter Milan, Lazio, Sevilla and River Plate.

Among the trophies he helped lift as a player are three Argentinian championships (’93, ’95, ’96), one Copa Libertadores (’96), one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (’99), one UEFA Super Cup (’00), three Italian Cups (‘98, ‘00, ’02) and one Italian championship (’00).

Almeyda started and ended his playing career at River Plate, retiring in 2011, and immediately taking the reins as head coach at age 37.

Internationally, Almeyda made 35 appearances for the Argentina National Team, scoring five goals. He represented his country at the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups.

Earthquakes fall 3-1 to the Red Bulls, but the #WondoWatch continues

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Alexandra Evans

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Earthquakes faced the second-ranked, Eastern Conference playoff-bound New York Red Bulls at home on October 6, crossing their fingers for a win. The Quakes have not prevailed in over a month.

New York picked up the first netter in the 29th minute when the ball slipped out of San Jose goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski’s hands, allowing Alex Muyl to take a shot from the left side, six yards outside the goal line.

And then they did it again three minutes later. The ball bounced off of San Jose’s right goal post (from the goalkeeper’s perspective) and redirected to the right. This phenomenon allowed New York’s Bradley Wright-Phillips to “rebound” the ball and kick it in toward the bottom of the left corner.

At halftime, the Quakes were down 2-0, which was a reflection of their performance over the month of September and a foreshadowing of the remainder of the match.

One-ninth of the way into the second half, at the 50th minute, Aaron Long bumped a header and put up another point for the Red Bulls. Danny Hoesen, eventually caught offside, attempted a shot at the 54th minute from outside the left of the Red Bulls’ defensive zone, which was immediately caught by goalkeeper Luis Robles. This prompted head coach Steve Ralston to substitute Vako for captain Chris Wondolowski (marking his 32nd appearance).

Wondo made his first scoring attempt upon entry at the 70th minute, when his shot from the center of the box was blocked. 13 minutes later, however, Wondolowski received a punt from Florian Jungwirth at the 83rd minute. His header from the right side of the goalpost earned him his 144th career goal, just one shy of former Earthquake Landon Donovan who holds the record for most career goals in MLS history.

The Quakes trailed 3-1, which was the final score at Avaya Stadium.

The San Jose Earthquakes are back at Avaya Stadium on Saturday, October 13 to face Cruz Azul at 5:15 PM PST.

San Jose sports podcast with Ana Kieu: Earthquakes lost again; SJSU has to do more than just learn from mistakes

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

On the San Jose sports podcast with Ana:

1. San Jose Earthquakes interim head coach Steve Ralston is 0-3 in his position so far. What can you say about his work ethic late in the 2017-18 MLS season?

2. What are your three takeaways from the Quakes’ disappointing road loss 3-2 to the Houston Dynamo?

3. The San Jose State Spartans lost a heartbreaker 44-41 to the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on homecoming. Was there anything you’d like to talk about that you didn’t mention in your three takeaways article?

4. The Spartans have to do more than learn from their mistakes. Head coach Brent Brennan said that the loss was the fault of not only him, but also his coaching staff. Which coach do you think will be ousted first and do you think any players will request trades sooner than later?

5. Switching gears to San Jose State men’s basketball, they’ve put the same faces in different positions. Ryan Cooper was promoted to Assistant Coach and Trent Miyagishima took Cooper’s place as Director of Basketball Operations.

Ana does the San Jose sports podcasts each week for SportsRadioService.com