The Official 2017 San Jose Earthquakes related Blogs/Press thread

As it should be. However, it saddens me that the players must be forced to honor their country and its National Anthem when they should be humbled to be chosen to play for the US.

 

I strongly disagree that US national team players should be required to stand for the anthem. It's a First Amendment violation for the government to impose such a requirement. US Soccer Federation is not a governmental entity, but it is acting in a quasi-governmental capacity, ratified by the actual government (which fetes the athletes at the White House), insofar as it purports to "represent" the country in international competitions, which after all is the supposed justification for the requirement ("it's an honor and privilege to represent your country"). So, there is a non-trivial possibility USSF's rule is unconstitutional. Even if not already illegal, the private sector's increasing reliance on quashing expression it disagrees with is Orwellian. The same logic employed by USSF against Megan Rapinoe has been, as we have seen, employed by Google against its uppity, non-politically-correct (i.e., conservative) engineers. So, if it's not illegal today, Congress will be compelled to act soon enough to make it illegal for monopolistic private employers to engage in this sort of nonsense, which for good reason the government is already not permitted to do.

 

http://www.sanjoseinside.com/2017/1...t-sharks-get-off-schneid-49ers-set-ugly-mark/

 

https://www.sjearthquakes.com/post/...uakes-announce-2017-devotion-scarf-recipients

These are all deserving recipients, so congratulations to them all! I've been fortunate enough to have witnessed some of the years of effort which John Jussen and Brian Holmes have dedicated to the team, The Club, and area soccer. So I am very pleased to see them in this group.

 

I've known Brian almost as long as I've been in California, and had the pleasure to work with him and Mike as part of the crew for the Quakes during my brief 20-year stint with the team. I hope they both enjoy their moment in the spotlight!

 

https://www.sjearthquakes.com/post/...quakes-fans-support-so-far-2017?autoplay=true

https://www.sjearthquakes.com/post/...-fans-their-support-so-far-2017?autoplay=true

 

SJ GM: Success is not defined by making playoffs (Mercury News)

 

"Absolute bedlam. That’s the only way to describe Avaya Stadium after Urena’s goal led the Quakes to a 3-2 victory over Minnesota United, capping a wild sequence that lifted hometown fans from downright depression into a state of unmitigated euphoria. Minnesota scored a goal to tie the game 2-2 in the 81st minute, and it looked as if the Quakes’ playoff chances had all but evaporated.

"But then Urena—who was inserted into the game in the 88th minute—scored to lock up the win and the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference . . ."

http://www.sanjoseinside.com/2017/1...-make-playoffs-hertl-sparks-sharks-49ers-ugh/

What's nice about this recent weekly local sports update on San Jose Inside is that it popularizes the Quakes to a broader audience than the usual hardcore soccer fans. In the online Mercury News, you really have to dig to find mention of the Quakes.

 

http://quakestalk.com/2017/10/22/the-goal-that-sent-the-san-jose-earthquakes-to-the-playoffs/

Flo gives the best interviews!

 

Actually, I liked Urena’s quote better:

• “I didn’t want to listen to anything,” he said. “What can they tell me with two minutes to go? There’s nothing they can tell me. I just wanted to make the change as quickly as [possible] and get onto the field.”

But I’m a little worried about Leitch’s quote at the end of the article. If the guys really blew out all their emotions in that game ending, then they will be flat tomorrow night. Yikes!

 

The Quakes won a second thrilling comeback a week after their greatest-ever Come Back against the Galaxy. The Buffalo Bills also won the following week -- on the road against Pittsburgh -- after the greatest comeback in NFL history.

Mentally the Quakes should be sharp and focused. The real question is whether they are physically fit for possibly another 120 minutes on 72 hours rest, but Vancouver is in the same position in that regard.

 

Good points. Is Vancouver on turf?

 

Yes.

 

Don't know if this has already been posted elsewhere. Congrats to Danielle Slaton!

https://www.sjearthquakes.com/post/...ucted-san-jose-sports-hall-fame?autoplay=true

 

Matt Doyle's article about USMNT's youth depth chart.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/footb...ak-as-peru-qualify-for-first-time-in-35-years

Couple of things:

1) Nice to see Lima, TT, and Jackson named in there somewhere, even if just "waiting in the wings" (the latter 2).

2) Clearly Doyle is not in the "sky is falling" camp about U.S. soccer, and all the hair-pulling and teeth gnashing about pay-for-play (which, granted, is a problem, but not bringing the sky down). In his view, it is actually quite the opposite - we have a wide and deep young talent pool right now. This is consistent with what I'd been saying, even in the midst of the most fervent hair-pulling after the U.S. failed to qualify.

The good news? The kids are all right. The US are one of two teams to have made the quarterfinals of the last two U-20 World Cups – Portugal are the other – and success at the U-20 level has long been a predictor of success at the full national team level. The fact that the Yanks did it without a single minute from McKennie or Pulisic suggests that the talent pool is both wide and deep in a way it simply hadn't been in US history.

In other words, the investments made in youth development are starting to pay off(*), and those are the players to build around going forward.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/footb...ak-as-peru-qualify-for-first-time-in-35-years

 

https://www.sjearthquakes.com/post/2017/11/20/news-earthquakes-part-ways-goalkeeper-coach-tim-hanley

 

I wish all the best for Tim. He's just a nice guy, period.

 

http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/12/...es-winterfest-attracts-thousands-of-families/

 

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/m/cf13c0c1-5b29-351f-8b81-114807278000/ss_san-jose-earthquakes’.html

"We can produce snow but not a winning team".. The new team slogan.