How many teams qualify from the group? I thought only two? Do some of the best third placed teams too? If so then it's not a cert to get Dero back I suppose, I'd expect canada to beat cuba, even if Dero is the only real threat they have.
Top two teams from each group, and two of the third place teams advance (8 total out of the 12). Definitely not certain to get DeRo back, but with the upsets on the other groups (South Africa and Panama winning) it's looking like the 3rd place team in those divisions will have one win. Canada needs to beat Cuba to have a chance to advance, and so far they have not been able to score a goal, so they can't win that way! But, they could still advance if they beat Cuba....depends on how the other groups play out.
The Quakes are running strong and LA have reached the tipping point and are self-destructing nicely, thank you! Here's what I think about the rest of the season: We have two more on the road, and after that, we have only five more road games all season, with no two in a row. Let's contrast that with LA: After the All-star break, they play all four games in August on the road... LA may catch up with us in the next week or two, but after that, they're toast. While we may not catch up with FCkDallas, it will be nice to watch the filth implode over the next couple of weeks. Cheers!
DC lost at home last night to the Wiz, so we should fully take advantage of our non-losing streak and their home blunder A win there would be super-dooper!
Re: The Hot and Humid Hike Cross Country OK, 2 games in and we have 4 points. Well on the way to what I said I'd consider successful. And perhaps with the bad play of Canada in the Gold Cup, we'll get DeRosario back sooner rather than later..... I still say a tie in each of the next two road games (DC, Colorado) is a good result, a win at either is fantastic. And once we get through this two game stretch, we have a much easier travel schedule left. No more than one road game "in a row", and only two trips that take the team further than 800 miles from home (one to New England, one to Dallas). Go Quakes!
So, 3 games in and we are 1-1-1 with 4 points on this road trip. Not bad, not great. If they can manage a win at Colorado, then I'd say it's an extremely successful trip. If they tie, it's an ok trip, nothing to write home about but nothing to be too worried about (given the very tough travel schedule and missing key players). The question is can they somehow get their legs and energy back and put it together at Colorado, and then be fresh for a quick turnaround at home against the Metros? I wonder if Dom will put some new faces into the lineup in one of those games, in order to try to give some guys some rest.
The Quakes are still on track for what I had said I'd consider a good trip -- 5 points from the 4 road games, 8 points from the full stretch including the home game against the Metros. The good news is that they're done with the "humid" part of the trip, but Denver is no piece of cake this time of year. The forecast for Wednesday is highs in the mid 90's, which means it would still be in the mid 80s at game time in all likelihood. At least it's mostly a "dry heat", although you can get thunderstorms in Denver this time of year as well. The other good news is the Colorado is playing in New York today, so they'll have a cross country flight back and will hopefully be a little tired Wednesday as well.
And Dallas manages to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, so we haaven't lost any ground to them this weekend. Now if only Chivas can have some fun with the Galaxy tonight, the turd the Quakes dropped in DC might be totally forgotten...... Unbelieveable finish to the Rev-FCD match, Twellman scores two goals in the last 3 minutes of the game (one in the 90th minute, one in stoppage time)
Too bad, LA manages to edge Chivas. The final score 2-0 doesn't indicate how close the game was. Chivas really played them head to head, and until LA scored I thought Chivas had the better of the match. If Herculez Gomez wasn't doing what he's doing right now for LA, they wouldn't be scoring any goals...he scored both goals tonight, the only goal last week, and assisted on the only goal the week before. His first goal tonight was another long range shot that just found the side of the post and went in. Oh well, back into a tie with LA for second, but the Quakes still have a slight edge in goal differential. Quakes need to regroup and win at the Crapids, and then at home against the Metros and put some room between them and LA before the All Star break. LA has DCU and then they have 5 road games in a row, so during August San Jose has a decidedly easier schedule.
...but Alvarez looks like he's playing his butt off for Dallas. He had a goal and an assist I think, and could have easily had another assist on a nice cross. Looks short and fat in stripes though...
Yeah, this is one kid I wish we had kept. Does anyone know what we got for him from Dallas, I'm berring not enough. We could certainly use him right about now with the lack of depth in attacking options.
I stand corrected, somewhere I saw Chivas vs LA and assumed that the home team was listed first. That means they are still winless on the road
Approximatly Brad Davis's left arm, abdomen and both legs. He still looks way too unfinished. The goal was really lucky, and he had some very poor passes. Sure he has some skill, but he has been in the league way too long to keep saying "He will break out someday in the future".
Not much of an answer typicial MLS lol, Did we give someting and Arturo to get davis? a draft pick maybe? I disagree about him being unfinished, he's been starting for Dallas and scoring, thats something this team could use. One thing that has bugged me about the Quakes is that they have never really stuck with a developmental player, seems like they use em to keep the salary low, probably cos AEG tell us to. They seem to give em all up for a draft pick and start all over agian while some of the other teams bring players through and turn em into starters.
With Arturo, I think it was a case of having to give up something to get something, though I'[m still not totally clear about that trade. Arturo and Mulrooney for Davis and part of an allocation (how big a "part"?) and was this also the trade that allowed them to move up a notch in the draft too, so they could get O'Rourke? Also, Arturo wasn't known to be much of a defensive player. I think Davis has shown that he can play some defense. Can't think of any other former Quakes development players that have become starters on other teams, but there probably are a few. Looks like Wondo will probably stick. Maybe Nash too.
From an article about the trade: There was some discussion of Alvarez in the articles on the trade; here's one excerpt: There was a lot of discussion about Davis and how Dallas had told him just a day or two before the trade that they were not going to trade him. Apparently Dallas really didn't want to lose Brad, but San Jose demanded Brad in order to give up Mulrooney...... For more details on this trade and the others that the Quakes made in the offseason, check out these links: "Earthquakes undergo retooling" "Deja Vu for Davis"
Thanks LGF, lol, i'm still trying to figure out if we have used all the allocations we got. We got one for Donovan, one for mulrooney, used a half for califf anf Chung i think, Doesn't that leave us with an allocation still?