I'm surprised to see some of the teams that didn't do well exercise so many options and ditch so few players.If you need to do some rebuilding, I think you'd want at least 8 to 10 open roster spots (and the cap space to go with). We'll see how this pans out. My expectations are extremely low. Go Quakes!! - Mark
https://www.sjearthquakes.com/post/...s-announce-roster-moves-ahead-2020-mls-season Summary: Options exercised (they're staying): Bersano, Marie, Yueill Options declined (they're gone): Affolter, Ockford, Partida Cummings is out of contract and Espinoza's loan is expired. Future status to be determined. All of the rest either have signed new contracts or are continuing on their old contracts.
Happy to see the last of Affolter. I like Ockford, but he doesn't fit our system, at all. So best he move on. Partida isn't really good enough. Good luck to him. But we still have Kashia, Vako, and Magnus. All three of them need to go. Sorry to see Cummings go. He's clearly better than Kashia. However, we can do better than Cummings to, so not a big deal. Go Quakes!! - Mark
So Cummings, Affholter, Partida, and Ockford are out. Espinoza gone unless we can cut a deal with his home club. We got some work to do putting together a defensive bench. Maybe we can pick up some other MLS teams' unwanteds in the re-entry process.
As I keep saying: We need to have lots of defenders who are decent on the USL roster so that we can cope when we lose people. We need to get Espinoza back, there's no doubt about it. (Come on Fisher!! Freaking pay for him!!!!) I'm not impressed with our forward corps. Either Danny needs to rediscover his mojo, or we need to sign someone else. And I still want us to replace Vako, Magnus, and Kashia. And Talking Heads are one of the best American bands I've ever seen. Go Quakes!! - Mark spoiled from too many ELP concerts, and Marillion, Mike Oldfield, King Crimson ... and PFM!!
Danny had mojo? my first show in Santa Barbara after arriving in '83...it was the tour Don referenced above, starts with David Byrne coming out solo, doing an acoustic version of Psycho Killer, and builds from there...the County Bowl is a wonderful venue, that was a special evening.
Fun fact: David Byrne was heavily involved in an experiential exhibit that Pace Gallery tried to launch in Menlo Park a few years ago -- https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/david-byrne-pace-gallery-neuroscience-683540 -- the fire department put the kibosh on it and it never happened. The local gallery president, whom I know rather well (from AYSO of course) said "there's this guy named David Byrne...he used to be with this band, some odd name, I don't remember." (She's not THAT young, and you'd better believe my kids know the Talking Heads!)
He mentions Silicon Valley in a (rare) interview I saw with him this week (Big Interview- Dan Rather)...too bad it never happened, sounds interesting. He also toured last year...I was lucky enough to see him at the Shaky Knees Festival in Atlanta and at our sweet venue downtown San Jose (SJ Civic). He played songs from his latest album (American Utopia, which was well received) and did a wonderful job with many of those old Talking Heads classics. Apparently he's getting ready to do a run of shows on Broadway...same group of musicians. Hopefully the Quakes give us something exciting to discuss soon. In the meantime, reflecting on Talking Heads, who came out of CBGB's along with so much amazing music, is fine with me.
I wasn't a big Talking Heads fan when their first album came out, but later took a good listen when they did Stop Making Sense. They basically did that tour twice. I saw them on the second go around at the SF Civic. Awesome show, really high energy, tight, well performed. I was very impressed. I've liked PFM since the mid 70's, because I'm old. Sort of stopped listening to them later. (Bad girlfriend experience. I've had trouble listening to PFM and Gentle Giant until the last ten years or so.) Anyway, I got to see PFM twice last year on Cruise to the Edge. They were freaking amazing. Then, in the airport waiting for my plane, I got to talk to John Etheridge of Soft Machine, and while we were chatting Franz Di Cioccio, drummer and now lead singer for PFM came up and talked to us. He and Etheridge have been friends for decades. Just awesome to talk to those two for ten minutes or more. And the cruise was amazing. PFM, Soft Machine, David Cross Band (phenomenal), Pendragon, Steve Hackett, Focus, Spock's Beard, Enchant, In Continuum, and many more. (The McBroom sisters joined Dave Kerzner and friends for "Great Gig In The Sky" and "Have a Cigar.") Just killer. I'm going again in '20. And why not?! I might as well invest time, energy, money, and love in going to concerts and vacationing like a wild man because my soccer team don't give a flying flip how terrible they are!! I need to see some sort of effort at improvement. So far it's: "Hey!! We're resigned a bunch of guys who missed the playoffs last year!! Woo hoo!!" F@#$ that!! I need to see some progress. I don't expect us to be '12 good every season, but that should still be the goal. We've had seven seasons of mostly crap since '12. Seven seasons of futility. This shit has to stop. Go Quakes!! Still crappy after all these years!! - Mark 2019 - Better but still missed the playoffs 2018 - Worst team in MLS by a good margin 2017 - Barely made the playoffs, then got blown out 2016 - Sucked, not even close to the playoffs 2015 - Sucked, missed playoffs 2014 - Sucked extra hard, 2nd worst team in the league 2013 - Not completely terrible, but missed the playoffs anyway 2012 - Awesome!! Supporter's Shield!!
wow, I think I was at that show as well...... Now back to the Quakes. I know Affholter wasn't that great of a player, but he seemed like a nice guy.....as did Joel Qwiberg and others who have been let go over he past few years....I just feel bad for nice guys when the don't cut it.....but in the end I rather have a competitive team than a last place team filled with nice guys....pro sports is not a kind business.
San Jose Earthquakes Who's in ... MF Judson (Avai FC/BRA, permanent transfer), GK Emi Ochoa (Homegrown signing), DF Casey Walls (Homegrown signing). Who's out ... DF Harold Cummings (out of contract), DF Francois Affolter (option declined), DF Jimmy Ockford (option declined), MF Kevin Partida (option declined). Also ... Cristian Espinoza (in negotiations). 2020 MLS Roster: Goalkeepers (5): Matt Bersano, JT Marcinkowski, Emi Ochoa, Andrew Tarbell, Daniel Vega Defenders (8): Jacob Akanyirige, Florian Jungwirth, Guram Kashia, Nick Lima, Marcos Lopez, Paul Marie, Tommy Thompson, Casey Walls Midfielders (10): Eric Calvillo, Magnus Eriksson, Luis Felipe, Carlos Fierro, Gilbert Fuentes, Siad Haji, Judson, Vako, Shea Salinas, Jackson Yueill Forwards (4): Cade Cowell, Danny Hoesen, Andy Rios, Chris Wondolowski.
I just noticed that the 2020 Major League Soccer Regular Season will begin on February 29, 2020! This will make it the first time I've ever seen a North American (outdoor) Soccer season beginning or even played in February! It may be good for the warm weather clubs including San Jose, the 2 LA clubs and all the southern clubs but it makes you wonder what the cold weather cities will do? Will Montreal play all their games in their indoor stadium as Vancouver does and what about Philly, DC, Minnesota, Columbus and Chicago and the 2 teams in NY? Here is a picture of Chicago Blackhawks hockey match played outside at Soldier Field on March 1st, 2014...
Great question Falvo. Another question: So what do the Quakes do with this roster. We obviously have one too many goalies, can we trade Tarbell for something, anything (future draft pick)? Although if we can't do that I think we have to cut him (we can eat one contract per year without affecting our salary cap. And we obviously need to resign Espinoza. That would give us four slots (we would have to loan out one player). We still need, 1) another proven Center Back preferably younger than Flo and Kashia, 2) a proven left back, 3) another forward, and 4) a true playmaker.