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October 23, 2005
Quakes have accomplished a lot in 2005
The 2005 MLS regular season has wrapped up and the playoffs begin today for the Earthquakes. Before the quest for MLS Cup begins, we wanted to take a look at the accomplishments of the club, both on and off the field.
- Let's start with some things that happened near the field—right next to it in the stands, in fact. Attendance was up again this year for the Quakes, to an average of 13,037.
- The Quakes' median attendance was 10,604, up 6 percent from last year.
- For the second straight season, the Quakes set a team record for season ticket sales.
- A quick glance at MLS attendance numbers this year will tell you that the Quakes were eighth in the league in attendance for 2005. What those numbers don't show is that many of the other teams in the league benefitted from doubleheaders with other, more prominent teams like Chelsea, the English Premier League's champions, and Chivas of Guadalajara. If the attendance from doublheaders is removed from the calculations, San Jose's attendance is fourth best in the 12-team league.
- All of these attendance statistics come in the shadow of the team's threatened relocation, which is something that has killed attendance for teams in other markets in both soccer and other sports. There is no way to verify this statistically, but it is our belief here at SSV that Quakes fans are the best!
- Now then, for the on-the-field accomplishments. Let's start with the best record in team history and San Jose's first-ever Supporters' Shield, given to the team with the best record in the MLS regular season (18 wins, four losses, 10 ties).
- San Jose's 64 points is the second best total in MLS history after the 1998 LA Galaxy. (The Galaxy's record came in the league's "Shootout" era, when there were no ties. This year's Quakes are the first team in MLS history to finish with an average of three points for each game at home and one point for each one on the road, an achievement the Brits refer to as finishing "on pace.")
- The Quakes set a record by only losing four times all year. The old MLS record of five losses was set in a 30-game season.
- No MLS team has ever gone undefeated at home—until this year's Earthquakes, that is. Their ongoing record home unbeaten streak, which started in 2004, now stands at 18 games.
- The Quakes only allowed 31 goals against all year, fifth best total in MLS history.
- San Jose went 15-1-5 over the last 21 games of the season.
- San Jose had nine wins on the road, a record for the Earthquakes.
- Despite not having any players among the league's top ten goal scorers, the Quakes led the league in assists with 62. A whopping 14 players scored goals for the team this season. Anyone who appeared in more than 14 games for the team—including forwards, midfielders, and defenders—scored a goal for the Quakes.
- The list of individual achievements starts with coach Dominic Kinnear, whose career winning percentage of .600 is second only in MLS to U.S. National Team coach Bruce Arena. Kinnear is widely expected to win the MLS Coach of the Year award this season.
- Pat Onstad has already been named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year. His 12 shutouts led the league, as did his save percentage of 77.2%. He also broke the San Jose career shutouts mark (27), formerly held by local native Joe Cannon (now of the Colorado Rapids).
- Ronald Cerritos won the 2005 Fair Play award and is a finalist for the Comeback Player of the Year prize.
- Danny Califf is a finalist for Defender of the Year.
- Which brings us to Dwayne DeRosario, whose remarkable season at attacking midfield has been a revelation—even to those of us who have watched him excel at forward the past four seasons. Dwayne is a finalist for the league's MVP award.
- DeRo has 13 assists this year, best in the league, and has scored a career-high nine goals.
- He won the MLS Goal of the Year award in 2004 and his wonder goal from last week's match against the Galaxy is likely to challenge for that award again. The bend on the ball is astounding, the placment of the shot in the upper right corner (AKA the 'postage stamp') amazing. See for yourself:
Posted by Jay at October 23, 2005 09:52 AM
Comments
Its Monday after a blazing trek to Carson where the atmosphere was intense despite the sparse Galaxy fan attendence...Sunday noon is not the best time for a feature match like this but the game itself delivered! Okay, it sucks to lose immediately after the brilliant season but lets get real- LA was not going to go quietly into the night after our stomping of them a week prior! Just as we knew we would face a fired up Galaxy they are preparing to face a fired up Quakes team...There just wasn't going to be an easy way to hit the ON SWITCH for San Jose nor will LA find the form they had Sunday; PREPARE AS THEY MIGHT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF HUGE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SJ and LA as they switch roles (YIPPEE! We're the underdogs again!) :
LA was the better team on Sunday...WE ARE THE BETTER TEAM PERIOD and that will show on Saturday night....that being said lets talk fans...The Galaxy players created the atmosphere in the HDC....OUR PLAYERS WILL CREATE ATMOSPHERE AND WE FANS WILL TAKE IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL!!!
Lets face it: We know we will beat LA Saturday night....which closes the gap to one goal automatically...What we're trying to do is find ONE MORE GOAL than the usual...does that sound difficult for THIS TEAM? TWO ZERO SAN JOSE? Sounds like a halftime score to me! I can already feel what its going to be like at the start....and after our first goal....imagine the fever pitch when we equalize! and the place is going to be OFF THE HOOK when the go ahead San Jose goal pops in! Watch LA lose their shape and their swagger as the din from the raucaus crowd suffocates them....
If I am wrong and this spectacular Earthquakes' team struggles to find the form that began to reappear in the second half, Saturday night will STILL be a celebration of how much we love this team- we will be there for them as they have for us!
I feel that LA created its luck on Sunday....and we are about to earn and create some of our own....and when we do, finding goals will not be a problem...coming back down to earth to prepare for Dallas or Colorado will be our next challenge!
SAN JOSE! SAN JOSE! SAN JOSE!
Posted by: Matthew Martin at October 24, 2005 10:15 AM
The two-goal deficit was looking huge as the final whistle blew on Sunday but it's seeming smaller and smaller as Saturday approaches. A bit of perspective does wonders. I remember this year's loss to the Galaxy in the Open Cup and how we spanked them the following Saturday. Sometimes the past predicts the future...
It's looking like there will be a good crowd on Saturday and that will definitely play to our favor. If there's one thing I know, it's this: Never underestimate the determination of Quakes fans! WE BELIEVE!
Posted by: Jay Hipps, SSV at October 25, 2005 07:34 AM