MLS San Jose Earthquakes

Earthquakes Weekly

Published on February 17, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
San Jose Earthquakes News Release


This Week

The Earthquakes return to the Bay Area this week for training after sweeping two games over the weekend in San Luis Obispo at the MLS Central Coast Showcase. The Quakes train for three days in the South Bay before heading to Fresno to take on the Fresno Fuego for the first time in team history on Friday, Feb. 20 at Chukchansi Park. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. PT. The Quakes travel to Fresno on Thursday afternoon and will return to the Bay Area on Friday after the game. For more information about the match or to purchase tickets go to fresnofuego.com.

Earthquakes Schedule for the Week of 02/17/09 Tuesday, Feb. 17 - 10:00 a.m. PT - Training at Santa Clara

Wednesday, Feb. 18 - Training at Santa Clara Thursday, Feb. 19 - 10:00 a.m. PT - Training at location TBD Friday, Feb. 20 - 7:30 p.m. PT - Earthquakes at Fresno Fuego at Chukchansi Park Saturday, Feb. 21 - TBD Sunday, Feb. 22 - TBD

Misc. Notes

Quakes Sweep Two at Cal Poly

The Earthquakes got their preseason started on the right foot over the weekend with a pair of victories at the MLS Central Coast Showcase on the campus of Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. San Jose knocked off Seattle Sounders FC 3-2 on Friday, Feb. 13 with two first-half goals from Ryan Johnson and the game-winner from Quincy Amarikwa early in the second half. The Quakes followed that victory with a 2-0 shutout win over the Houston Dynamo on Feb. 15. Ryan Johnson and Cam Weaver scored goals seven minutes apart in the second half for the win, while Joe Cannon earned the shutout. Both games were played at Alex G. Spanos Stadium at Cal Poly.

Earthquakes Sign U.S. International Bobby Convey

The San Jose Earthquakes announced last week that the team signed United States National Team midfielder Bobby Convey. Per league and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. The Earthquakes used their position at the top of the allocation rankings to sign Convey. The team now drops to the bottom of the allocation rankings. Convey, 25, makes his return stateside after a four-and-a-half year stint with English Club, Reading F.C. During his time with the club, Convey saw action in both the Football League Championship and the English Premier League, tallying eight goals in 112 appearances. The U.S. National player was an integral part of the 2005-06 Reading squad that won the Football League Championship to earn promotion to the Premiership for the first time in team history. The Philadelphia native has 46 caps for the United States National Team and has scored one goal. His strong play for the national team in qualifying and in 2006 earned him a spot on the 2006 World Cup team, and he appeared in all three of the matches for the United States in Germany. In 2000, Convey was drafted 12th overall by D.C. United, making him the youngest player, at the age of 16, to become a member of Major League Soccer at the time. His signing paved the way for future youngsters in MLS, including Santino Quaranta and Freddy Adu at D.C. United. He made an immediate impact in his rookie campaign, appearing in 22 games and starting 18, while notching two assists. Overall, he played parts of five seasons with D.C. United, scoring eight goals and notching 16 assists in 89 appearances. He left D.C. in 2004 to sign with Reading.

Quakes Re-sign Joe Cannon

The San Jose Earthquakes have signed goalkeeper Joe Cannon to a new multi-year contract. Per league and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Cannon, 34, finished the 2008 season as one of the top goalkeepers in the league. As the only Quake to play every minute of every game, Cannon finished as the league leader in saves with 124 and had nine shutouts on the season. His nine shutouts placed him fourth in MLS in that category. During the 2008 season, he recorded the 1,000th save of his MLS career, while also moving back into first place all-time in club history in shutouts. He now has 35 shutouts as a member of the Quakes.

The former Santa Clara University standout finished the year with 11,961 minutes played with 131 starts, both good for fourth all-time in Quakes history. For his career, Cannon has been one of the top goalkeepers in MLS history since his first season in 1999. He has played for San Jose, the Colorado Rapids and the Los Angeles Galaxy in his career, twice earning MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors. A three-time all-star, he now ranks among the league-leaders all-time in a number of goalkeeping statistical categories. He has posted 65 career shutouts for second all-time. He is third all-time in games played in goal (246), games started in goal (245), minutes played in goal (22,155) and saves (1,026). His goals against average of 1.30 ranks seventh all-time, while his 92 wins place him fifth in MLS history.

Earthquakes Sign Goalkeeper Andrew Weber

The San Jose Earthquakes signed goalkeeper Andrew Weber to a multi-year contract last week. He will be added to the team's official roster upon the receipt of his ITC. Per league and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. The 6-2 goalkeeper played with the Montreal Impact of the United Soccer League First Division from 2006-08 and made 29 regular season appearances with the club. In 2008, his last season with Montreal, he appeared in five regular season matches and one CONCACAF Champions League match. During his first two years with the Impact, he played in 24 matches and posted a 12-4-8 record with 10 shutouts, while posting a 0.72 goals against average.

Earthquakes to Play Two Preseason Games at Buck Shaw Stadium

The San Jose Earthquakes will play two preseason games at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara. The Quakes will face the Colorado Rapids on Friday, February 27 at 7:30 pm PT, and will play the USL First Division Portland Timbers on Saturday, March 14 at 7:30 p.m. PT. Season ticket holders can attend these matches free of charge; they may also pick up their Darren Huckerby bobble head at either of these two games. Tickets for both matches are now on sale and can be purchased by calling 1-800-225-2277 or online at sjearthquakes.com. All tickets are general admission and the ticket price for non-season ticket holders is $10.

Preseason Schedule

The San Jose Earthquakes have played two of their nine scheduled preseason matches so far, earning wins over Seattle Sounders FC and the Houston Dynamo. Ryan Johnson leads the team in goals in preseason with three in the first two matches. Below is the team's full preseason schedule:

Feb. 13 - Earthquakes def. Seattle Sounders 3-2 at MLS Central Coast Showcase in San Luis Obispo (Johnson - 2, Amarikwa)

Feb. 15 - Earthquakes def. Houston Dynamo 2-0 at MLS Central Coast Showcase in San Luis Obispo (Johnson, Weaver)

Feb. 20 - Earthquakes vs. Fresno Fuego at 7:00 p.m. PT at Chukchansi Park in Fresno.

Feb. 25 - Earthquakes vs. Cal-Berkeley at 2:30 p.m. at California.

Feb. 27 - Earthquakes vs. Colorado Rapids at 7:30 p.m. at Buck Shaw Stadium

March 2 - Earthquakes vs. Colorado Rapids at 10:00 a.m. at Loyola Marymount University.

March 4 - Earthquakes vs. Chivas USA at 10:30 a.m. at The Home Depot Center.

March 11 - Earthquakes vs. Cal-Berkeley at 2:00 p.m. at California.

March 14 - Earthquakes vs. Portland Timbers at 7:30 p.m. at Buck Shaw Stadium

Earthquakes Announce Schedule Change

The San Jose Earthquakes announced last week a change to the 2009 regular season Major League Soccer schedule. The game against the Kansas City Wizards originally scheduled for Saturday, April 4 at 7:30 p.m. PT at Community America Ballpark has been moved to Sunday, April 5 at 12:00 p.m. PT. To view the full 2009 schedule, please click here http://web.mlsnet.com/schedule/scoreboard/season.jsp?team=t110

Earthquakes Partner With East Side Union High School District to Support Athletic Programs

The San Jose Earthquakes have created a new program in an effort to help save the interscholastic sports program at the East Side Union High School District (ESUHSD). Currently, there is a proposal to eliminate sports at the East Side Union High School District as part of a plan to cut costs and balance the budget, which would mean that 11 high schools in this district may not be able to continue playing athletics in 2009. The Earthquakes have partnered with the district on a program that will allow companies and organizations to support athletics at the high schools in ESUHSD. Companies can make a donation to the San Jose Earthquakes Community Fund and 50 percent of their donation will go directly to funding for athletics in ESUHSD. The other 50 percent will be used to bring underprivileged children to Earthquakes games as part of the Earthquakes Kicks for Kids program. Sponsors of this package receive a variety of valuable benefits, including recognition in the stadium, the Free Kick magazine and the Earthquakes official website.

San Jose Earthquakes Individual Tickets on Sale Now

Individual tickets for all 2009 San Jose Earthquakes home games are now on sale. Tickets for the much anticipated 2009 campaign are available online at sjearthquakes.com or by calling (800) 225-2277. Prices range from $20-$70 per ticket.

Season Tickets on Sale Now

Season tickets are on sale now for the 2009 Earthquakes season. The season-ticket package consists of 17 games, 15 regular season matches and two bonus matches. Prices begin at $306 and all packages offer significant savings off the regular price. Season ticket holders will also receive the following benefits: invitations to private Season Ticket Holder events, ability to purchase a season parking pass; Darren Huckerby Bobblehead and first priority for playoff tickets and all international games, along with a number of other benefits. To purchase season tickets, call 408-556-7700 or log on to sjearthquakes.com.

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Major League Soccer Stories from February 17, 2009


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