If we don't win this game, the season is likely toast. This will be our 4th home game, with only 11 left to go, with 1 win to show for it. Last year we had the excuse of playing tons of early games on the road, allowing us to make a late challenge for the playoffs with a stretch at home. Not so this year.
Got to watch the team practice at Electronic Arts today. Spirits were high. Corrales was a beast in traffic, clearly the most impressive player on the field. Not sure why he's been somewhat invisible this season. Gray sat out with an ice pack on his calf. Elliot went down with a twisted ankle. Shook it off but was limping and less effective afterward. Convey had some nice long passes. Cannon is one mean target foward. A guy I believe could only have been Mike Zayer was surprisingly good with the ball at his feet. Did not see Hernandez. Some ten year old kid can really juggle the ball. Sign him up.
What was the club doing at EA? Not so much invisible and more like bad passer. I really like his work ethic but he was in better form last season. Though he's always been a horrible striker. I call him Mr. Fieldgoal from all the shots he puts above the bar. Maybe he should practice at goalie more so he wont let goals go through his hands If he can play A-mid, sign him.
People don't give Gordon enough credit. And, I think it'll be decided on a goal and thats about it. Also, I bet that Jamil Roberts sees less than 15 minutes the WHOLE season.
I've seen Gordon both in MLS and with the Timbers in USL. I don't give him much credit, and I charge a lot of interest on it. I hope we win 3 to nill at least. But I bet that you are closer to the truth of it. I believe that your crystal ball prognostications about Jamil are on the money. We miss you. You should post more often. GOOOOOOOOO QUAAAAAAAAAKES!!!!!!!!!! - Mark
Not sure, it was marketed in conjunction with a discount ticket promotion for the Galaxy game this weekend.
No, Gordon actually sucks. He's awful at finishing and awful at holding the ball up, so pretty much a useless target forward. And I hope you're wrong about Roberts, but you're probably right.
Only if Leitch, Gray, Hernandez, and Cochrane are hurt and can't go. Do we see Somma this week? Does Compos get the start ahead of Weaver again? Convey at left back? Elliott and Corrales in the center? With no Shea, who subs for Hucks or Arturo? Hmmmmm. Could get interesting. GOOOOOOO QUAAAAAAAKES!!!!!!!!! - Mark
Will have to miss this one as I'm taking a trip to lands afar for a friend's wedding. I'll be here in spirit - you guys will have to bring it on Saturday! Damn, I wish I were there. Come on, you quakes!
"Weekly Update: Hosting the Galaxy" (Monday, 4/13/09) Darren Huckerby and the Earthquakes face Los Angeles on Saturday night. (Getty Images) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
"Shrader's Spin: War between North and South" (Monday, 4/13/09) John Shrader talks about the relationship between Quakes fans and Landon Donovan. (SJ Earthquakes) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
I'm afraid that our pal John needs an attitude correction, or at least, to know that for many of us Quakes fans it's a hate/hate relationship. And No, I do not want to see stinking Narcissus back in our kit, ever, not even as a coach. He doesn't know what it means to be a Quake. I want to beat the evil, cheating, league-favored, viagra-eating, ref-bribing, animal-abusing, satan-worshiping, smog-breathing, water-stealing galactowussies in the worst way. Seven to nil wouldn't be a high enough score for me. I'll settle for 3 to zip. GOOOOOOOOO QUAAAAAAAAKES!!!!!!!!!!!! - Mark
i sure hope we get to see somma sometime soon. i would also like to see either quincy, weaver.......maybe even denton get the start over campos. yes, i am being sarcastic but campos was really bad against chicago. he has a great ability to screen a defender and give himself a chance to move into scoring position.....but DAMN!!!! take a freakin shot. i can think if 3 times in the chicago game where he had brilliant chances to take a shot, but slowed his pace towards the net and had the ball striped from him. plus, at this level should he be tripping over the ball as much? shouldn't he have learned to dribble in his peewee days? i have to admit, felt really bad for screaming at campos all game long saying that he sucked, etc. i later found out that 2 rows in front of me was his family and i believe wife/gf??? but i wasn't the only one around screaming that he sucked. -----------johnson---quincy/weaver--------- ---hucks---corrales---elliot---alvarez-------- ---convey---garcia---gray/cochrane---leitch ---------------cannon---------------------- if healthy, i think kelly should get the start and cochrane should sub if needed. i would like to see somma get some play time and if quincy gets the start, then maybe weaver subs in or vice versa. but it might be good this game to use quincy and take advantage of his speed.
I don't want to play RJ and Quincy together. I don't think that would work very well. I want RJ and Weaver or Q and Weaver. I want Kelly in place of Cochrane, but Kelly is hurt, so we'll see Ryan C. Maybe he'll score on the filth again! I want to see Somma in for one of the forwards, or better yet, in for one of the central mids. - - - - RJ - - - - - - Cam Hucks - - Somma - - Alvarez - - - - - - Elliott BC - - Nick - - RyanC - Chris - - - - - - TheJoe Maybe not to start, but certainly by the start of the second half if we aren't ahead. GOOOOOOOOOO QUAAAAAAAKES!!!!!!!!!!! - Mark
He wasn't that bad. He created a lot of chances, put in a good cross and made the defense nervous. The part of being able to screen off a defender and put yourself through with the ball is a valuable talent to have; and we'll have to hope he retains it as defenders learn who he is. But the not getting the shot off issue should fix itself if he plays more. At least I hope that's about this being his first significant minutes in a game that matters and still needing to adjust to how long you realistically have to set up for the best shot vs to get the shot off. He should learn from what happened that beaten defenders recover quicker in MLS than in PDL or Sweden and he has to do better about knowing where to pass it to before he even makes the move or shooting sooner. This should come from some acclimation time in real games. In terms of the dribbling, players that try to make things happen with trickery will occasionally cock it all up. Ryan Johnson and Justin Mapp tripped over the ball in that game too. Amerikwa does it too. They all do. It's the price to be paid for sometimes you pull it off and make the defender look silly while you get the upper hand on a better angle toward goal. I think he's showing more potential than Weaver, whose lack of strength has shown itself in every appearance.
as you can tell from my post, i tend to be a bit sarcastic and i understand that people loose their footing, but the amount of times that campos tripped over the ball or tripped altogether was pretty bad. i completely agree with you and i was amazed at how well he could screen off a defender to create space for himself. could be better than anyone on the team with that skill. but it doesn't mean anything unless he can capitalize on it. i remember one chance spefically that he screened off the defender and was full steam ahead towards the keeper.....then all of a sudden it was like someone hit the pause button on him and he stopped. he had an excellent chance to take a shot but didn't. by the time someone hit the play button on him, it was to late. the defender that he screened regrouped and took the ball away from him. he had a GOLDEN opportunity to take a shot on net and didn't. he should have had about 5 SOG when he only had 2. he hesitates to much which costs him. unless he can capitalize on the chances that he creates, i don't see much value in him. i'd much rather see quincy out there. and more importantly than anything........do not put bobby convey up top. leave him at left back and let him work the sideline.
The point is though, be a bit patient. It was bad in this game, although they were chances we wouldn't have even had in the first place with Weaver. But this is his first MLS start and he hasn't even had many sub minutes. In most leagues, you fully expect 5-6 games for a player to really settle and get their composure. If it happens in his first game, magnificent. If it doesn't, it still may. But he doesn't suck unless it's still happening 3-4 games from now. Instead of Johnson I think. Because RJ has lost his hustle and his courage with the injury. It will hopefully come back. But I'd like to see what the Amerikwa, Campos pairing would do against LA.
Thanks! It's that they are similar players. Both are speedy and at their best running at the opposition. We need a target guy up there too. Failing that, we could play RJ and Q together IF we played Somma behind them as a-mid and then actually used him as such. That is, if the rest of the team kept the ball on the carpet and passed to Hucks, Alvarez, and or Somma to feed the forwards. I think that's a mode that Frank would like to get to, but so far, the guys just aren't there. GOOOOOOO QUAAAAAAAAKES!!!!!!!! - Mark