MLS San Jose Earthquakes

Earthquakes Weekly Update

February 7, 2011 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
San Jose Earthquakes News Release


Quakes Drop Preseason Opener Against Chivas USA, 1-0

The San Jose Earthquakes dropped their preseason opener against Chivas USA, 1-0, on Monday at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. Alan Gordon scored in the 18th minute of the second period after collecting a lobbed pass over the top of San Jose's defense and slamming it home. Quakes goalkeeper Andrew Weber got a hand to the shot and knocked it wide, but the ball caromed off the inside of the post and in. The Quakes and Chivas USA played three 35-minute periods. San Jose's starters held Chivas USA scoreless through the first 35 minutes and subbed off two minutes before Gordon's goal. The Quakes will return to action on Thursday at The Home Depot Center against the Los Angeles Galaxy.

MLS to Unveil 2011 Regular Season Schedule on Friday

Major League Soccer will announce the entire 2011 regular-season schedule on Friday, February 11. Like previous season's, the 2011 slate will feature a balanced schedule, with each team playing the others once at home and once away. With the addition of two new expansion clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps, each club will now play a total of 34 regular season matches. In 2010, teams' season schedules consisted of 30 matches. First Kick 2011 starts on Tuesday, March 15, with the nationally televised match between the Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy (6:30 p.m. PT, ESPN). The San Jose Earthquakes open their season on March 19 against Real Salt Lake at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (7:30 p.m. PT) for the second straight year.

Wondo's Golden Boot Tour Begins in Danville

Wondo's Golden Boot Tour will be begin in Chris Wondolowski's hometown of Danville from 3 - 4 p.m. PT on Sunday, Feb. 13 at Norm's Bar and Grill. The San Jose Earthquakes Front Office will take Wondo on a celebratory tour around the Bay Area during the weeks leading up to the team's home opener against Real Salt Lake on March 19 at Buck Shaw Stadium. Wondo, a graduate of De La Salle High School, will participate in a question-and-answer session, sign autographs and pose for pictures with fans during the event on Sunday. Additional stops on the tour will be announced at a later date. In 2010, Wondo led the league with 18 goals during the regular season and finished third in MLS MVP voting.

AT&T MLS All-Star Game Heading to the Big Apple

Major League Soccer announced last week that New York's Red Bull Arena would host the 2011 AT&T MLS All-Star Game on July 27. The opponent will be named before March 2. Last year, San Jose's Bobby Convey played for the MLS All-Stars in a 5-2 loss against English Premier League side Manchester United at Houston's Reliant Stadium on July 28.

Quakes Preseason Notes

The San Jose Earthquakes arrived in Ventura, Calif. on Sunday and will stay in Southern California through Friday, Feb. 11. While in the Ventura area, San Jose will train at the Oxnard College Soccer Complex and play three exhibition games. The Quakes will face Chivas USA on Monday, the Los Angeles Galaxy on Thursday and Premier Developmental League side Ventura County Fusion on Friday, Feb. 11. The Earthquakes will then return home to continue their preseason training from Saturday, Feb. 12 through Wednesday, Feb. 16. After a brief stay in the Bay Area, the team will travel across the pond to London to practice at club partner Tottenham Hotspur's training ground from Thursday, Feb. 17 until Sunday, Feb. 27.The Quakes are working to finalize details for matches during that trip. The Quakes continue their busy preseason in San Jose from February 28 through February 3 before ravelling to Cal Poly for an exhibition with the defending MLS Cup Champion Colorado Rapids on March 4. San Jose will then return to the Bay Area to complete its preseason training.

Earthquakes Preseason Schedule

Jan. 27 - Feb. 5: Preseason Camp Opens in San Jose, Calif.

Feb. 6 - Feb. 11: Travel and train in Ventura, Calif.

- Exhibition: San Jose vs. Chivas USA (Monday, Feb. 7, The Home Depot Center, Field 6)

- Exhibition: San Jose vs. LA Galaxy (Thursday, Feb. 10, The Home Depot Center, University Field)

- Exhibition: San Jose vs. Ventura County Fusion (Friday, Feb. 11)

Feb. 12 - Feb. 16: Train in San Jose, Calif.

Feb. 17 - Feb. 27: Travel and train in London, England

Feb. 28 - March 18: Train in San Jose, Calif.

March 4 - March 5: Exhibition: San Jose vs. Colorado Rapids, Alex G. Spanos Stadium at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, Calif. (March 4)

March 6 - March 18: Train in San Jose, Calif.

Convey Honored in Philadelphia

Earthquakes midfielder and Philadelphia native Bobby Convey will be honored at the Philadelphia Sports Writer's Association (PSWA) Native Son Award Winner as the PSWA Banquet tonight, Monday, Jan. 31. Convey will be honored alongside other award winners such as Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay, outfielder Shane Victorino, 76ers power forward Elton Brand, amongst other notable Philadelphia sports figures. Convey posted a career high in 2010 with 10 assists and was instrumental in San Jose's return to the MLS Cup Playoffs. He also scored two goals and notched an assist in the Quakes thrilling 3-1 upset win over New York Red Bulls in the second leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. For more information, click here.

Quakes Sign Donatelli

The San Jose Earthquakes announced last week that they have signed midfielder Tony Donatelli. Per league and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Glenside, Penn. native has played in the USL First Division with both the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps during his professional career. He was part of two championship teams, in 2006 with Vancouver and 2009 with Montreal, and was a teammate of current Quakes midfielder Joey Gjertsen at both stops. Donatelli most recently played with the Montreal Impact from the middle of 2008 through 2010. He helped the team to the USL Championship in 2009, and the semi-finals in 2008 and 2010. Donatelli appeared in 27 games for the USL Champion Impact in 2009, scoring two goals and notching three assists. In his five years in the USL First Division and USSF Division 2, Donatelli made 134 appearances, 84 of which were starts. He scored 19 goals with 12 assists.

San Jose Lands GK Bingham in Weighted Lottery

The San Jose Earthquakes announced last week 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. 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.

Quakes Academy Update

The Earthquakes U-18 Academy team finished the first half of their inaugural season 3-3-3 while the U-16 squad was 1-6-2. Both sides kick off the 2011 portion of their seasons on Saturday, March 5, when they take on Arsenal FC in Temecula, Calif. For full information on the U-18's, including the roster and schedule, click here. For the U-16's, the same information can be found here.

Four Quakes Academy Players in Nor Cal Top 20 Rankings

Four players from the Earthquakes Academy have been named to the Northern California and Hawaii Top 20 rankings. Travis Pillon highlights this group, coming in at number two for the Class of 2013. Juan Guerrero is ranked seventh for the Class of 2011, Samuel Engs is ranked 15th for the Class of 2012 and Nick Lima is 19th in the Class of 2013 rankings.

Mexico to Face Paraguay

The San Jose Earthquakes, Soccer United Marketing (SUM) and the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF) announced that the Mexican National Team will face Paraguay on Saturday, March 26 at 2 p.m. PT at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. This Bay Area stop is part of Mexico's 2011 U.S. Tour. An exclusive pre-sale for San Jose Earthquakes season ticket holders and other special groups began last Friday, January 14 at 10 a.m. PT and those fans can get tickets by calling the Earthquakes at 408-556-7700. For group tickets or suites, please contact the Earthquakes Front Office. Tickets for the general public will go on sale on Friday, Jan. 21 at 10 a.m. PT by visiting www.Tickets.com, by calling 800-225-2277 or visiting the usual tienda locations. A special two-pack that includes a ticket to the Mexico-Paraguay game and a voucher for a ticket to an Earthquakes game can be purchased for as low as $30. To purchase the two-pack, fans should call 408-556-7700. Tickets for the general public will go on sale on Friday, Jan. 21 at 10 a.m. PT by visiting www.Tickets.com, by calling 800-225-2277 or visiting the usual tienda locations. A special two-pack that includes a ticket to the Mexico-Paraguay game and a voucher for a ticket to an Earthquakes game can be purchased for as low as $30. To purchase the two-pack, fans should call 408-556-7700.

Quakes Face RSL in Home Opener

The San Jose Earthquakes will open the 2011 season at home on Saturday, March 19 against Real Salt Lake at Buck Shaw Stadium at 7:30 p.m. PT. The Quakes play RSL at home to open the season for the second straight year. San Jose looks to improve on their 2010 campaign that saw the Quakes reach the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2005. The Earthquakes finished 2010 with a 13-10-7 record and reached the Eastern Conference Championship after knocking out the first-seeded New York Red Bulls in the opening round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The Earthquakes began their 2010 slate at home with Real Salt Lake on March 27, falling 3-0.

2011 Season Tickets on Sale Now

Season tickets for 2011 are now on sale and fans can log on to 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.

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