Soccer Silicon Valley Blog

Why do I like soccer, and the Earthquakes in particular, so much? Fundamentally because it is such a great sport and the Quakes play the game so well. But there is a little more to it than that. Growing up a military "brat" I was exposed to many different cultures but lacked the constancy and familiarity of a hometown. The only constants in our nomadic lifestyle were my family, the Catholic Church, and soccer.

Born in New York, I've lived in Westfield, Massachusetts, Florida, Japan, the Mojave Desert, England, Boston, and now San Jose. From my tenth birthday, after every three years (and sometimes less) I'd be on the move. There was my time in Florida where I saw my first professional game: the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Our select team played there at the Big Sombrero before a game. In northern Japan there were no pro teams, but our high school team played Japanese teams on their dirt fields, us gaijin frequently losing. There was no high school team in the desert, so I played club team before moving with my family to England. There I played at an international high school with English, Brazilian, Dutch, Swedish and other nationalities on a great team. And at Boston College I played club soccer and waited for the World Cup in 1994.

Now that I'm in San Jose, I've been here longer than any other place. I am settling here. The Clash/Earthquakes have been a constant in my ten plus years here and in this geographically and demographically diverse community of ours, the team has been a focal point of my experience in San Jose. It is what I most closely associate with the identity of the city. I remember being confused when I first arrived at the local adulation shown to other cities in the region and their sports teams, and found myself wondering why. Is San Jose not its own city? Do its citizens not have pride in their own institutions? San Jose is my city, and I am proud of it and the Earthquakes.

For me the Earthquakes are the focal point for my pride in San Jose. This is a team that leaves everything on the field. It embodies the spirit of this city: frequently discounted but more often successful. The fans of the team slide right into this mold and despite the adversity off the field they have shown tremendous resilience which continues to inspire SSV's efforts. This is a team, and a community, that will not give up no matter how much we are ignored. And remember, more often than not, we in this community are successful.

Go Quakes! Go San Jose! Bring home the MLS Cup 2005 and become three time champs!

Colin McCarthy,
San Jose, CA

Why do I support the Earthquakes? This is a question that has too many answers to count but I'll try to list a few of mine here.

American soccer players are the ultimate underdogs. They play the world's most popular sport in a nation that is only now learning to acknowledge their existence. They play for the love of the game when too many sports are marred by rampant egotism. Soccer's very nature prevents that conceit--it's a team sport where the presence of a single star, no matter how skilled, cannot guarantee victory.

I'm also a big fan of soccer's international scope. It's the most popular sport in the world and watching teams from different countries provides insight into their culture. Every team has the same ambition--to score more goals than their opponents--but the way that they approach that task reflects their country's personality. I find this fascinating.

Being a fan of international soccer also makes me part of an enormous, worldwide community. San Jose is known internationally for many things but one of those things is soccer. I've met people in other countries who know more about the Earthquakes than many locals do. It's funny to me that people don't recognize how large the U.S. soccer community is but we operate under the radar in many ways--we have our own news media, from web sites to TV stations, and we only pop up in the mainstream media when there's a really big event, although that coverage is steadily increasing.

More than anything, though, I like going down to Spartan Stadium and watching the Earthquakes create magic. This is not "pull a rabbit out of a hat" magic where people are tricked into thinking that an illusion is real. This is the kind of magic that happens when somehow the fans link with the eleven players on the field in some sort of alchemy, creating an atmosphere that breeds inspiration and success. Does this kind of magic really happen? Anyone who has seen the Earthquakes overcome insurmountable odds to achieve victory knows that it does. Now and always, we believe!

Jay Hipps, Vallejo

In 1966, 4 short years before I was born, my father was stationed over in England with the US Air Force. Dad grew up in Dubuque, Iowa where it’s safe to say that a soccer ball had not touched a blade of grass yet. Growing up in the middle of the United States meant football (the American kind), baseball, and basketball. I often hear the stories of the entire city shutting down for high school games, pick up baseball games in open fields, and days of sitting next to the radio listening to Cubs games. When Dad went into the Air Force and was stationed in England he was suddenly thrown into the excitement of the World Cup. As you know, the 1966 World Cup was held in England, and my father was right in the middle of it all. He was instantly intrigued by the game and the passion surrounding the sport.

Returning to the United States in 1970 shortly before I was born, my father continued his interest in soccer as the NASL was making an effort to gain popularity in the United States. My parents eventually moved to the Bay Area where I was born, and in 1974 the Earthquakes came to life in San Jose. Needless to say, Dad was instantly interested, but money was tight and we were unable to make it that first season. So, in 1975 I was finally introduced to not only my first professional sporting event, but to the beautiful game of soccer. In all honesty I don’t remember much from my first game. What I do remember is pure excitement, and fascination. While many kids beg their parents to let them stay at Disneyland forever I was begging to stay at Spartan Stadium. Dad assured me that we had tickets for the next game, and we would be back the following week.

Catching on to my interest in the spectacle I had just witnessed, Dad rushed out and signed me up for my first youth soccer league. I immediately began practicing everyday, and tried to emulate everything I had seen at the Earthquakes game. My second game came and I remember watching every single move to try and figure out how to dribble, pass, and shoot. Heck, I even practiced rolling around on the field in pain until someone came out to see if I was okay, at which time I’d get up and start running around again. No, I’m not joking…I really did! Anyway, I remember looking up into the crowd and feeling the goose bumps on my arms when I heard and felt the passion from the people surrounding me. It was at that moment that I decided I would one day be a San Jose Earthquake.

When I look back through all of those years I begin to understand what contributed to my enthusiasm for the sport and the Earthquakes. I remember every time I was able to get an autograph, or a player took a moment to talk to me. I remember the excitement that would run through me as the players were introduced and made their way out onto the field. I remember the sadness of defeat, and the joy of victory. I also remember the heartache I felt when Peter Bridgwater stood in front of the fans at halftime and announced that the league was folding.

I know I wasn’t the only kid or fan in the stands that night that felt as though a major influence had been taken away. Nonetheless, I continued to support professional soccer, and even worked for the Earthquakes during the Western Soccer Alliance years. However, I must admit that it just wasn’t the same. Not until 1996 when I was witness to a sellout crowd at Spartan Stadium when the San Jose Clash downed DC United 1 – 0 in the first game in MLS history. It was at that moment that the passion had returned. Walking out of that stadium knowing that I wasn’t the only fan who felt like a kid again was exciting. This was trumped by the MLS Cup in 2003 when my father and I got to see our San Jose Earthquakes win the cup in person. While 2001 was special, and something we had waited years for, being able to experience it in person at the 2003 Cup was a memory I will never forget.

Over the past few years we have seen some pretty bad teams, and others who have offered displays of brilliance. We have been witness to teams who were told they didn’t have a chance that ended up being a dominant force. We have seen players show their passion and desire to prove that they will never give up on or off the pitch. The passion and attitude found its way into the fans who have taken on the same attitude to rally support for the future of our team.

Now that I’m in my 30’s I find myself doing the same things I did as a child. I look through the stands to see and listen to the passion of the fans, and still get those goose bumps when I hear it all. The funny things is…I look and see kids in the stands who have that same look of excitement on their faces as I did when I was their age. I look forward to the day that I will have a child of my own who will experience the same lasting memories that my father provided me.

Thanks for all your support. We continue to show that San Jose DOES have the best fans in Major League Soccer.

>

Colin, you beat me to it!

I've always loved soccer since an Irish priest introduced us during our 6th grade year in a Catholic school in Richmond, Virginia.

As young Americans, we were underdogs from the start, whether we were looking for an appropriate field or playing against foreign players in high school, in amateur leagues or in college.

Yet somehow, we won most of the time against foreigners, and against the odds. We had learned that if you get fit, stay organized, and work hard for your teammates, you can beat players with superior training and skills.

So I feel a real affinity with the '05 Quakes:

= Looking for an appropriate field
= Working hard for each other
= Winning against the odds

If we get the field, it'll be everything I ever wanted.

I'm a soccer fan because I'm a sports fan. I live in one of the best regions of the country and world and expect to have my own club to attend games and root for.

Sports fans want to be associated with winners. In the Bay Area, the A's and Giants rountinely flirt with greatness and the Sharks inspire our hopes, but the Earthquakes are the only team that deliver titles.

We don't care about who Henry Thierry is unless we pay to watch him play or whether the Dutch play football well or whether they constantly underachieve while doing it. I doesn't matter who owns this franchise as long as they keep the team in San Jose and the tradition intact.

MLS will not leave a large market like the Bay Area bare of American soccer, but I'd rather you guys help keep this team in place, so we don't have to get cozy with an expansion team in a few years.

Soccer is truly the international language, transcending such trivialities as the spoken or written word, national boundaries and cultural differences. More than a mere sport, it is a passionate force that unites the world. And having lived in the Bay Area for over half my life to date, the San Jose Earthqukes and their various incarnations have been "my team" since the NASL days. Indeed, I continue to follow them even though I now live abroad, and long may they reign!

Thanks to SSV for fighting the good fight and for giving us all hope that the Quakes will stay where they belong!

Soccer has always been a sport that has been a big part of my life. My mother tells the story to all my family and friends the first year I ever played. She says I spent all my time out on the field playing with the little girls pig tails. Once I finally got the idea of what soccer was really about, I played the game with all my heart until I was a senior in high school. Soccer was a way of life for many of us who grew up in my hometown. My hometown is no bigger than a postage stamp, but we managed to get enough kids together in various age groups to have a youth soccer league. Some of my most favorite memories were when the different age groups of the youth soccer league would select all of the best players to join the travel team. I remember my dad and all of my friends dads would load all of us kids up into a car and travel to various town to play their top players. The greatest thing about our travel team is that from about the age of 12 until we graduated high school we played on the same team together, grew up together and became the best of friends.

After graduating high school I would continue to attend the soccer games at my high school, but didn't get to enjoy it as much as I did playing. Once I moved away from my hometown and started living in San Jose, my love for the game came back when I joined a bunch of my friends to play indoor soccer and have had the opportunity to attend Quakes games. What I find so great about going to spartan stadium and watching Quakes games is the butterflies that I get in my stomach just before the whistle blows. It takes me back to the days of being a young kid, standing out on the soccer field with my parents cheering me on and feeling the butterflies in my stomach waiting for the ref. to blow the whistle.

Thank you very much to SSV and all you have done.

Trevor Holmes

Been a fan since I worked Cosmos games at Giants Stadium for the food concessionaire. Big Quakes, USA and Liverpool supporter.

Having a blog is a good idea but after two posts and no useful information about what's going on with the team I wonder if it'll be worth your trouble.

I don't like all the secrecy regarding the ownership change and potential sites. Anyone who would want to lead, or be part of, a new investment group should actively be recruiting support from this fan base to show AEG and MLS they understand what is in place and that they can be part of it.

Finally, what makes the SSV leaders qualified to be involved and know what's going on and not the rest of us? Infrequent request for letterwriting and phone campaigns aside, there have not be any opportunities for people like myself to be part of this process and I think that's a mistake.

My love for the game and love for the 'Quakes are inextricably linked. I grew up in San Jose in the '70s, and when I was 13, we moved to the East Side, near Overfelt high school, a predominantly latino part of town. I had barely even heard of the game.

Killing time after school, I watched a lot of kids playing soccer. After a while, I asked if I could play, and even though I was the only white boy, didn't speak much Spanish, and had no clue about the game, they welcomed me. That was cool, and I had fun. I had never liked baseball and football much, because there was too much standing around. I liked basketball because it was so active, but I was not big. Soccer was perfect: lots of running around, plenty of skill, and plenty of physical play, and you didn't have to have any money at all for equipment. It was really fun!

Then, one day, my best friend and I want to an Earthquakes game. We didn't have much money, so we bought the cheapest seats, behind a goal. The game was awesome, and I was hooked for life.

The combination of the welcoming arms of soccer players, the pure joy of the game, and the local pro team made me fall deeply in love with the game.

(Albany [just north of Berkeley], California)

When I was in second grade a teacher at my elementary school taught his class how to play soccer. Pretty soon, all of the kids were learning to play. So it's always been one of my favorite sports to play.

I first started going to Quakes games in summer of 1975 when I was in high school.

I have to say that one of the things I love most about the sport is that it's easy to understand. Almost anyone can play. My wife became a fan in the last few years, and she makes comments on players first touches, quality runs off the ball, and so on. It's great to see someone pickup the subtleties of the game so quickly. Another friend asked me at the first soccer game he attended if their was an off-sides rule. This is what makes the game great. Everyone can get into it.

Now, even though I have moved out of the Bay Area, I'm still addicted to OUR Quakes. I go Timbers games here because I feel that I should support the local team too. Just as I once supported the local team when I live in Silly Valley.

And thank you SSV for all of your efforts. Hey "BillSaysThis," the reason that the SSV folks get to know what's going on is that they are the ones doing all of the work. ;-)

GO QUAKES!!

- Mark

I was born and raised in San Jose, California in 1969 and have been attending San Jose Earthquakes games since the teams' inception in 1974. My parents were born in Italy and came to this great country in the late 1950's. Obviously, with Soccer (Calcio) being the most popular sport in Italy, my Dad was a huge enthusiast and from what I hear, a pretty darn good player. He was also one of the first people to play in an organized Soccer league of any kind in the Bay Area in the late 50's and early 60's when he played for Juventus and Sons of Italy in the Peninsula League. Those early soccer leagues that my father participated in, with many other immigrants from all over the world, were the very foundation for all soccer leagues in the Bay Area. My Father is very proud to have played a small part in the creation of what is now the cultural phenomenon we refer to as Youth Soccer.

I vividly remember going to Spartan Stadium with my family in 1974 at the age of 5 to witness events that would literally shape my life forever. Growing up rooting for Paul Child, Johnny Moore, Dave Kemp, Laurie Calloway, Archie Robostoff, Manny Hernandez, Marc Liveric, Boris Bandov, Art Welch, Buzz and Mark Demling, Tony Simoes, Gabo Gaveric, Ilija Mitic, Mike Hewitt, and so on and so on, (forgive my mutilations on the spellings of the names, it's been a long time!) the voice of P.A. Announcer Bob Ray shouting "Mike the Save!!!", listening to Hal Ramey and then Jon Miller (yes, that Jon Miller!, Giants, ESPN) on KLIV radio call the games, it gives me goose bumps to this day! "He Shoots, He Scores!!!" Just great memories.

Spartan Stadium has always been a second home to me. I've spent over 30 years now going to that stadium, and, yes, it has its' definciencies, but, it's home! When the NASL folded after the 1984 season, and then we had the Western Soccer Alliance for a few years, it was sad, but the Quakes were still in existence. Then, nothing. No WSL, nothing. It sucked! Luckily, several years later, the APSL came to the Bay Area in the form of the S.F Bay Blackhawks. I would happily drive to Newark Memorial High School with my Dad to see the Blackhawks play, boasting such players as Eric Wynalda, Dominica Kinnear, Troy Dayak, John Doyle, Jeff Baicher, Paul Bravo, Marcello Balboa, etc... They even won the APSL championship at Spartan Stadium in 1990. Again, it didn't last long and the Bay Area was without professional soccer again. We had a professional indoor team for a season or two. Does anyone remember the San Jose Grizzlies? Preki even played for us and kicked butt as usual. They folded, and again, nothing. Thank God for the 1994 World Cup USA. That was really the catylyst for the creation of MLS and bringing back our beloved San Jose Earthquakes (Clash). Opening day in 1996, Wynalda scores the winning goal in the 88th minute against D.C United. Over 30,000 people packed in Spartan Stadium, just like old times!

I am so thankful the Quakes are still in San Jose. I got to take my 4 year old son to his first Quakes game this year. It was a very proud moment for me. A passing of the torch so to speak. My son was able to do something that Daddy got to do with Grandpa 30 years before! Go to Spartan Stadium and scream his lungs out for the Earthquakes!!! Thank you to SSV for all your efforts. I pray they are not in vain. Keep up the great work. Soccer is the greatest sport in the world and the biggest reasons why I love it are because of the San Jose Earthquakes and my Dad. We're still the ONLY Championship team around and we just may bring another one to the Bay Area again this year. Our Football teams suck, Our Basketball team sucks, Our Hockey team didn't even play last year, and Our Baseball teams can't seem to win the big one! You hear me Mayor Gonzales?!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sincerely,
Mario Iacomini

Why do I love soccer and the Quakes? I grew up playing soccer in the East Bay, played competitive and in college, and kept playing until my knee finally gave out after 25 years. It's been my primary sport since nine, and back in the bad old days of the '80s when no pro games were on TV or played, I promised myself to support a pro league if one ever started after the NASL folded. World Cup came and with it, MLS, so I ponied up for season tickets. I've gotten addicted to coming to Spartan to watch games over the last 10 years and have loved watching the growth of the team and the league. We come down from Woodland, near Sacramento, for 10 games a year, and plan to do so as long as there's a team in Northern California.

I love watching a good sports match, but I do have my prejudices. Baseball can be fun to play, but I find it excrutiatingly boring to watch. Ditto basketball (they all run to one side of the court - they run to the other side of the court. Repeat). I enjoy American football as much as the next person, but let's face it: the players make one play and then they all get to take a little rest and plan their next strategy. No, you just can't beat the non-stop action of soccer! It's got to be the most physically demanding of all team sports. These guys have to be able to jog pretty much non-stop for 90 minutes and when opportunity presents itself, turn up the heat to an all out sprint - all the while keeping control of the ball without using their hands and dodging opposing players trying to tackle them. I love the rolls, the bicycle kicks, and all the tricky maneuvers that would make a gymnist envious. I'd never volunteer to get out there in the fray, but I sure love to watch it!

Mark, perhaps you missed the part of my comment that said I tried to get involved? I spoke with Colin and one other person in the days after the effort began to take shape but other than taking down my name and contact information I never heard back. SSV is a self-selected group who have not held any public meetings that I can recall--and I have been on the mailing list since the website was unveiled.

If the Earthquakes get moved, please petition San Jose to keep the Earthquakes name (like Cleveland). Who knows San Jose might then decide to keep the team as well!

Bill --

Thanks for posting and for the constructive criticism. (No need to post your comment on your own blog in case it "disappears" here -- even though it's off-topic, we have thick skins and can take a little criticism.)

To address your main question, the reason there is secrecy around the potential deal to buy the Quakes is because the investors have requested it of us. We have two choices: We can ignore that request (and risk losing our access to those involved) or we can honor it. We think we can be more effective if we work in concert with the investors rather than without them. Since we're not actually the ones paying millions of dollars to buy the team, that seems prudent to us. As for your criticism that we haven't held any public forums, we have done so as part of Club Quake meetings in the past and we're also available at Club Quake's pre-game tailgates.

This isn't really the place for this discussion so if you would like to continue it, please contact me directly via e-mail.

Regards,
Jay

Why soccer? Why the Quakes in particular? I am a relatively recent convert as I played American football in highschool and college. Following the World Cup in 94 I had my interest picqued- The Air Force saw fit to send me to Colombia during qualifying for the next world cup (I was there for OTHER reasons) and I got a small taste of the passion that weaves this game into the world's culture in a way that I feel is different from most bigtime American sports....
Some of the difference is the geometry of a series of brilliant passes- like those that led to our semi-final victory over Kansas City in '03 or the ones that led to DeRo's 88th minute winner vs Colorado...but I digress...
I was sent to Vicenza Italy in 2000 where I fell in love with the beautiful game watching Serie A....Vicenza defeated AC Milan among others that year utilizing the talents of a young Luca Toni, who nearly 5 years later (last weekend) had a hat-trick for Italy in a crucial qualifier vs Belarus...yeah I still follow his exploits as I do former Quakes and even former Sounders, being a former Seattle area resident. I was sent to Sacramento to be an advisor to the Air National Guard in 2003 and had Quakes tickets two months before arrival...that 2003 season was the best entertainment and sporting experience of my life and I've been to national championships, playoff games and seen over a hundred concerts- nothing compares to the thrill of a goal celebrated in the Casbah!!!!!!!!! Even better when its right in front of you and when its a game winner!!! I could go on and on about the individual efforts and plays of players and how that influenced my feelings- just the mention of Ronnie Ekelund makes me think of pinpoint passes and creative play- it really is THE BEAUTIFUL GAME alternating between mind numbingly complex and pure simplicity...its just boys kickin around a ball!
PS: I bring my wife and mom regularly and I've converted a couple teenagers....2 tickets became 3 in '04 and 6 in 2005....I want to donate a pair of tickets next year to a family that relocates to the Bay Area due to Katrina- that would be fun!!!

I read my comments and realize I still didn't explain how soccer has gripped me! ITS THE PEOPLE!!! I know all sports have fans- but I've made friends I will stay in touch with for a liftime- The Casbah is a home away from home and I traveled to England in March '05 with a fellow Casbah member (he's a close friend too!) to continue the camaraderie we experience here at Spartan...it was a primer for the season and was magical like the game we follow...Its the people and the culture...game day in Vicenza was filled with ritual just like gameday in San Jose or gameday in Watford. Its you bloggers that make this game special- why are you different from say baseball and football fans? I had season tckets to Husky football for 18 years and never got around to knowing the people around me- I know you people and I am better off for it! Hey and meeting the players, our heroes, helps too!! Ciao! Matt

Why do I like soccer?

Perhaps because I spent 20 years of my life with a Colombian for whom soccer was the ONLY sport worth watching (or playing). I spent countless frigid weekend afternoons on the sidelines of games in the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and beyond … watching a bunch of young men from South America, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and the Caribbean come together as a team, melding their vastly different styles. They created a kind of melting-pot futbol. By contrast, the teams they played (from the more ethnic parts of New York and New England) were Italian, British or Latin American clubs. This was pre-NASL, and I remember the excitement of these transplants when a professional league was starting in America!

I probably also like soccer because it became my sons’ number one sport. While both my kids played baseball, football, hockey and even lacrosse, soccer was the one constant in their lives. (Big surprise: each one had a soccer ball before he could walk) Both played AYSL for years. My earliest memory of Kenton (the older child) was of him sitting contentedly on the field while his teammates ran in a clump toward the goal. Hard to imagine he would become his high school Varsity team’s striker. He and a NY all-star team even spent a couple weeks training and playing in England with the Premiership’s trainees.

Chris took to the game at age four, playing in the then-called diaper league of AYSL. He became a fearless defender and midfielder, and was recruited by his Varsity coach while in 7th grade. ( He still hasn’t forgiven me for telling the coach I though he was too small and should really play on the JV team. Despite my terror, he started every game that year.) Both boys had their noses broken during games, and Chris broke his leg last winter in a “key” grad-school championship game. Yikes.

Through the years, these guys have been soccer fanatics. I loved taking them to World Cup games in 1994, and watching most of the WC games with them in 1998. Soccer has provided a delightful bond between mother and sons, which continues to this day. The boys are Metros fans, but they love coming to San Jose and cheering for the Quakes.
Kenton even met me in Columbus for the 2001 MLS Cup.

Soccer has given me an incredible insight into what makes my sons tick. Their knowledge of the game and its history is astounding, and having an MLS team in my backyard has made it easy for me to share their passion, even if I’m 3,000 miles away.

I’ve been going to Quakes games since the beginning of MLS and I can’t imagine NOT having a team in Northern California.

Why do I like soccer? It’s part of the fabric of my life. But I love the sheer beauty of the game, watching finely-tuned athletes combine speed, creativity and guts.

Carol Vartuli-Marin
SSV Founding Member

As Tony, my son stated above, my first introduction to soccer was while I was stationed in England in the late 60's. I was able to see the great Man United teams of that time with a young and gifted midfielder George Best and the great England team of the time. I became an Earthquake season ticket holder in 1975 and hardly missed a game during those great years of Paul Child, Bill Hewitt, Julie Vee, Johnny Moore, etc. The passion of the crowds and of the players was, to me, fantastic. I learned to love the beauty and artistry of the game. To be able to see stars in person such as Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, Trevor Francis, George Best, etc. was awesome. And enjoying watching and coaching my son and daughters as they grew was up was something I'll always cherish. Thanks to the Quakes of old and the Quakes of new for so many wonderful memories. In my lifetime I have never seen a team play with the passion of this years team. Despite losing quality players in the off season and losing quality players during the season to injury these guys have played to a level I've never seen before. How anyone could not love these guys is beyond me. From top to bottom (now that Alexi is gone) this has become a class organization. Thank you SSV for your hard work and I hope it pays off.

Why do I love the Quakes and soccer? Well, that's a long story..

When I was almost 40, I was persuaded to join a co-ed team in Livermore.
I was told that all I had to do was stand on the field to help make up the required number of women. I had never played a team sport before and was not considered to be athletic.
(However, I was already a soccer fan as my son played and I knew how much soccer could do for youngsters. Soccer really is the" beautiful game" and doesnt depend on brute force to win...)
But, something unexpected happened. I found that soccer was for me...I loved it...It opened up a new world for me of fun, team work and sport..
Am 65 now but am still a great fan of soccer and the Quakes . My partner who is 76 and I drive down from Walnut Creek although we wish there was better public transport.
(We were fans of the SJ CyberRays too..The play of Sissi was the key for us .She is simply marvelous . We go to all the games of the California Storm , based in Folsom , where she plays with a great group of women. )
As far as the Quakes are concerned, am particularly impressed by the fact that the Quakes are overcoming constant trials and tribulations. Just love their fortitude ,spirit ...and the rainbow nature of the team...Dwayne is my favorite but I love them all.
Who would have thought that the decimated Quakes could pull together and be in first place? What a team and what great coaches and management they have!

There is nothing like watching a great soccer game played by a great team ...Go Quakes!

I support the Quakes in Sonoma County. Long live the Earthquakes!

I did not grow up in a military or religious family. I spent my childhood days getting beat up by kids from military and religious families. But yeah, we loved the Quakes. In fact, the ONLY good memory from childhood that I have is going to see the Quakes. I grew up watching my dad get smashed at Earthquakes games and someday I want to pass on the tradition. Is there anything wrong with that?

--Gary (while listening to Hank Williams Jr.)

Hi,
My name is Sam Guerriero, I have been an Earthquakes fan since 1974. I think that I have missed maybe 5 games since 1974 and needless to say I will be very sad if the team leaves San Jose. I know that there are a lot of soccer fans in the Bay Area but why aren't they at Spartan Stadium? The team is doing great, and yet the attendance is not in line with the team's accomplishments. My question is, how can we get more people to come to the games so that investors see it as a positive and an exciting venue? A soccer specific stadium is a long way in the future in San Jose, therefore we must be happy with Spartan stadium and hoping to convince the University to consider a remodeling it so that it can accomodate a wider field. This must be done not in the mode of AEG; meaning they wanted to install luxury boxes and in return AEG demanded control of the stadium. The stadium belongs to the University and it was arrogant on the part of AEG to waive the proverbial carrot so that they could gain control of the stadium. The city need to work with the University to make it happen. We do not need luxury boxes, what we need is "butts" in the stands watching the game on a wider field. If the field is wider, by simple geometry it will become longer and there will be no "cry babies" complaining about the playing conditions. Take away ten rows from the east stands and the " dog ears" from the four corners and the field will easily become the same dimensions as the San Siro (Giuseppe Meazza) stadium in Milan!. In this scenario there will be no seismic issues and consequently no high cost. It is a simple solution!!!! The school and the city constructed a beautiful library so why they can't widen Spartan Stadium and play the game where it belongs????
Finally, the mayor, the university, the investors, Ajax USA do not read this BLOG, therefore we must find a way to get this message to them. Because if we don't.... there will be no place to watch the game that we all love so much. The majority of kids that grew up in the 70's and were taken to watch the Quakes, right now they are attending Niners, Giants and A's games. If millions of children play the game how come they do not attend soccer games when they are adult? The answer is clear: as children they play soccer and as adults they watch football!
I think that Soccer Silicon Valley has done a tremendous job in trying to keep the Quakes in San Jose and we must show our appreciation to them by dragging people to the stadium. There is a guy out there by the name of Pat with whom I aplyed soccer with at IBM and he is always encouraging people to go to the stadium so let us all be like Pat and bring the people to the stadium.

Soccer is the sport of choice in our home. I grew up watching sports of all kinds with my dad, and I mean all kinds - from bull fights to roller derby to baseball and football. When I met my husband, who is from Scotland, I had no idea about soccer. My first experience with the sport was attending a Manchester United v. Coventry game, when Cobi Jones played for Coventry. In the last 10 years my husband has reformed dad and I and our favorite sport IS soccer. We even get up and watch the 4 a.m. Man United games and are season ticket holders for the Quakes. We love soccer. I am playing on a co-ed team with people from work. Last week, we brought 22 adults and 11 kids with us to the Chivas game - most of those people had never been to a soccer match and now one couple is actually interested in getting season tickets for next year!

One area that I feel needs some work is the local news sports coverage. In particular, Channel 11 and Raj Mathai. When the Quakes got Landon Donovan, we found out about it from watching a San Francisco station! Channel 11 and Raj Mathai never covered it. Now, years later, I still see this as a problem. We got home last weekend after the Chivas game and watched Channel 2's sports coverage and yes, the Quakes game was covered. Flip over to Channel 11 (the supposed LOCAL station) and the game was NEVER MENTIONED on the 11 o'clock news! If we want people to know more about the team then we need to have it covered AND shown in the local news sportscasts. The Earthquakes are an important part of the local sports scene and should be covered as such.

Its great to hear the various soccer experiences everyone has acquired throughout their lives.

I started playing at age 5 in Virginia in the late 60s in the youth leagues in Arlington. I attended Washington Diplomats games and have special memories of seeing Pele and the rest of the Cosmos at RFK stadium.

A few of the memories of my youth play include playing with John Kerr Jr. when his Dad (John Kerr), played briefly for the Diplomats.

I remember playing in the snow on frozen fields and leaving games completely drenched after a downpour, something that we would never see here in sunny California. :o)

I recall while growing up, when the NASL folded, the frustration of not being able to find any soccer information from overseas. It was basically non existent as far as I could tell.

I recall during the time between NASL and our qualification for WC90 that I drifted a bit from soccer towards other sports like basketball and volleyball. (These were my high school/college years.)

However, the passion never completely went away and with our successful qualification for WC90 the flame kicked back in. To this day I cannot get enough of the sport, and thanks to DirecTV ParaTodos I have access to loads of domestic and international soccer information. How things have changed in the last 20 years!

The WC94 games at Stanford were an utter Joy to be a part of as well as the Womens WC games played there. And when MLS came along with a San Jose franchise I was totally stoked.

To sum things up, soccer is a big part of who and what I am as a person. It has defined my work ethic and confidence as a human being. I have 2 kids now and am passing this passion along to them and other kids through youth coaching. I love the sport so much that its not enough to just play and watch, its also rewarding to pass along the skills I have learned over the past 35+ years of playing to the next generation.

Its hard to explain the richness of the passion that soccer brings. I have not come close to this with any other sport. Perhaps its the world wide appeal or the challenge that we are not the best in the world at this sport yet like we are in Baseball, Basketball or the other Football. Most American fans do not understand Soccer and Soccer Fans. But they are totally missing out. When I saw Liverpool defeat AC Milan in the Champions League I knew EXACTLY how both the Liverpool fans and the AC Milan fans felt. Same goes for the ManUtd Bayern final a few years earlier, what a finish that was. And of course, the Quakes overcoming 4-0 agg against L.A. on the road to the MLS Cup! That was right up there on the passion scale! Go QUAKES!!!

Of course I still enjoy playing and watching the sport. I have played indoor and outdoor, ( and in hallways, backyards, downtown pavilions, with my kids... ;o) ) anywhere really.

I just can't get enough of it, thats all. And it would be a shame for the Quakes to leave. The fans here have evolved over the past 10 years. Going from novelty fans, Soccer Moms/Dads with their kids to a strong, passionate large core of real, genuine soccer fans, definitely the best in the MLS. Not only that, the play of the team, from the standpoint of a lifelong soccer fan, has finally reached a level of quality that should be the poster child of the league as far as how to play "The Beautiful Game". Man I love how Derosario holds the ball in midfield and leads aggressive counter attacks, how the whole team fights to regain possession of the ball. The crisp passing while at full pace.

Sigh... Keep up the good work SSV and we all hope for the best.

Cheers,

Kevin

I love soccer because I come from a soccer loving family, my dad used to play soccer and was going to go pro before busting his knee. I have two of my grandfather's brothers played pro soccer in Mexico with the Atlante, and pretty much the first thing I learned to do was kick a soccer ball. For some time I forgot a little about soccer and started playing basketball, but after the 2002 WC my love for the game came back (though it was never gone!). I became a quakes fan because I liked the way Landon Donovan played, and I started following the team, but after a few games I wasn't following Donovan anymore, i was following the whole team. I've been to San Jose two times, only to see a game. My family knows just how much I love the quakes, and they don't even have to ask anymore about where do I want to go during my summer vacations, because the answer is simple: San Jose, to see a quakes match! Even my friends know by now every single quake player because of me.

Even though I don't live in San Jose, I know that the quakes are a big part of it, and I can't think about supporting the quakes if they were in anyother place.

I am just proud to be an earthquakes fan, and will foreve be!

Soccer has been a part of my life as long as I can remember. My dad was born in Europe and played highly competitive soccer growing up, and brought the fever to the US and passed it to his children. Both my brother and I have been playing soccer in San Jose since we were little kids, and we both continue to play on teams into our mid- and late-20's.

I've been following the Earthquakes (and precursors) for most of my life. I loved the SF Bay Blackhawks and remember well the soccer clinic I attended with Mark Dougherty and Troy Dayak as coaches. My family has had season tickets since the inception of MLS, and continues to attend games religiously. I've made trips to Columbus and LA to see the 'Quakes win championships, and plan to make my way to Dallas if they do it again this year.

I stayed up until 4am to watch the US team play in the World Cup. In 1998, I was on vacation in the Bahamas and stayed in (more than I should have) to watch the World Cup that year. In 1994, I roamed Los Gatos as the Brazilian WC championship team celebrated in lovely cacophony. If I can scrape the funds together, I'll be in Germany for next year's show.

Soccer has been my lifeblood. I can't begin to imagine San Jose without a soccer season, and I truly hope I will not have to imagine it.

My parents immigrated from Holland so soccer was in my blood. Our family went every Sunday to see the Grasshoppers in Menlo Park in the late sixties. The Dutch immigrants put a team together and would play all the other nationalities and these games were very heated. I was about three or four during this period. The highlight for our family was watching the 74' and 78' World Cup as Holland finished runner up both years. My Dad took me out of school and drove me and my brother up to the Cow Palace to watch the games via satallite. The atmosphere was electric.

The Earthquakes were a huge part of my youth as our family attended every game. Our u12 team got to play in Spartan Stadium before one of our home games. Johnny Moore was kind enough to put our team on top of the list to play. We had Laurie Calloway and Tommy Armstrong over for dinner which was a huge event. I look back now and realize those poor guys had to eat my Mom's cooking. My parents grew up during the war and wern't taught how to cook. They served the same meals they ate during the war. No offense Mom.
I now have my own kids( Ray and Kevin)and am making going to Quakes games a tradition. We found our home in the Casbah and wouldn't consider anyplace else. I almost blew this plan with as my three year old at the time (Kevin) yelled Youuuuuuu suck to my wife as she walked down the stairs after a late game. She had gone up there to tell them to stop singing Casbah songs.
The game will always be a huge part of our family's lives.

Why I love soccer & the SJ Earthquakes?

I could write a book on this. I’ll try to shorten it up a bit.

My love of soccer began with my son. I was told about a sport that ”unlike baseball where theris a lot of standing around, in soccer everyone on the field are involved in the game the whole time they are playing..” That sounded like just what our very active son needed. He was playing soccer for several years before he started playing on a club team. I didn’t even really know the rules of the game that well. Well it turned out that soccer was my son’s coach’s mistress. He loved soccer, he was passionate about it. I had no idea such passion towards a sport could even exist. He taught us about the beautiful cross, about the perfectly weighted pass, juggling, various moves with the ball, creating your own style, kids were encouraged to come up with their own moves. It was fascinating.
Then world cup 1994 came along. Opening Day, Train rides to Stanford, rowdy, enthusiastic, passionate crowds,.

!996 and Earthquakes opening day. A friend of ours bought group tickets every game and we went.
1997 we bought season tickets. The Clash. Shootouts whatever year that was. All the years blend from one to another for us. Still learning about the sport I happened upon an acquaintance and asked if he had gone to the game last night. His response was another educational opportunity for me. “Of course I went. They are my team, win or lose I will support them”

I’ve come a long ways from learning the rules of the game, to the beauty and poetry of the game to learning what it means to be a fan of the game. There is a community of people and it is growing.

I may have to add additional thoughts later.
On another note: I live in Cupertino and I think they ought to tear down Vallco Fashion Park and put the stadium there. Vallco has been dead for years. Great freeway access, lots of parking.

Its time to chime in again...The LOVE OF THE BEAUTIFUL GAME: I've already expressed my love of the intracacies of the game and how I was sent by the Air Force to places where it was the lifeblood of the community. Here's a cultural example of why I had to have a team of my own (THE QUAKES)
I remember sitting in Bella Napoli, a southern Italian style restaurant on the southside of Vicenza, waiting for MY victorious Biancorossi to enter the restaurant for their postmatch meal (Feb 11, 2001)...they would be dressed in dark jackets and ties (I was in my jersey from the match) and the day they defeated AC Milan we all stood at our seats and clapped as they filed in to their table...we left them alone as was custom...except for the little boy or two who couldn't contain themselves...When the hi-lites of Serie A came up and they FINALLY came to OUR MATCH in 22,000 seat Stadio Romeo Menti, we let up cheers for each rapturous moment...D'abo's scintillating free kick low and through the feet of the wall to put us up 1-0 (9th min)....the close calls as Shevchenko and Bierhoff pressured the white-reds relentlessly throughout the first half and into the second half.... but midway through the 2nd half came the counterattack...THE COUNTER...the one I later would pray for as San Jose held what seemed a perilous 1-0 lead vs Chicago in MLS Cup VIII...
Directly after another Milan barrage came a ball out of the back of Vicenza's defense...the ball spilled down a flank, the fans rising in anticipation...then came the cross which was incredibly picked out of the air on the hop by Luca Toni who side-vollied (not quite a sissor kick) into the net whilst on the run- not even bothering to settle it...it was an exclamation point- and though 18 minutes remained, AC Milan were dead and Vicenza cruised to the deserved 2-0....meanwhile back at Home Depot Center in November of 2003:
I knew Chicago were starting to press just a bit as their desire to tie things up before half gave them not only a large shots on goal advantage but a vulnerability as Bocanegra and Curtain pressed closer to the midfield stripe...37th minute I think: a steal and a long pass out of the back to a waiting Jamil Walker who turned on Jim Curtain like a man caught stealing...pushing the ball frantically down the left side Jamil created space by suddenly cutting back and out of the corner of his eye no doubt saw what had to make his heart jump...Landon making a blistering run at a slight diagonal to the fractured defense....whoosh goes LD past Carlos...whoosh goes the ball ...easily sliding past Curtain and Bocanegra into space...space soon to be occupied by a young man with wings on his feet...Carlos had to look back over his shoulder to see if the flag was up...how funny- he had given up less then one second after LD blew by...JW's perfect through ball was touched once and then sent packing to the back of the net by a determined LD who seemed to take out the frustration of not having had many touches by delivering the meanest curve ball imaginable...one that toyed with Thornton- making him look fat and hopeless...2-0 just like I wanted...another 7 or 8 minutes and we took that lead into the half and it was there that the team decided that WHEN (not IF) Chicago came back and scored that they would simply grab the knife out of themselves and hurl it right back at them...Richard Mulrooney style...it looked like a breakaway counterattack, but RM's goal (45 seconds after the sun and Beasley combined to turn Pat Onstad into an alligator in goal...those arms really DID shrink!) HAD TO BE PLANNED...No one ran with Richard... and again Thornton was made to look helpless...maybe not so inadequate as before but helpless nonetheless! Pat's save, Rasov's perfect positioning and lousy finishing...Landon's second shot on goal finishing another brilliant run with a goal assisted by DeRosario and Mullan....DeRo and Mullan...seems like those two assisted last Saturday! and so it is time again for Chicago! They are always tough on us...but then again we have never beaten Columbus in Columbus...until this year! Time for some more memories to be made... a little midweek party! FORZA AZZURRI!!!
BEAT THE FIRE!!! BTW:
I'm bringing 8 people to the Real Salt Lake match....I think we're going to have more than just a match on tap-I have NO SOURCES, NO INFO, I just feel this amazing team and their amazing fans are going to be rewarded....

I cannot even fathom answering this question. Why I like this sport is akin to answering "Why do I live?" I don't even know where to begin, considering I live, eat, breath, drink, sleep this sport and it has been like this for as long as I remember for the last 20+ years. Not sure if this is a satisfactory answer, but sorry, I think giving more details such as timelines and places would be reciting my life's story, and I haven't gotten that much time.

My wife and I have been an Earthquake fan for the past four years. The major reasons we have become major fanatics of our Team:
1. The boys on the team really appreciate the fans, and leave it all on the field for us and the team.
2. The fans we have made friends with make the game a very enjoyable time. We love cheering for the team, talking, yelling, and giving the high fives when our boys score.
3. Despite the condition of Spartan Stadium, we love the closeness of the field to us the fans.
4. Win or lose (even though we are disappointed when they lose), we know the boys gave it all they have.

I can go on and on, but to make it clear. If AEG does not sell our team to local investors, or wake up and realize the value of our Team here in the Bay area it would be a big loss for us, and the entire community.

Thanks for the latest SSV newsgram!

I know that it has been getting hard for some to keep the faith, so that was good.

I finally made it down to San Jose for a couple of games at the end of September (21 & 24). It's great to see a lot of fans in the stands. We've got to build on this momentum for next year and beyond. I think that once it is announced that the team is staying for the foreseeable future more folks will commit to buying tickets and coming out to the matches.

At the same time, I met people in the stands who were convinced that the team would be leaving at the end of the season. Naturally, I told them to visit the SSV website, but we have our work cut out for us persuading fans that the club is staying in San Jose.

GO QUAKES!!

- Mark

I was born in Mexico City and my fondest memories of my childhood are those of playing street soccer with the neighborhood kids. We would play all day long if we could. We would also go to Club America's training facilities and just hang out. Seeing the players up close and trying to get their autographs. In some days, hundreds of people would be there. When we moved here, my parents would take my brother and me to the San Jose Earthquakes games at Spartan Stadium. I have remained an Earthquakes fan through all of their incarnations. As an adult now, I can think of no better way to spend a saturday evening. What stands out about the San Jose Earthquakes is they truly do represent a community and the sense of commitment between the team and its fans. There is a lot of pride about a fan belonging to the San Jose Earthquakes and the Earthquakes belonging to us. What short sightedeness amongst local government officials if they can't see what a gold mine they have in the Earthquakes. Whatever happens, I will ALWAYS be an Earthquake fan. No matter how bad things get, we can always look back to that wonderful night in 2003 against our rival los angeles galaxy and by sheer will, determination,hard work, and pride, overcome the odds that stacked against us.

We Believe !!!