San Jose Earthquakes Stadium - 2014 Can't Come Soon Enough!

Asked my ticket rep today about construction. He said we probably wouldn't see the "structure" going up until March with an opening still set for the start of the 2014 season. Demo and ground work will be going on before that. Seems like a long time, but, March 1st is less than 4 months away. Only 109 days!

Yeah figured as such. Exactly 1 year after our /Nancy's city council meeting...

You just can't quit her, eh?

You kidding?? I tricked and/or treated her just last week!

I had a feeling you wanted to "bone" her.

A young man's Fancy er Nancy?

Or at least roll over at 8:30pm!

I had not heard that the GoatBangers were seriously considering moving. Of course, I don't care enough about them to bother following their news. I wonder where in smell-lay they would move? It's not like there are big chunks of real estate lying about that they could buy and build a stadium on, so they'll need to move to an existing stadium, and probably pay for some up grades.

Needs to be a place that tolerates better too, so probably not a college?

GO QUAKES!!

- Mark

A move to Santa Ana was story a little while back, but guess that fell through.

http://www.thegoatparade.com/2012/6/22/3109616/stadium-update-santa-ana-appears-to-be-out

I still think they should be pushing hard for San Diego.

I think they would do better in their own stadium in the LA area. San Diego is a bad soccer town. Doug Logan lost his job as commissioner because of the MLS All Star Game fiasco in San Diego in 1999. Maybe San Diego might work with fans commuting from Tijuana, but why would Tijuanans go through the hassle of a border crossing into a hostile country when they can support their Xolos in a superior league?

At this rate, though, Chivas USA is a prime candidate for relocation (Orlando?) or even to fold.

@Socarchist has it right. The GoatBangers should stay in smell-lay, just move to a new stadium. Some place where they control enough of the revenue streams that they can make a buck or two. I don't want them to fold, that would suck for their fans, and it's not the fans fault that the team was poorly conceived and poorly run. The owners took the risk, now the owners should figure out how to fix the club. Happily, I think the new owners are committed to making it work. New digs and some new marketing, and some new effort, and a winning (or at least not embarrassingly bad) team would be a big step in the right direction.

GO QUAKES!!

- Mark

Just saw this from the Chivas USA press conference:

Jorge Vergara: There is a city in Texas who is offering us the moon and the stars... but we're not moving out of Los Angeles. #ChivasUSA

This is a bummer and way shortsighted. My guess is Austin...or is it obvious that it's Austin?

It's obvious that it's San Antonio.

Wow. I'm shocked that any Quakesfan would think it a good idea to move a team. I mean, really?

Yeah, the GoatShaggers have screwed the pooch in so many ways in LowCal, but now that Cue is out of the way, I think there's a good chance that Vergara can pull it out and get the team on a solid footing.

They need a stadium that they control.
They need better marketing.
They need a better product on the field.

But these things are all doable. Why move to some city in godforsaken Texas?!

GO QUAKES!!!

- Mark

Ah yes, San Antonio.

For the good of the league? I'm just not sure MLS can support 2-team cities at this point in it's young life, even in it's biggest markets. But you're right, moving Chivas would totally upset their 300 season ticket holders. Not to mention, what will become of their glorious legacy in North American soccer history.

Only time will turn Mexican-American soccer fans into MLS fans, even then I'm not too sure it'll ever happen. Plus Austin is a great city, San Antonio isn't too shabby either. Both I would love to travel to over another trip to see the team that doesn't matter in dingy Hell-A.

As someone currently living in SD I'll agree with half this statement. San Diego is a great soccer town when it's local soccer (which the 1999 MLS allstar game was not). The attendance at friendlies and the Sockers indoor team are testaments to that as well as the soccer TV ratings for the USMNT and the local Xolos.

But you nailed the problem on the head. Club Tijuana Is just across the border and have made it their mission to be San Diego's soccer team. Not just for Mexicans, Mexican Americans, and other latin decended people but for "anglos" as well. And it is slowly working. During their last friendly up here against America There were a heck of a lot more white, black and asian folks in attendance than you customarily see at an all Mexican team meet in other places such as the Bay Area. Hell the paper down here did a study on the sports team ratings and the Xolos get higher ratings than the Padres and almost as high as the Chargers.

They're actually looking into a joint deal with USC near the LA Coliseum was and continues to be the latest rumor. Oddly though the stadium they're looking to build would only seat around 16,000 supposedly.

So a site near the el-lay coliseum?

If it's a joint venture with USC, will they be able to sell beer there? USC is a private school, so I think that would be a possibility, but if Corona is one of your sponsors, you'd better be able to sell beer.

If USC sells out the Coliseum for a game or two a year, why would they want to move to a smaller stadium? Or is this to be a USC Soccer stadium? Sorry for the lame questions.

GO QUAKES!!

- Mark

If it happens, it would be a USC soccer stadium, at the site of the old Sports Arena (former home of the Clippers and USC basketball).

Good question about beer sales. USC stopped selling beer at the Coliseum a couple years ago but still allows alcohol sales at the Galen Center (basketball/volleyball arena). It's possible that alcohol would be sold at the soccer stadium, at least for MLS games.

Gotta love Google!
http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_21991639/chivas-usa-looks-revive-relationship-mexican-club-seek

Bunch of stuff in here. I haven't read all of it yet.

GO QUAKES!!

- Mark

Sounds like they are going to give another shot at trying what didn't work the first time around.

I think they are starting again with a fundamentally flawed premise - associating style of play with an ethnic group / nationality. And so they are doomed to fail again. MLS is very competitive now. You need to look for talent all over the globe and not try to limit yourself to one ethnicity or have some preconceived notion of the type or quality of player based on ethnicity or nationality.

I think they would be more successful if they targeted a certain style of play. It could be based on Chivas de Guadalajara style - fine, and they could get some young players from the parent club, but for the U.S. team they should be open to all ethnicities / nationalities.

In any case, would help for them to have their own ground and not have to bear the indignity of renting from the Gals.