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September 16, 2007

Finally, Quakes news from the Mercury News

In some ways, it's been a difficult year. To see something that you've lost finally return, only to be greeted with disdain or criticism in the press, is either depressing or infuriating, depending on your state of mind. So our sympathy goes out to fans of Britney Spears everywhere.

As for Quakes fans, the local paper has given us cause for celebration this morning. After being scooped by the New York Times, the Toronto Star, the Toronto Globe and Mail, and the mighty Salinas Californian, the Mercury News have finally stepped up to the spot and fired in a winner. Today, columnist Ann Killion provides us with two articles that may just re-establish the Mercury News as the paper of record for the Earthquakes.

Killion's main column states that she is now "cautiously optimistic" about the return of the Quakes and gives three main reasons for the turnaround in her attitude. The first will be music to the ears of Earthquakes fans everywhere:

I can't promise that (Frank) Yallop will be the new coach of the expansion Earthquakes... but I wouldn't be at all surprised if he was.

Yallop is the very good, very smart coach who built the old Earthquakes into a two-time MLS champion before leaving to coach the national team in his native Canada. He currently is coaching the Los Angeles Galaxy, otherwise known as David Beckham's ATM machine.

That means Yallop has the most high-profile soccer job in the country. The dysfunctional Galaxy is the worst team in the league, a fact that embarrasses Yallop's bosses at Anschutz Entertainment Group, who like to meddle with the team and think plugging in an injured superstar should equal automatic success.

So I fully expect Yallop to be relieved of his duties at the end of the season. And I expect David Alioto, the executive vice president of the Earthquakes, to call Yallop one nanosecond later. Yallop would bring instant legitimacy and a connection to the Bay Area (and probably would be relieved to be away from the AEG folks).

We realize that this is just speculation, of course, but this would be a great development. It would be impossible to simply turn back the clock two years and bring back everyone who played for the 2005 Quakes, and it wouldn't even be wise to do so—a lot can change in two seasons. But there are elements of that era that we'd love to see carried into the team's future, and hiring a coach who knows the Way of the Quakes would be a great way to do it.

What's the Way of the Quakes? Take a look at the team from 2001-2005 for an answer. The players play for each other, they go all out, they emphasize attacking but play team defense, they don't dive, and they never, ever give up. It's hall-of-famer Johnny Moore's oft-quoted statement that "the name on the front of the shirt is more important than the name on the back of the shirt." Above all, it's honoring and respecting the game and recognizing that it's a privilege to pull on a shirt that says "Earthquakes." It's the Earthquakes spirit, and bringing in the coaches who understand it and know the success it can bring would be a great way to go forward.

Killion says there may be others returning, too.

Don't be surprised, when the Earthquakes are finally put together, to see familiar names involved, such as John Doyle or Brandi Chastain. The Earthquakes need to tap into people who know and believe in the Bay Area soccer market. Don't be surprised if former Earthquakes employees return to the fold. Many were bitter over the move to Houston, and would love nothing more than moving home and proving that soccer can succeed here.

Killion saves her highest praise for the team's new owners, Lew Wolff and John Fisher. As we've been trumpeting both here on the blog and privately among our fellow fans, we think that Quakes fans finally have the owners they deserve—committed, smart, professional, and dedicated to the game. (Plus, we have the coolest owners in MLS, as Grahame Jones of the LA Times confirmed when he wrote about Fisher's trip to the 2006 World Cup where he was "strolling around Germany with an American flag painted on his head.") It's nice to see them getting some recognition in the local press, too.

The second story from Killion is a timeline for the next few months. She says that the director of soccer operations will be named in early October, which will also be the time we find out more about where the team will be playing in 2008. Late October will see an announcement of the new coach. The expansion draft will be held in November, the Quakes tryout tour will come to eight Northern California cities, and the city council votes on the stadium proposal. In January, 2008, the Quakes will start off the MLS SuperDraft by taking the first pick.

Posted by Jay at September 16, 2007 10:47 AM

Comments

Nothing against Frank, but I'd prefer to have Dominic. Frank chose to leave after 2003 -as the rumors around relocation swirled - whereas Dom is from here, and never wanted to leave. I'm also concerned that the game in MLS has caught up to Frank and that he will be scarred by his time in the limelight.

Posted by: Colin at September 17, 2007 08:58 AM

No question that Dom's record is much better than Frank's since '93. I would hesitate to paint Frank as disloyal at all, however: in fact, he left the Quakes because he felt his loyalty to Canada trumped his loyalty to San Jose.


Dom has another year left on his contract, is well paid, and is coaching a team that he put together himself. I think he'll be back someday but I am guessing that the Quakes might not want to splash out big bucks on a coach (or a DP, for that matter) until the stadium opens and all the revenue streams are firmly in place.


I'll also say this in defense of Frank: his philosophy depends on team defense, players going all out for each other, etc. It could probably be summed up as a "no prima donnas allowed" attitude. Now, take a look at LA -- lots and lots of prima donnas, except for (ironically) the one guy who is probably really entitled to think of himself as a prima donna, Beckham. LA and Yallop were bound to be a bad fit from the beginnng. Throw in the meddling nature of AEG's honchos from Leiweke on down and it's a recipe for the disaster currently seen at the Home Depot Center.

Posted by: Jay Hipps, SSV at September 17, 2007 10:47 AM

I have no sympathy for Britney Spears fans, sorry.

Posted by: Will at September 17, 2007 03:43 PM

You raise a good point. I probably should have said "empathy" rather than "sympathy."

Posted by: Jay Hipps, SSV at September 18, 2007 09:29 AM