Pre-match: San Jose Earthquakes - Colorado Rapids (Sunday, 3/6) pregame thread

Hope it hails!

 

Who knows what Colorado is going to bring to the opener. They've changed so much of their roster. They added a DP attacker, Shkelzen Gashi, who appears to be a quality attacker. I'm guessing their attack will be better, but their defense might be a work in progress...two new flank fullbacks with Burling and Sjoberg in the middle. We should get our chances against their D...I would guess they sit very deep though. SBI had a preview of their team. Supposedly they line up in a 4-2-3-1 with Powers moving back to pair with Cronin...Cronin is out for the opener though.

Even though they have Mastroeni as coach, we can't assume they'll be as poor as last season. My worst fear is we give up something cheap early and have to chase the game with our current lack of chemistry in the attack against their packed D....

We didn't look good in preseason, but I have faith it will sort out. Dom is methodical. I always believe it will be slow incremental progress. I'm fine with that. I'd rather have results over aesthetics. With the goal to play more attractive attacking ball over time while maintaining a sound defensive foundation. The roster is still unbalanced with holes and deadwood, definitely a work in progress, but I think we'll be fine over the course of the season.

 

By chance are you and Jazzy related?

 

We're all related.

" . . . So what does this all mean? Ancestry is messy. . . . People are horny. Life is complex. . . ."

And in-breeding inexorably leads to Quakes fandom.

https://www.theguardian.com/science...-genetic-ancestry-charlemagne-adam-rutherford

 

In the broadest sense, I suppose that's hard to argue with.

 

But, you are just as related to LA and Seattle fans.

 

No, I enjoy his posts.

I don't agree with everything he says, but usually have a similar take on things. Although I have absolutely no interest in debating anything I post...take it or leave it. That might not be the case with Jazzy haha

I'm a hardcore Dom supporter.

I think Jazz is cautiously optimistic regarding Dom, giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Probably the biggest difference between us is the polar opposite view we have of Tyff's French chauffeur's previous career as a soccer player.

 

FWIW I don't know how I seem to have gotten a reputation, at least with Quakes05, as some kind of massively pro-Dom guy or even massive optimist about the team. My view on Dom is neither overwhelmingly positive nor overwhelmingly negative. You can go back and look at my posts all the way back to the prospect of Dom's hiring. I was fairly "meh" about it, saying that he was, at this point, too "orange" and it was kind of a "tired" choice at this point.

As late as this morning I posted this:

"More or less my view on Dom. Is he still a good coach who has hit a bit of a rough patch and is building up his squad in SJ, or is he a guy who got great results in the past but the league has kind of passed him by? That is an open question for me, but we should find out over the next few years. I don't see him losing his job any time soon regardless however."

chris thebassplayer's view is more optimistic than mine at this point.

I guess in the context of this forum, the slightest hint of positivity looks like a blinding bright light of eternal optimism. Kind of like when you emerge from a dark cave after several days. Even a cloudy day would seem blindingly bright. So come out of the cave, guys, and have a look around. There are all kinds of colors and varying degrees of light! :--)

 

I was really just playing, I actually appreciate the positive rays of light from folks like you and Chris. I'm a little preoccupied with seeing our team play competitive, entertaining soccer and winning. It seems like it's been forever.

 

------QA---Wondo-----
Dawkins--TT----MPG
---------Godoy---------
Kip---CG---Vic---MW
-------Bingham--------

...is how I'd start this game, with current injuries taken into account. Of course, greater chance of a snowball in hell with Dom at the helm.

We'll probably see an empty bucket and Francis start.

 

Nice! Gotta rep you for that one. MPG can't play in this game though. But if he could my lineup would be pretty much like that, and you're right - snowball's chance in hell. I think in the midfield he'll go:

Salinas---Dawkins----Quintero
-------------Godoy---------

Think that was the starting lineup last Saturday night.

 

MATCH OFFICIALS
REFEREE: TED UNKEL
AR1: FRANK ANDERSON
AR2: COREY ROCKWELL
4TH OFFICIAL: ALEJANDRO MARISCAL

 

FYI, the Earthquakes are 0-0-2 (w-d-l) in games centered by Ted.

 

That's OK. We'll have Muma yank his hand around his back until he "cries Unkel".

 

MPG is suspended remember.

 

Wow. That was zero information. Way to build up excitement for the first game!

 

Lol, I did forget. Facepalming remembering last year's ending... Quintero in that case, let's see what he can do!

 

Sorry! The comment was reflective of your post, but of the content of the reporting or lack there of...

 

from mlssoccer.com power rankings at the start of the season. SJQ ranked at #14

14
San Jose should be better than last year thanks to a bit of continuity and a bit more goalscoring from midfield. The Quakes won't be an elite team, but you should expect them to factor into the playoff race.

 

With 12 of 20 teams qualifying for the playoffs, virtually all teams factor into the playoff race, almost by definition.

Faint praise, indeed. At least, San Jose starts off playing the bottom ranked team at Avaya.