Soccer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The San Jose Earthquakes conceded a late goal and lost 2-1 to Chivas USA Saturday afternoon at Buck Shaw Stadium.

Chris Wondolowski gave the Quakes an early 1-0 lead with his third goal of the season in the 16th minute. Chivas USA rallied to tie the game through Alejandro Moreno just before halftime and Mariano Trujillo scored the game-winner in the 85th minute.

San Jose is going to have to do a better job of closing out the halfs and end of games if they are going to jump into the playoff race anytime soon. it is a long season but you do not want to dig a hole for yourself buy getting of to a slow start.

The Earthquakes are off to a slow start after losing two out of their first four home games and coming away with zero victories in thise games.

Their lone win of the season came at FC Dallas. Their main problem has been the offense which has scored just five goals in six games of the young season.

Besides Chris Wondolowski's three goal only Simon Dawkins (2) and Khari Stephenson (1) have scored for San Jose this year. The Quakes are going to need more players scoring goals to loosen up the defense played on Wondolowski an d=to help win games.

The Quakes hit the road next weekend with a game against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, April 30 at 1 p.m. PT. The game will air live on MLS Direct Kick and on the radio in Spanish on 1370 KZSF. Photo's click here

HARRISON, N.J. - The San Jose Earthquakes couldn't overcome two early goals by the New York Red Bulls and they fell 3-0 on Saturday night at Red Bull Arena.

Luke Rodgers scored two first half goals and assisted on the Red Bulls final goal by Thierry Henry late in the second half to lead New York to the victory.

San Jose returns home next weekend to take on Chivas USA at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday, April 23.

The game kicks off at 1 p.m. PT and all fans in attendance will receive a reusable shopping bag, courtesy of the County of Santa Clara Household Hazardous Waste.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes tied their second straight home match, earning a 1-1 draw with Toronto FC Saturday night at Buck Shaw Stadium.

Alan Gordon struck first for Toronto in the 27th minute, but Simon Dawkins scored for the second game in a row to even the match 11 minutes later.

Despite a number of chances in the second half, the Quakes could not put another past TFC goalkeeper Stefan Frei and had to settle for a draw.

San Jose returns to action on Saturday, April 16 when it travels to play the New York Red Bulls at 4:30 p.m. PT. Tune into 1220 KDOW and 1370 KZSF to listen to the match.

FRISCO, Texas – Chris Wondolowski tallied twice in the first half to lead the San Jose Earthquakes to a 2-0 road win against defending Western Conference Champion FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park on Saturday.

The 2010 MLS Budweiser Golden Boot winner has scored San Jose’s last 12 regular season goals, extending his MLS record dating back to Sept. 15, 2010. Wondolowski also moved into sole possession of fifth place on the Earthquakes all-time leading goals list with 22, surpassing former US international Eric Wynalda.

Chris Leitch helped create Wondolowski’s first goal, chipping a pass over the FC Dallas backline. Wondolowski chest-trapped the ball with his back to the goal then unleashed a ferocious left-footed strike that beat goalkeeper Kevin Hartman to the far corner for a 1-0 San Jose lead in the 5th minute.

The build up to Wondolowski’s second goal also started with Leitch, this time in the 23rd minute. San Jose’s right back lofted a pass to the far side of the field that Joey Gjertsen collected before whipping a cross to the near post.

Wondolowski was there to nod the pass toward the opposite corner and in for his fourth career multi-goal game. Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch stopped three point-blank chances by Milton Rodriguez in the second half to help p reserve the shutout.

Busch along with a defense that included Leitch, Jason Hernandez, Brandon McDonald, Ramiro Corrales and Sam Cronin helped bottle up a potent FC Dallas attack that included 2010 MLS Volkswagen MVP David Ferreira for San Jose’s first shutout of 2011.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -The San Jose Earthquakes fell in their season opener 1-0 against Real Salt Lake on a rain-drenched field Saturday night at Buck Shaw Stadium.

Kyle Beckerman scored the game winner in the 63rd minute, blasting a shot form 25 yards out off the left post and in. The Earthquakes made a fervent push to find an equalizer and had several chances to score, but ultimately fell short.

Recent Tottenham Hotspur loan acquisition Simon Dawkins made his San Jose debut and nearly created a goal after darting up the middle and sliding a pass that found Chris Wondolowski in the area.

The 2010 Budweiser Golden Boot winner pounded a shot on goal, but Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando got a hand to the shot while diving to his right.

NEW YORK (Thursday, January 20, 2011) -Tickets are on sale now to the general public for the international match between two World Cup nations, Mexico and Paraguay presented by Wrigley's Extra® gum, on Saturday, March 26 at 2:00 p.m. PT at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.

Tickets can be purchased starting Friday, Jan. 21 at www.tickets.com, calling 1-800-225-2277 or visiting usual tienda locations.

For group tickets or suites, please call the San Jose Earthquakes at 1-408-556-7700 or visit their ticket office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. local time, Monday through Friday.

Scheduled on a FIFA fixture date, this match will mark Mexico's return to Oakland after almost two years.

Mexico defeated Nicaragua 2-0 at the Coliseum during the group phase of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Mexico and Paraguay last face off at Copa America 2007, where El Tri secured the quarterfinal win.

The annual U.S. tour will mark the beginning of the Mexican National Team's path to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, under the direction of new head coach Jose Manuel "Chepo" de la Torre.

The 2011 Mexican National Team U.S. Tour sponsors are adidas, Allstate, AT&T, Bud Light, Cacique, Coca-Cola, Castrol, Degree Men, Makita, NAPA Auto Parts, The Home Depot and Wrigley's Extra® gum.

Together, they will host Fútbol Fiesta, a huge celebration taking place before every game, including an interactive zone of 120,000 square feet with live music, games, celebrities and promotional memorabilia.

Earthquakes Fall 3-1 to Leicester City in Final Match of England Trip LEICESTER, England 2/24/2011

Chris Wondolowski scored the lone goal in a 3-1 loss against a Leicester City squad that included several first team players Thursday afternoon.

After falling behind 2-0, Steven Lenhart put pressure on the Leicester City goalkeeper, forcing a giveaway that Wondolowski one-timed into an empty net eight minutes after halftime.

Ellis McLoughlin had a chance to pull one back in the 90th minute after trialist Matt Luzunaris drew a penalty, but the ensuing penalty kick was saved. Leicester City grabbed the lead early after confusion in the back allowed Oli Chamberlain to take control at the top of the box with a clear shot on goal.

Chamberlain slotted his shot into the net in the eighth minute. Nathan Hicks doubled Leicester City's lead in the 18th minute and Danny Uchechi knocked in the third with a penalty in the 60th minute.

San Jose will return to California on Sunday. Next up in the preseason action is a trip to San Luis Obispo for a friendly against defending the MLS Cup Champion Colorado Rapids on March 4.

February 23, 2011 Earthquakes Earn 3-0 Win Over Colchester United LONDON, England

A pair of trialists powered the San Jose Earthquakes past Colchester United 3-0 on Wednesday at Spurs Lodge for San Jose's second win in as many days.

Ellis McLoughlin scored a brace and Matt Luzunaris tacked one on midway through the second half. McLoughlin played 90 minutes in his first action since an ankle injury suffered during the Quakes preseason trip to Ventura while Luzunaris saw 45 minutes of action after subbing on at the half.

The Quakes had several chances early on, but it was McLoughlin who finally broke the stalemate with a blast from 25 yards out. Playing as a lone striker atop a 4-5-1, McLoughlin would head home his brace in the second half thanks to service from Steven Beitashour on the left. McLoughlin wasn't done, feeding the pass that sprung Luzunaris for San Jose's third goal of the day.

Luzunaris collected and finished from the middle of the area. Andrew Weber and David Bingham split goalkeeper duties for the clean sheet. Weber played the first half and Bingham the second.

San Jose's group of Academy players, Travis Pillon, Alfred Edmonds, Sam Engs and Nick Lima, subbed on in the 75th minute. The group has trained all week with the Tottenham Hotspur Youth Academy. Next up for the Quakes is a trip to Leicester City on Thursday for the final exhibition of their 10-day trip to England.

Earthquakes Acquire All-American Cal Goalkeeper David Bingham via Weighted Lottery

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that they participated in the weighted Major League Soccer lottery and won the rights to Cal goalkeeper David Bingham. Bingham has signed a Generation adidas contract with MLS, becoming the 11th member of the 2011 class.

San Jose is now exempt from participating in any additional weighted lotteries in 2011. "We are delighted to acquire David," said General Manager of Soccer Operations John Doyle. "Had he been in the SuperDraft, he without question would have been one of the first players selected. This is a very good day for the San Jose Earthquakes."

The 6-foot-2 goalkeeper was a 2010 NSCAA All-American as a junior, registering eight shutouts in 20 matches (including the NCAA Tournament). He allowed more than one goal on only four occasions. Bingham helped lead Cal to a 14-2-4 record and allowed just 17 goals in 2010, posting a 0.77 goals against average.

The Golden Bears fell to the eventual NCAA Champion Akron Zips in penalties in the quarterfinals. As a sophomore in 2009, Bingham was named to the All Pac-10 Second Team, posting four shutouts in 16 starts with a 0.95 goals against average.

He also appeared in one game as a freshman, backing up current Toronto FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei. The Pleasanton native played his club soccer for Mustang, and was on the team that made it to the Super Y-League U-17 National Championships in 2007.

Bingham was a three-year varsity starter at California High School in San Ramon, Calif. Bingham was on trial with Fulham FC in England when he received his Generation adidas offer.

In order to fulfill his commitment to the trial process, he chose to forgo the MLS SuperDraft and signed after the Jan. 13 event. Bingham was then entered in a weighted lottery, where San Jose held only an 8.8% chance (fifth highest) of landing the Bay Area product.

SAN JOSE, Calif. 1/18/2011- The San Jose Earthquakes selected goalkeeper Philip Tuttle from Notre Dame with their second round pick and University of San Francisco defender Victor Cortez with their third round choice in the MLS Supplemental Draft on Tuesday.

Tuttle, 23, is a fifth year senior who appeared in 13 games last season, compiling a record of 7-4-2 with two shutouts for the Irish. During his career, the New Hampshire native appeared in 33 games, starting 29 and posted a 0.94 goals against average with nine shutouts.

He ended his collegiate career with a 16-10-4 record and helped lead the Irish to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Cortez, 21, appeared in 70 games, making 58 starts through his four years with the Dons.

He scored three of his four career goals and notched one assist during his senior season. In 2009, Cortez was a West Coast Conference (WCC) Honorable Mention and in 2007, he made the WCC All-Freshman Team.

The El Sobrante native was also a part of the United States U20 team that went to Argentina in 2007 and the U17 side that went to Ireland in 2005. He is a former high school All American (2007) and was a four year starter at the varsity level at Miramonte High School.

The Earthquakes acquired forward Steven Lenhart from the Columbus Crew last week in exchange for the 15th overall selection in the MLS SuperDraft and selected midfielder Anthony Ampaipitakwong from Akron with the 33rd overall pick.

Earthquakes to Hold Verizon Tryout Tour on February 6 SAN JOSE, Calif. - 1/10/2011

The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that the club will hold the Verizon Tryout Tour in Danville at the Mustang Soccer Complex.

The tryout is on Sunday, Feb. 6 2011 and will give hundreds of people the opportunity of a lifetime, to try out for a professional soccer team. The tryout will last from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be overseen by the Earthquakes coaching staff.

A maximum of 200 participants will be allowed to try out and the fee is $75 per person. In addition to the tryout, the participant will also receive an adidas drawstring bag, an official Verizon Tryout Tour jersey and a voucher for two tickets to see an Earthquakes game in 2011, excluding games against the New York Red Bulls, the Los Angeles Galaxy or any bonus game.

Registration will begin on Tuesday, Dec. 21 and will be available by logging on to sjearthquakes.com www.sjearthquakes.com . Financial assistance will be given to people that qualify on a case by case basis. For more information about financial assistance or about the tour, contact the Earthquakes Front Office at 408-556-7700.

Participants must be 18 years or older and out of high school. Season tickets for 2011 are now on sale and fans can log on to sjearthquakes.com www.sjearthquakes.com or call 408-556-7700 to make a deposit or purchase season tickets. The 20-game season ticket package includes two bonus games and a playoff game ticket.

Season ticket packages start as low as $240. All packages offer significant savings off the regular price and season ticket holders will also receive the following benefits: special invitations to private season ticket holder events, ability to purchase season-long parking pass at a discounted rate, a 10-year anniversary MLS Cup Championship patch and scarf, as well as additional perks.

Quakes Set for SuperDraft The Earthquakes have two picks in Thursday's MLS SuperDraft, presented by adidas.

San Jose will have the 15th overall selection in the first round and has the 33rd pick (second round) in the SuperDraft, which starts at 9 a.m. PT at the Baltimore Convention Center.

Coverage of the first round can be seen live on ESPN2. On Tuesday, January 18, MLS will hold a Supplemental Draft that will also consist of three rounds of 18 picks.

Wondolowski Hat Trick Leads Earthquakes to Thrilling 3-2 Win in Toronto, Improves Playoff Standing

TORONTO, Ontario - The San Jose Earthquakes picked up another road win with a 3-2 victory in Toronto on Saturday afternoon.

Chris Wondolowski became the third player in franchise history to score a hat trick in a game with all three goals for San Jose on the afternoon.

The Quakes jumped on top of Toronto early, as Bobby Convey outworked Dan Gargan for the ball in the back, and when he beat him on the dribble, Gargan pulled him down as San Jose earned a penalty.

Wondolowski hammered home his team-leading tenth goal of the season, leaving Stefan Frei with no chance on the well taken penalty. Wondolowski doubled his tally in the 53rd minute after a great buildup found him alone in front of the net, and his finish on a Ryan Johnson cross gave the visitors a 2-0 advantage.

Dwayne De Rosario pulled the home side within a goal in the 66th minute as he chipped Jon Busch to his back post, which looked to give Toronto some momentum.

The Quakes had other ideas as just one minute later, Wondolowski became the third player in franchise history to record a hat trick, joining Landon Donovan and Dwayne De Rosario, who did the trick in back to back games in September of 2003.

Wondolowski was played in again by Johnson, and his right-footed blast from just inside the area was an immediate response to De Rosario's goal. Toronto answered again, this time in the 79th minute when Maicon Santos tapped in a Chad Barrett cross, but it wouldn't be enough as the Quakes held on for a 3-2 win.

San Jose return home to host the Chicago Fire on Wednesday night at Buck Shaw Stadium at 8 p.m. PT. The Earthquakes began the day in a deadlock in seventh position with Seattle Sounders FC, and left BMO Field with 39 points, and a hold on the sixth position in the playoff standings.

San Jose improved their playoff chances with a 1-0 win over Philadelphia Wednesday night at Buck Shaw on the campus of Santa Clara University. The Quakes got a goal from forward Chris Wondolowski in the 69th minute.

The win put San Jose eight points clear of ninth place Toronto FC. The top eight teams in the MLS make the playoffs.

The Quakes have to maintain their pace. They have a tough stretch of three games in one week when they play at Toronto on Sept. 25th, return home to host Chicago on the 29th before heading out to face Columbus Oct. 2nd.

The Quakes know that even though it is a tough spell, they have to play each game at a time and in this case the first game is really the biggest.

A win against Toronto would all but put San Jose into the post season with a 11pt lead with just seven games left on the schedule.

In San Jose's win over Philly the Earthquakes could get little going in the first half. Wondolowski was called off sides on a clear goal scoring chance in the 42nd minute.

Head coach Frank Yallop turned to his bench to start the second half replacing Khari Stephenson and Joey Gjertsen with Eduardo and Arturo Alvarez.

The move paid off big time as it was Alvarez's sharp little pass that led directly to Wondolowski's goal.

Wondolowski's goal was his sixth game winner of the season and his ninth overall. His six game winners ties him for the league lead with the Los Angeles Galaxy's Edison Buddle.

After Saturday’s match between the San Jose Earthquakes and North London’s Tottenham Hotspurs ended 0-0, Tom Huddlestone, Spurs’ midfield dynamo, explained that it is difficult to change the way he plays, whether the game is a friendly or serious competition.

It is to the San Jose Earthquakes’ credit, therefore, that they fought the Spurs to a draw.

The Spurs team consisted mostly of its first team regulars, apart from those who had been on World Cup duty. This gave soccer fans a chance to see stars such as the mercurial Luca Modric and goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini, who was in fine form, proving that he has recovered from a serious motorbike accident last November.

Spurs did put the ball in the net, but Robbie Keane’s first half effort was ruled out as offside. There was one moment of panic for Spurs when Gareth Bale needed treatment on the field, but he continued playing afterwards and seemed fine.

The San Jose Earthquakes came close to knocking off the first place LA Galaxy down in Los Angeles, but a late goal by Landon Donovan earn LA a 2-2 tie.

Bobby Convey got the Quakes off to a fast start when he scored in the second minute of the contest. San Jose held out until LA's scoring machine, Edson Buddle got the Galaxy back on level terms with a goal that hit off the cross bar in the 59th minute.

Brandon McDonald scored his first goal of the season in the 72md minute to give the Quakes a 2-1 lead that stood until Donovan Knocked the ball in after a scramble in front of the Quakes goal in stoppage time.

San Jose missed out on a chance to gain ground towards a playoff spot. The Quakes are in in fifth place. tied with Colorado with 23pts in the Western Conference of the MLS.

San Jose added yet another feather to their caps by betting what was the hottest team in the MLS, the Eastern Conference's first place team, the New York Red Bulls 4-0 in front of some 10,000 fans at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara.

San Jose has now knocked off the two first place teams in back to back weeks after beating the Western Conference's beat team, Colorado, last week.

A yellow card was handed out in the 4th minute when New York's Tony Tchani went in a little too hard for a tackle.

New York's (and Danville's own) Luke Sassano upped the ante' and draw a red card in the 13th minute for a hard sliding tackle.

San Jose goalie Joe Cannon hardly had to work at all, notching his third shutout of the young season as the Earthquakes defense made sure New York did not get many chances to score.

The Red Bull almost came away with a goal in the 39th minute when a counter off a San Jose free kick just outside New York's area almost led to a goal for NYC.

That was the wake up call the Earthquakes needed. The Red Bulls had been taking the game to San Jose after going down a man, but after that the Earthquakes had the better of the play the rest of the way.

Just when everybody thought San Jose would head into the half in a scoreless tie Bobby Convey found the ball at his foot along the right side. A perfectly placed pass found the foot of Ryan Johnson who beat the Red Bulls keeper, putting San Jose up one zip.

The second half was all San Jose. Convey would get two more assists in the game, one to the Wonder Boy, Chris Wondolowski. The goal was Wondo's fourth in as many games.

San Jose is now 4-2 and in third place in the Western Conference behind the former Quakes, Houston (4-3-1,13pts) and LA who nobody wants to see right now who is 7-0-1 after the Galaxy dusted off Seattle 4-0.

Landon Donovan had a goal and three assists as LA dominated Seattle from start to finish. The Galaxy now have a league leading 16 goals while giving up a league low 2.

That is a hard combination to beat. Landon Donovan leads the league with none assists and his teammate Edson Buddle tops the MLS with nine goals.

The Quakes Wondolowski is third in the MLS behind Buddle and Dwayne De Rosario's 6 goals with 4 of his own.

The San Jose Earthquakes rode the hot foot of forward Chris Wondolowski and the Earthquakes defense did the rest as the improving Earthquakes beat Colorado 1-0 at home Saturday night.

The win pushed the Earthquakes record to 3-2. Wondolowski has now scored three goals in the last three games. Taking a feed from fellow striker Ryan Johnson, Wondolowski found the back of the net in the 33rd minute.

San Jose shutout one of the highest scoring teams in the MLS and that is a good sign for an Earthquakes squad that gave up the most goals in the MLS last season.

Colorado's best chance to score came when Wells Thompson blasted a shot from 22-yards out that needed a diving save from Quakes goalie Joe Cannon to keep Colorado off the board.

Next up for San Jose is a date with New York and the undefeated Red Bulls May 8th at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara. Game time is 7pm.

The 2010 season could not have started any worse for the San Jose Earthquakes. Soundly beaten by defending MLS champion Real Salt lake in front of a sold out Buck Shaw Stadium, the Earthquakes have gone 2-0-1 since, beating New England 2-0 at home for their first win of the new season Saturday night.

The Quakes got a goal from Chris Wondolowski in the 57th minute and a goal off the head of rookie Ike Opara in the 75th minute from a corner kick.

Opara is starting to show why he has cracked the line up at such a young age. The forward from basketball country in Durham, North Carolina, has scored in two straight games.

San Jose is now 2-1-1 and over .500 for the first time since restarting the team two years ago from scratch.

Earthquakes Host Club Partner Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, July 17 at Buck Shaw Stadium

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The San Jose Earthquakes announced today they will
play club partner Tottenham Hotspur from the English Premier League
(EPL) on Saturday, July 17 at Buck Shaw Stadium. The kick-off time will
be announced at a later date.

Season ticket holders should use their Bonus Game "B" ticket for the
match. Season ticket holders will also be able to purchase additional
individual tickets and groups from April 21-28. From April 29-May 9,
fans can purchase mini-plans that include the Tottenham Hotspur and Los
Angeles Galaxy match, before tickets go on sale to the general public on
May 10. Tickets range from $20-$50 and can be purchased by calling (800) 225-2277 or by logging on to sjearthquakes.com.

"This match will be a great experience for our players, the fans and the
community," said Earthquakes Executive VP of Business Operations David
Alioto. "Our partnership with Spurs has been very beneficial and this
game is another example of that. This provides the Bay Area and its
soccer fans the ability to see our team take on some of the top players
in the world in July. We would like to thank our partner club Tottenham
Hotspur for making this happen."

Tottenham Hotspur, also known as Spurs, signed a club partnership
agreement in 2008 with the objective of creating a long-term bond
between the two clubs. The relationship focuses on both soccer and
commercial development by exchanging and implementing the best practices from both organizations.

The partnership to date has seen Earthquakes technical staff visiting Spurs Lodge on numerous occasions, with the team using the Tottenham Hotspur training facility as a base for this season's pre-season preparations. The Quakes also played and won two closed-door matches with West Ham United and Spurs' reserve sides.

Harry Redknapp, Tottenham Hotspur manager said, "The summer camp will be a very important part of our preparations for the new campaign and we're looking forward to heading out to the United States."

The scheduled fixture will be the first time that the Earthquakes will
play against Tottenham Hotspur. The last and only time San Jose hosted
an EPL team came in 1997 when the Quakes earned a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa in front of 13,522 fans at Spartan Stadium. Shawn Medved scored the lone goal for San Jose in that match.

As part of Tottenham Hotspur's training visit to the U.S. they will also
compete in the 2010 New York Football Challenge at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey.

The 2010 New York Football Challenge will be a four-team
tournament involving fellow Barclays Premier League side Manchester City
and MLS outfit New York Red Bulls, as well as a soon-to-be-announced
fourth team. The tournament will take place from July 22-25.

Tottenham Hotspur was founded in 1882 and is known as the Club of firsts- becoming the first club to achieve the League and FA Cup Double,
winning both competitions in the 1960-61 season; in 1963 they became the first British club to win a major European trophy - the European Cup
Winners' Cup.

Victory in the 2008 League Cup Final meant that Spurs
achieved the feat of winning a trophy in each of the last six decades, a
record matched by only one other Premier League club.

The team is currently placed in the top four of the EPL table after
recent wins against Arsenal and Chelsea. Spurs players include English
internationals Aaron Lennon, Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch along with
young Welsh superstar Gareth Bale, Russian forward Roman Pavlyuchenko
and Croatian international Luka Modric.

It was not a pretty start for the San Jose Earthquakes who lost 3-0 to defending MLS champion Salt Lake City at home Saturday night in front of a packed house that must have went away thinking, Huh?.

This was a San Jose team that tore through the pre season and was coming off a season when they gave up a league high 50 goals on their way to a last place finish in the Western Conference.

The Earthquakes got down 1-0 nothing in the 18th minute and they never recovered. Javier Morales found the back of the net from 35-yards out and Salt Lake was off to a quick lead.

Fabian Espindola added another when he nifty chipped in a goal over the head of Quakes goalie Joe Cannon and it was 2-0 Real Salt Lake after just 28-minutes.

To matters worse San Jose went a man down when Chris Leitch was red carded in the 53rd minute. Morales took advantage a minute later when he scored on a free kick from just outside the area.

The earthquakes do not want a start like they had last year when a 1-8-2 start doomed them to last place.

Major League Soccer and MLS Players Union Reach Agreement in Principle on New CBA NEW YORK (Saturday, March 20, 2010)

Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Major League Soccer Players Union (MLSPU) today announced that they have reached agreement in principle on the terms of a new collective bargaining agreement covering five seasons, commencing with the 2010 season and continuing through December 31, 2014.

MLS Commissioner Don Garber and MLSPU Executive Director Bob Foose announced the agreement today via teleconference call, five days prior to the start of the League's 15th season. "We are very pleased to have reached agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the MLS Players Union," said MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

"This new agreement allows us to work with our players to continue our mutual efforts to build the sport of soccer in North America. We worked hard during the past few months to develop a new agreement that addressed many of the players' most important issues and look forward to a meaningful and productive new relationship over the next five years."

"I would like to thank the players and the leadership of the Union for their involvement and commitment to the collective bargaining process as well as our fans for their patience as we worked together to reach an agreement," Garber said.

"I also want to thank George Cohen for his expertise in assisting the parties though mediation." "The Union is happy with this agreement as it addresses the core issue of players' rights and we look forward to working cooperatively with the League going forward," said Bob Foose, Executive Director of the Union.

LA Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan said: "We have a deep appreciation for the commitment shown by the owners both historically and through this process to make MLS one of the top leagues in the world." The concluding phase of the negotiations was conducted under the auspices of George Cohen, Director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.

The agreement is subject to the approval of the MLS Board of Governors and the membership of the MLSPU. Major League Soccer's 15th season kicks off March 25 when the expansion Philadelphia Union travel to Seattle to take on Sounders FC in a nationally televised match on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN360.com. The other 14 MLS clubs are in action on March 26 and 27.

Earthquakes Earn 3-0 Victory over Real San Jose in First Preseason Game SAN JOSE, Calif.

The San Jose Earthquakes defeated Real San Jose 3-0 on Saturday morning at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The Quakes had goals from Chris Wondolowski, Ismael Ibarra and Joey Gjertsen.

The lineup was littered with fresh faces as rookies Justin Morrow, Steve Beitashour, Andrew Hoxie and last year's second round draft choice Brad Ring earned the start.

The Earthquakes pressured Real San Jose early and often, finally breaking through in the 20th minute of play to take a 1-0 lead.

Chris Wondolowski put away a rebound off of a Joey Gjertsen corner to put the Quakes in front. It was 2-0 early in the second half after Ismael Ibarra scored off of a through ball from Amarikwa in the 55th minute.

Ibarra collected the pass and slid his shot underneath the Real San Jose goalkeeper.

Just three minutes later, Ibarra was at it again, this time setting up the third Quakes goal as Gjertsen finished from the penalty area in traffic.

The Earthquakes maintained their pressure the remainder of the match and made their 3-0 victory stand up, as Andrew Weber and Mike Graczyk shared the shutout.

San Jose Earthquakes Lineup: Andrew Weber (Mike Graczyk 40), Justin Morrow, Aaron Pitchkolan, Troy Roberts, Evan Brown, Joey Gjertsen, Brad Ring, Chris Wondolowski, Steve Beitashour, Andrew Hoxie (Ismael Ibarra 40), Quincy Amarikwa (Andrew Hoxie 63). Scoring Summary: SJ: Chris Wondolowski (Aaron Pitchkolan, Joey Gjertsen) 20; Ismael Ibarra (Quincy Amarikwa) 55; Joey Gjertsen (Ismael Ibarra, Chris Wondolowski) 58.

The American's will head over to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa as group champions after coming back from a 0-2 hole to tie Costa Rica 2-all in both teams final group qualifying match.

The result, combined with Mexico's tie against El Salvador put Team USA on top which will mean a better seed when the finals roll around next summer.

It was quite a week. The fortunes of two different country's World Cup dreams lay in the balance heading into the final two games of group action.

Honduras and Costa Rica both needed wins to help their cause. Costa Rica, a win and they were on their way to South Africa. Honduras needed anything but.

The 2009 MLS season has not been a pretty sight for San Jose Earthquakes fans. They have watched their beloved team suffer through a few more growing pains this year as they try to get back to the top of the MSL heap after having to restart the team for a third time.

The Earthquakes themselves showed Saturday night against Kansas City that they are not going out without a fight. The Quakes beat KC 1-0 on an injury time goal by Chris Wondolowski's in the 93rd minute.

Bobby Convey set up the goal by digging a ball out of the corner before passing it to Ramon Corrales. Corrales Then sent a cross in to the Wizards area that Wondolowski headed into the back of the net.

"It feels great to get the win tonight and I think this win will get us back on track. It was also important to get this win at home in front of our fans, friends and family." Said Wondolowski after the game.

The win kept San Jose's slim playoffs hopes alive in the Western Conference. They are seven pts back of Real Salt Lake who hold down the sixth and final playoff spot in the west.

San Jose has nine games left in the regular season. There are a total of 27pts left out there on the table for San Jose to grab. How many will they get, only time will tell.

They just ended a four game home stand 2-1-1, outscoring their opponents 7-5 with two shutouts mix in.

Scoring seven goals and giving up just five in four games might not sound like a big deal, but for San Jose is was a sign that they could be turning things around at just the right time.

The earthquakes have given up the most goals in the MLS this year so anytime they can have a stretch of games when they score more then they give up is huge.

Now can they do it on the road. San Jose plays six of their final nine games of the regular season on the road starting with New England Aug. 29th.

Teams from all over the world put on a show across America as the world gets ready for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa

The World Football Challenge was a big hit in the USA, drawing large crowds everywhere they played. Didier Drogba (above) got Chelsea off and running with a first half goal against Inter Milan in front of 83,000 fans at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Ca.

The World Football Challenge was a great way for teams to prepare for their up coming seasons and the games had a regular season feel to them.

They were ruff and each team wanted to win. Chelsea came away with the trophy, earning 15pts. Club America was second with 8pts, Inter Milan(7) and AC Milan (2pts) brought up the rear.

Nobody really cared who won, just play some great soccer and get ready for the season. Along the way each team provided an American market with the chance to see some world class soccer. Photo's click here

WORLD FOOTBALL CHALLENGE SEARCHES FOR BIGGEST SOCCER FANS IN AMERICA

Fans of Chelsea FC, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Club America to compete for no. 1 fan title and trip to see their club play live in the United States.

American soccer fans can win a trip to see their favorite international teams live this summer at the World Football Challenge by showing how they are their club's biggest fan in the United States.

Fans of Chelsea Football Club, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Club America can submit videos online for a chance to win a trip to see their team play live in the U.S. this July as part of the inaugural World Football Challenge tournament.

The four winners, one for each team, will be awarded two tickets to their club's July 26 World Football Challenge match, two club jerseys, round trip airfare for the winner and a guest and two nights' accommodations. Soccer fans can visit www.worldfootballchallenge.com

Inter Milan will fly out west and play at Stanford Stadium July 18th, taking on Mexican league giant Club America. Game time is 4pm Tickets click here

British invasion

David Beckham has returned to the MLS after his extended stay overseas with AC Milan. Before he took the field for the LA Galaxy, Beckham joined forces with French International Zinedine Zidane to help open up clean and safe playing fields as a part of MLS W.O.R.K.S., Major League Soccer's community outreach initiative.

More click here

Mexico opens up Gold Cup with a win

Photo's click here

It was not easy, or was it. The Mexican national team, Eli Tri-Colors got a workmanlike, 2-0 win over a game squad from Nicaragua in both teams opening game of the 2009 Gold Cup being played out all across the USA.

Nicaragua, a country without a professional league, played even with the favorites from Mexico the first half. That was great for them, but to the over 30,000 Mexican fans at the game it was another case of here we go again.

Mexico is fighting for their 2010 World Cup lives right not and the team has had trouble putting the ball into the back of anybodies net. Against Nicaragua it took a referee’s whistle to help get Mexico on the board.

Luis Miguel Noriega got the ball rolling with a penalty kick score in the 44th minute. Until then Mexico did not really test the Nicaraguan keeper at all. Many expected the score to be 3-0 by the time the first half ended.

Nicaragua'a Armando Reyes, who was marking Israel Martinez, brought him down inside the penalty box to the left of the goal in the 44th minute.

Questionable at best, the foul sent a huge roar through the pro Mexican crowd. That first goal seemed to help Mexico relax and the second half saw them gain more and more control of the match.

Mexico out shot Nicaragua 18-6, but few of the shots were on target.

Pablo Barrera, a second-half substitution, one timed a 7-yard volley past goalkeeper Carlos Mendieta on a cross by Alberto Medina in the 86th minute. The Mexican fans could finally relax. The Mexican head coach was just happy to get the win.

"I'm not thinking about the World Cup; I'm thinking about the Gold Cup," said coach Javier Aguirre. Mexico is in fourth place in the final round of qualifying leading up to the 2010 World Cup that will be held in south Africa.

The top three teams advance and the fourth place team with play the fifth place team from the South American region for a berth in South Africa next summer.

There was one problem for Mexico. One of their star strikers, Carlos Vela, hurt his leg and had to be carted off the field in the 10th minute.

This game ended a lot better then the last time the Tri-Colors and their fans invaded the McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, Ca. Mexico lost 1-0 to Sweden two month’s ago in Oakland and their fans lost their minds and started throwing beer, water and cups filled with piss onto the field.

Guadeloupe 2 Panama 1

In the first of two games that were played at the Coliseum Guadeloupe jumped out to a 2-0 before holding off Panama 2-1 in both teams opening round game of the 2009 Gold Cup. Guadeloupe got on the board in the 33rd minute when Loic Loval scored from six yards out.
Loval would figure in Guadeloupe’s next goal as well. A Loval pass led David Fleurival into open space where Fleurival blasted a 35-yard shot past an overmatched

Quakes get much needed win, best Real Salt Lake 2-1

After dropping six games in a row and not winning in nine, the Earthquakes got just what they needed Saturday with a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake.

San Jose got on the board first when new comer Cornell Glen introduced himself to the home fans by heading in a cross from the foot of Bobby Convey in the 53rd minute.

The Earthquakes added what proved to be the winning goal in the 63rd minute when Arturo Alvarez hit an absolutely beautiful blast from 25-yards out that made a bee line to the upper left corner of the goal.

The Quakes would give one back when Real's Robbie Findley beat Joe Cannon in the 80th minute. Cannon would save the game in stoppage time.

Yura Movsisyan tried to tie things up in the 92nd minute, but his shot that seemed headed into the top right corner of the goal was somehow tipped out by Cannon who needed all of his reach to get to the ball.

Earthquakes need a shake up, and fast

San Jose continued to struggle, losing on the road 3-1 against the former Quakes, now the Houston Dynamo. Houston was the last team San Jose beat, but that victory seems like it was last season.

This one was over early. Brian Ching scored in the 4th minute and Kei Kamara found the back of the net in the 12th. Doug Waibel added one more for Houston in the 51st minute and San Jose was 3-0.

The Earthquakes came off a 15-day lay off and it showed as they got off to the slow start. They will get back at it Wednesday night when San Jose plays at Columbus.

Playing right away after a bad loss can be good because the bad taste of the loss is still fresh and you have that extra edge to your game.

What the Earthquakes did right now is wins. They still have time to get back in the playoff race, but not much.

San Jose can't get past LA, tie 1-All

It started out great. Earthquakes defender Chris Leitch lofted a perfect 40-yard pass to forward Pablo Campos ahead of the defense, but onside's with only the Galaxy keeper to beat.

No problem. Campos flicked the ball past the overmatched goalie on San Jose was up 1-0 five minutes into the game. San Jose would have very few chances to score after that.

San Jose missed a couple of chance to put LA away in the first half,but they could not score. The best of these chances was when Arturo Alvarez worked the ball past the galaxy's keeper Donovan Ricketts in the 18th minute.

LA's defense swarmed Alvarez and he could not get a shot off. The Quakes offense went silent after that.

Los Angeles went into their game in Oakland still looking for their first win of the season and they left still winless, but happy to get a tie.

The Earthquakes have not fared well to start the season. They are now 1-2-2 and in 5th place, eight points behind first place Chivas USA in the Western Conference.

The Quakes have played four of their first five games at home and while they have not played bad they have given up leads in both their ties this year.

San Jose could not get anything going in the second half. Nothing came close to a shot as the Quakes offense kept getting bogged down in the middle of the field.

LA could not get much going, but the ball seemed to always be on the Quakes side of the field in the second half. San Jose's goal held up until the 76th minute when a Landon Donovan cross found the head of sub Bryan Jordan.

Jordan's header beat Quakes goalie Joe Cannon and the over 15,000 chanting fans that showed up on a beautiful Saturday evening went home thinking about what could have been. Photo's click here

Quakes bounce Houston 3-2

It did not take long for the San Jose Earthquakes to get a win, beating the old Quakes turned Houston Dynamo 3-2 before a sold out crowd at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara,

San Jose spotted Houston two goals before taking the lead before halftime. No scoring problems in this one for the Quakes. The three goal's was like an out burst for the league's lowest scoring team last season.

The game was moving right along as a zero, zero tie until a goal in the 30th minute by the Quakes Ryan Johnson set off a wild 15-minutes of scoring that ended with new forward Cam Weaver's goal just before the half time whistle gave San Jose the 3-2 lead that would be th final score of the game.

In between Johnson's goal and Weaver's game winner San Jose held then lost a two goal lead and just when it looked like Houston would head into the break with the momentum, Weaver came through for his new team.

The Quakes will now hit the road for the first time this year for a game at Kansas City before returning home to host Chicago April 11th at 1pm in Santa Clara and Los Angeles April 18th at the McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, Ca. Game time for that one is 7:30pm.

Earthquakes slip in first game of 2009

The fans came out and the Quakes did everything they could send the sell out crowd home happy, but try as they might the San Jose Earthquakes could not get the ball into the net, losing 1-0 on a goal by Kheli Dube in the 55th minute.

San Jose unveiled a new starting line up with Bobby Convey lining up at the front of the Quakes attack, but it did not produce any goals.

They came close a few times in the match. Arturo Alvarez and Darren Huckerby came close in the first half. An Alvarez run in the 25th minute led to a cross that was collected by Ryan Johnson.

His shot was off, but the deflection went to Huckerby about 15-yards in front of the goal. Darren's shot missed wide right. Alvarez was in the middle of things again in the 31st minute when his shot was too hot to handle by New England's keeper Matt Reis.

The rebound found the foot of new comer Cam Weaver and Weaver's shots found the cross bar. New England scored their goal when a Jeff Larentowicz centering pass was put home by Dube.

San Jose plays three of their first four at home and they will try to get their first win of the season when they entertain the old Earthquakes (now the Houston Dynamo) Saturday March 28th at 7:30pm.

Sweden top Mexico 1-0 in Oakland, Ca

Story by Steve Waterman

What started as a fiesta for Mexican fans outside the stadium, ended with them tossing beer at one another after watching their beloved Tri Colors go down in defeat to Sweden 1-nil.

It was not the result the over 46,000 fans that just about packed the McAfee Coliseum came out to watch wanted to see.

This was as close to scoring Mexico got and it was amazing the ball stayed out of the goal in the 17th minute. It is hard to win if you do not score.

Mexican defender Rafael Marquez strained a leg muscle while playing for Barcelona, raising doubt whether he will be able to play in next month's World Cup qualifier against the United States.