Earthquakes vs. America at Candlestick Park (9/18/02) PRE-GAME thread

I'm also in the disaster category...

(i) We have achieved home field advantage by then...someone still gets hurt...and are put out of the play-offs ...nightmare

(ii) We havn't achieved homefield advantage...nightmare game to play

(iii) As has been said the Mexicans are looking for revenge against the American champs...could get ugly

(iv) We lose all the Mexicans say MLS is crap compared to the Mexican league...we win its "only a friendly".. a no win situation.

(v) Trying to court new fans...again needs to be done in San Jose...also a game against America won't get us enough fans to jeopardize a chance to repeat which will continue to help us grow. And if we need to keep courting the Euro-snobs and Mexicans, by giving THEM special events its sad because IMO they are not true supports of the sport..even if the standard isn't quite what they expect they need to get out and support the game as that is the only way it will grow and get better...so they should stop whining and do something about it..

(vi) Korea '02 Goals by McBride MLS
and Donovan MLS what more credible adgument to we need than that?d

(vii) I happen to think that a game between the MLS champs and the MFL champs will be a very good thing, except it needs to be organized and arranged at a sensible time, not before the last regular season game and the play-offs.

Okay..thats my early morning Monday vent over...

-Richard

 

I knew something was up when Johnny Moore was talking about how nice the pitch was at the Stick for the Mexico/Boliva friendly. I suspect the game was played in the Stick because they believe Spartan might be too small to hold the crowd (read: all the America fans).

I'm in the great idea, bad timing crowd. I don't know if I can go to this just based on date and time alone. I wouldn't get home until 11pm, and I can't take the next day off work (no vacation or sick time available). I wish this had been scheduled until after the season.

I'm curious to see who gets the start in this game. Maybe the Quakes can bring in Cobi as a special guest player punching bag for this one .

Maybe an e-mail out to Club Quake folks to gauge the enthusiam of this game might be in order. It doesn't seem like there are a lot of Quake folks who want to go (not our lunatic fringe has ever accurately gauged the goings on at large). Turcs, e-mail me offline about what the work consists of.

Guy

 

For my own selfish reasons, I for one am looking forward to this game. The whole urban jungle adventure to get to San Jose every weekend by public transport has been getting old as of late!

I will, however, be as sick as anyone if any injuries occur at this game. They really needed to do this one post-season.

 

Cry me a river. I live in Oakland. It's a pain to get down to Spartan, but I do it, sometimes even for a Wednesday game. If I recall correctly, nobody checked my ID to make sure that I was an official San Jose resident before letting me into the stadium.

The Bay Area, the whole Bay Area, is a huge potential market for soccer. The Earthquakes should be letting people in other parts of the region get a better look. A marquee friendly against the biggest club in Mexico seems like a good way to do that. After all, it's not as if the people in San Jose have been packing Spartan this year, so why not do a little outreach?

 

Whoa buddy! Have some more beer!

I'm not saying you have to be a San Jose resident to be a fan. Maybe you should read my post more closely. I simply feel that the fans they are trying to attract with this game would be more likely to come back to the games if they were from San Jose. I'm not saying no one outside of San Jose will come to the games. I simply think they should really focus on the fans closer to San Jose.

You and I do not fall into the category of fans they are trying to attract. If only for the simple fact that we post here.

And part of my feelings toward this may be because this may be my last season in San Jose. I may be moving out of state and won't be able to make it to every game. I would have loved to see this game before I left. But I simply can't make it to the city for this game on a weeknight. I have a government job, which means I MUST work from 8-5. And it's at a university, where the semester just started. September is my busiest month. So I won't be able to get the time off to get out there, especially since I'm already taking the weekend off to go to LA.

But oh well, it's my loss. I didn't mean to imply that only people from San Jose should go to the games.

 

It might be hard to gain the respect of a new audience, but we should at least try. And it is very easy to lose the respect of an audience, especially when they have to travel a distance and pay at least $30 for a ticket to see the Quake B team not put up a fight. The Quakes have an obligation to entertain the fans that show up, and they should do it.

 

I understand. I was using hyperbole to highlight the parochial aspects of your post.

It's a little early to have more beer, but I'll drink a Guinness in your honor after work today.

The Bay Area is a huge place and the Earthquakes would be (are) insane to ignore the 1.5+ million people who live in the SF/East Bay part of the region. It only takes a few thousand coming down each Saturday to make a huge difference in attendance. The Earthquakes can't afford to focus on the South Bay only, they're just not doing well enough.

 

I'm being misunderstood. But I don't want to argue around in circles. So I'm just gonna drop this.

 

Earthquakes vs. America at Candlestick Park

You are kidding right, have you seen the way the Quakes are playing, we could easily be in 4th place by then, looking over our shoulder at KC.

 

I don't think I'm misunderstanding you, I think I'm disagreeing with you. And that's fine. Just a difference of opinion between two people who want more folks at Earthquakes games. No big deal.

 

You were taking my posts too literally. I know you disagree, and you're right, that's fine. But you were also taking my posts too literally. I don't think you're truly understanding what I'm saying. But I really don't want to keep going back and forth over the issue here. It's been discussed enough.

 

I am completely unsympathetic

I think it's great that they are having a game in San Francisco and I have to admit I have lost a lot of respect for the whiners on these boards who are complaining that it's a little inconvenient for them to get to the game.

The game starts at 8, no? I think you can make it to the game with a little bit of planning. It would be nice if some of the South Bay fans showed that they have a little spirit and made the trip. Us North Bay fans do it every week in bigger numbers than you apparently realize.

**Also welcome to the newbie who rides public transpo from SF - that's way cool of you

 

Re: I am completely unsympathetic

I'm the one who's been complaining the most. Any other time, and I would try to make the trip. But I already explained why I can't and why I'm so upset. And you think wrong, cuz there is not much I can do to make that trip. I'm already giving up work time to make the trip to LA. I told my boss that I can't work on the 14th or 15th in exchange for working 12 hour days M-F. Which is the main reason why I can't go to this game.

Explain to me why the crowds are so much smaller at Spartan on weeknights. I'm willing to bet it has alot to do with it being inconvenient for people to get to games.

I'm sorry you've lost respect for me when you don't even know me.

 

Earthquakes vs. America at Candlestick Park

Either way is a long-haul for me, SJ or SF.


PS- SJQF, I don't know you, but I respect you.

 

Earthquakes vs. America at Candlestick Park

What is the capacity of this stadium ? Is it good for soccer ? Personally I think it's crap that they're having it in SF. Yallop should put his 2nd string guys in their and let them go at it. Start Luchi and DeRo and watch the goals accumulate !

 

Re: I am completely unsympathetic

Thanks. The number of games I can make it to is limited, but I go when I can. Incidentally, I'm headed out to Boston during the weekend of the Cup and so will, hopefully, at least get to see the Quakes clean up in the grand finale.

 

Re: Earthquakes vs. America at Candlestick Park

61,000 for football/soccer. Candlestick was orginally for baseball until it was enclosed for NFL.

The problem is the sightlines since it the seats were aligned in a baseball format. The seats on the far end are closer to the action while the nearside seating is further from the field.

The rail is low enough to see all the action.

I'm thinking the first stringers would start, then the key ones will be out the second half. Playing a second string team would have the sound of "ripoff" to the casual or non-MLS fan. Best to play them enough to satisfy the fans, while at the same time hoping everyone ends up unhurt.

 

It's a headache since the Caltrain weekend service is closed until 2004 to allow for construction. If I had to get to a game from SF or during a weeknight/holiday perfect way to get to Spratan.

It's also nice to try to have the Quakes play in San Fran, though the original opponent was River Plate or some other South American team that decided to pull out for travel reasons.

Several of us between San Fran and San Jose so it's good. We skipped the Mexico/Bolivia game, but it would be nice to see such a game there and this time with the local team (and the US National Team if they can get a game there).

Cheers!

 

so will this match be played on a field marred by football lines?

probably

 

Earthquakes vs. America at Candlestick Park

After seeing the masterpieces in Japorea, those pointy football lines in Colo made me wanna puke.

 

I was at the Mexico v. Bolivia game in May (leading up to the World Cup). I think there was something like 35k in attendance (?) and lots of crowd action (the Tricolor flag obviously, the whole stadium doing the "wave", constant "oles" for Mexico as they possessed the ball, etc.). It was cold, and not as intimate as Spartan, but because the crowd was in such high spirits and such a vocal force (too vocal perhaps) it made it really fun.

There also was this thing where people around the stadium made this hissing/zowie noice (not sure how you describe it - sort of like the ha-za at Spartan when J.C makes a goal kick) and it seemed to randomly jump around the crowd and come at you from all directions, zooming in and out really quickly. I think it had something to do with the large amounts of beverage consumption, but not being used to attending major sporting events it was way cool as I recall. Also, having a continuous set of stands ringing the entire field, and packed with people on the lower level, made the wave really look good, despite my ex-gf's assertation that it was too 80's.

One recommendation to those who are considering going to the game is that the Mex/Bol game sold out of the cheap seats and walk-up sales were only for $40 or $50 tickets IIRC. If there's a decent crowd for this match it could happen again so you might want to buy your tickets in advance if price matters to you.

 

Earthquakes vs. America at Candlestick Park

CCCUUULLLEERRROOO !!! CCCCUUUULLLEERRROOO !!!

 

Looks like the Earthquakes beat us to it. Season ticket holders should be receiving a flyer from the Quakes in the mail. Maybe the details could be put up on the Club Quake website. I wouldn't want to put the details in such a public forum where any American might see .

I'm beginning to change my mind about not going. If I can go into work late the next day, I'll go. I'd just hate to miss a game with this kind of atmosphere, even if it is for the other team! I'm pretty use to it, now.

Chant du jour
¡Dos a cero! clap-clap-clapclapclap

 

My boss said okay (I have a much better attendance record than she has so she had no ground to stand on). So I'm in.

[Jewish mother guilt trip]
I'm sure the boys would love to see some of their fans there to support them.
[/Jewish mother guilt trip]