San Jose Earthquakes
2007 Record and Finish: n/a
Player Movement
Incoming:
Preston Burpo – Chivas USA (trade)
Kei Kamara – Columbus Crew (trade)
Joe Vide – New York Red Bulls via expansion draft
James Riley – New England Revolution via expansion draft
Gavin Glinton – LA Galaxy via expansion draft
Clarence Goodson – FC Dallas via expansion draft
Ivan Gurerro – Chicago Fire via expansion draft
Brian Carroll – DC United via expansion draft
Ned Grabavoy – Columbus Crew via expansion draft
Ryan Cochrane – Houston Dynamo via expansion draft
Jason Hernandez – Chivas USA via expansion draft
Chris Pozniak – Toronto FC via expansion draft
Joe Cannon - LA Galaxy (trade)
Nick Garcia - Kansas City Wizards (trade)
Shea Salinas - via SuperDraft
Adam Smarte - via Supplemental Draft
Tim Bohnenkamp - via Supplemental Draft
Greg Curry - via Supplemental Draft
Tim Jepsen - via Supplemental Draft
Ramiro Corrales - via transfer Brann (Norway)
Ronnie O’Brien - Toronto FC (trade)
Outgoing: Brain Carroll – Columbus Crew (trade), Clarence Goodson - (transfer)
Questions Going Into 2008:
1. How well will the defensive building of this club work?
Honestly I love the way that Frank Yallop and this management have built this club. Defense wins championships is a very true statement, even as over used as it is in sports. Its true in soccer also and Yallop knows that. Looking at the last three expansion clubs and comparing them to this club, I would easily say that the Quakes are much better than any of those three, maybe even put together.
Sure this club is still going to lose their fair share of games in year one as all expansion clubs do. The thing is, this club will be tough to score on with the center back duo of Nick Garcia and Ryan Cochrane. Not to mention Joe Cannon will be between the pipes, that always helps out in this league to have a keeper like Cannon.
2. Will this club score goals though this year?
They will but I can bet you they will win games 1-0 when they do win this season. Don’t expect the flashiest of offensive play from this club this season. Getting a guy like Ronnie O’Brien will help but if he isn’t healthy I wouldn’t expect much of this club from a scoring standpoint then.
This midfield will be pretty sound but its all on the guys up top to finish what they start for them. Kei Kamara is a project at best still and Gavin Glinton is better off the bench than as a starter. Ramiro Corrales is a guy that will be looked to score out of the midfield a lot on free kicks and set pieces.
This club really needs at leat a consistant goal scorer to be alright this season. Someone who can get eight to 10 goals.
I know they are still making scouting trips all around the region right now to find some quality strikers but those players may not come until the summer.By then as we all know will be too little to late for this club in terms of scoring.
3. Can Yallop find his magic touch again?
I think so because as we all know last year was a disaster for Yallop in LA. Getting out and away from the Beckham circus in LA will do more than wonders for Yallop and his career. Its nothing against Beckham for Yallop but you have to know that nothing Yallop did in LA was ever going to be enough for the circus that followed that club. Not to mention he couldn’t work at all with Alexi Lalas.
Expansion years are tough in any sport and in the MLS as well. Yallop is back in a familiar place, where he won his first two titles in this league. That kind of familiarity will help in a tough expansion season.
4. Did the Quakes over spend for talent?
Yes they did, by giving up first round picks and allocation for guys like Nick Garcia and Ronnie O’Brien, the Quakes pretty much told me and everyone else that they don’t believe much in the stock of players coming out of college anymore. Maybe for one they don’t want to have to scout the college scene as much as they used to or they just knew they had to have those guys now in order to have any respect. Probably a bit of both could be true.
I really believe still that Garcia was a bad trade on their part. Sure he will bring great leadership to a defense that has some quality players but he isn’t the player that he used to be when he first entered the league. I feel if they were going to over spend like that for a quality defender they would have gone for a Eddie Robinson or someone like that and not Garcia.
The O’Brien move made perfect sense so I won’t go into that one nearly as much. However giving up a first rounder in next year’s draft was a bit silly for a player that is always hurt.
5. How bad will this club really be?
Of course I want to be optimistic here about their chances. Hell I even said last year that Toronto would compete and at times they did very well. This won’t be a playoff club but I could see them making things very interesting in the west, where things are always interesting.
They are still a couple quality players from really making any sort of noise in this league. Their defense will only be able to carry them so much here in a long, long season. Injuries will also do them no good as they have very little depth after the guys that they brought in through the expansion draft and in transfers.
2008 Season Outlook:
I think I already started their outlook in question number five. Its not going to be the prettiest of teams or the flashiest but they will be a tough team defensively. I don’t look for them to set any records of any kind this year but I also don’t look for them to be Chivas or RSL-bad in terms of winning in year one. Toronto had six wins last year, if the Quakes can get to that mark it will be a success. However they can’t go long stretches like Toronto did without scoring goals. That is the kind of record that could happen this year with this club if they aren’t careful.
I do see this club tying a lot of games. I do mean a lot. That also means I don’t see them winning or losing a as many as most do. Again, being optimistic here for the new/old club. In this league anything can and will happen. My money is on a lot of draws in some scoreless games for this club.
