Hey there! It is good to be back! I hope that everyone is doing well and that life is treating ya’ll well!

I decided that I needed to make a few changes to the blog, something small. I am taking a page out of my boy Julian Valentine’s book and going to apply some order here. I am going to try and break my blog down into sections like he does. Like so; 1-On the field

2-Off the field,

3-random, whatever comes to mind. Hopefully that will make it a little easier to follow. Enjoy

Things have not been as I would have liked them to be lately, but again how often are things really like you want them or plan them out to be. Life got in the way again and knocked me for a little loop. What I am referring to is that I have been, and still am, under the weather. Even though I have been struggling off the field with my health and all, the team has continued to take care of business on the field. We won our first piece of hardware for the year, by beating Houston in the Superliga Final. I unfortunately was not able to even make it to the game because of my illness, but am so proud of the boys for their work in the hard fought final. After regular time the game remained tied at 2-2. After two scoreless extra periods, we finally clinched the game and the Superliga championship on penalty kicks. The team took a little slide after that big win. We ended up losing to the Chicago Fire 2-1 in a very disappointing game for us, and we just recently lost to DC United in the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. We have a real busy schedule coming up here over the next few weeks, so I am going to try and get healthy so I might be able to play a little bit. With the shoulder problem and the sickness it seems like I have not played in ages, so I am dying to get back out there on a regular basis again.

I love music! I am mainly a country music man, but I really love and appreciate it all! It definitely speaks to me. One of the up sides about playing in Gillette is the extra curricular activities, like concerts and other games, that come that we usually get to enjoy. I had the opportunity to enjoy Country Fest and Bruce Springsteen the other week. Both were great, but I bet you can guess which one I enjoyed the most. A bunch of friends and I packed my big ole’ truck up with all the necessities for a tailgate and went to the stadium early to partake in some of the festivities before the concert. I feel at times that I can stick out like a sore thumb being from the south and all, but I fit right in at Country Fest. I tell you what, it was great, a whole day of being and doing country! You really do not find too much country music up this way. In North Carolina every other station is a country channel, whereas I think there might only be one up this way. But sometimes I hear something and it touches me, or it reminds me of what I believe and stand for. These are a couple of new artists I recently discovered, their music and lyrics spoke to me, so I wanted to share it with ya’ll, for whatever it was worth.

“I aint a star. I’m nothing like (Clint Dempsey or Kaka)- I got a funny sounding name and I don’t wanna be famous, I don’t make a lot of change. My heart has been changed, I just wanna know Jesus man! To make it plain I got a message penetrating my soul, it is the message that the Father gives me generating my soul. The credit aint ours, its all His! “Amen—The Christian Rap singer Lecrae

“This song is for everybody to know whether you are from a small town, the hood, the big city, it don’t matter. Everybody’s got their dreams they wanna follow, some people are ashamed where they’re from, they don’t know where they are suppose to be. Everybody find your place in life, be proud of who you are, don’t let nothing hold you back.”

—Country singer Colt Ford

Hope ya’ll enjoyed the blog this week! Please keep the questions coming, the more the merrier! Ya’ll have a good week, take care and God bless! Until next time, be easy!

-Wells

1. Hey Wells, do you go into Boston often? Have any favorite hotspots? Good luck for the rest of the season!

-Troy S

-Troy, what’s up man, thanks for the question. I do not go into Boston as much as I would like. I try to get in every Sunday, if my schedule permits, to attend service at Park Street Baptist Church. I live in Wrentham, right near the stadium, so going into the city can sometimes be more of a hassle than I would like. Traffic isn’t always good, I drive a big truck and have a hard time parking in the city (It doesn’t fit in parking garages either), not too mention my truck guzzles gas, so all those annoyances keep me away from the city. To tell you the truth as well, I am not much of a city boy. I am quite content hanging around Wrentham, fishing on the lake and keeping busy around those parts, so it doesn’t really bother me too much I don’t make it in much. If I want to go out though there isn’t much open past 12 around Wrentham so I do like to get into Boston to mix it up occasionally. Been to Whiskeys a few times, Joshua Tree, McFaddens. Don’t necessarily have a favorite place, as long as the beers flowing, there are some women, and the people are nice, I’d like it there!

2. Wells, I’m always interested in players pre-game preparations, do you have any pre-game rituals or traditions?

-Craig F

Appreciate the Question Craig, that’s a good one! I have had bunches of rituals over the years. Many were normal, like eating a good pre-game meal and hydrating throughout the day and things of that sort, but I have to admit I have had some crazy ones over the years.  The older I have gotten though, the more I have tried to rid myself and my routine of those types of things. I found myself at times before games a wreck because I was trying to get everything right, if I did not get things right I would almost be consumed with that and I felt it affected my performance. That being said I do have a few things I still do besides the normal. I have and still use the same shin guard sleeves from college. Even though they are all tattered and probably don’t smell the best, I still hang on to them. I re-tie my shoes during warm-ups. I also make sure I kneel down and pray in front of my locker before I head to the field before game time. With me, a lot depends on how I am playing and how the team is doing at the time. I find that I pick up and drop little superstitions throughout the year depending on how things are going. Like I said though, I feel it mentally taxes me too much sometimes, so I hope to get rid of all of them soon.

3. Wells, Karvonen here…So glad to see your blog, keep up the good work buddy! hoping the shoulder heals quickly. Other than outside middy, what other positions did you excel at….oh and what about hockey, a little birdy told me you were quite the scrapper on the ice..any comments on that???

-Chris, what’s up man, great hearing from you and appreciate your support and comments! Growing up I played a little bit of forward but mostly center midfield my whole life until college. College was when I made the transition to outside midfield. I was not happy at the time about the move. I thought and still think central midfield is the best position on the field, but I have grown to appreciate and enjoy being on the outside now.                                                                                                                                                                                          I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed a playing hockey as a little guy. A lot of people do not think about kids playing hockey from North Carolina. But we were quite good, even competed in Lake Placid a few times. Hockey was by no means my best sport, but I loved the action. I loved the physical nature of the game. If you talked to some of my former teammates they would probably tell you I spent more time in the penalty box than on the ice. It might have been true, I loved the physical nature so much I tended to get a little out of hand at times. I no doubt think that my soccer game reveals some hockey nature in it. I also believe that my experience with hockey and the skills required there helped my soccer game and translated onto the pitch. I always encourage parents to push their kids to play as many sports as their kids want to. I think it only helps kids develop skills they did not already have and also nourish those skills that they already might possess. 

-Wells

Do you have a question or comment for Wells? email them to Wells@americansoccerreader.com

Don’t forget to sign up for American Soccer Reader’s exclusive BPL Fantasy League. It’s your chance to match your managerial skills against Wells and the rest of the ASR staff, along with fellow readers! The winner will receive an English Premier League or Major League Soccer replica jersey of their choice! AND a one year subscription to MLSLive.tv, so you’ll be able to catch all the MLS action. Click here for more details on how to signup!

The New England Revolution defeated Mexico’s Atlante FC and survived a post-match melee on Wednesday night to move on to this year’s SuperLiga final against a familiar rival, the Houston Dynamo. This will be the third time the clubs have met in a final in just under two years, the previous two encounters having ended in Houston’s favor. But this could be the one for the Revs.

The Revs are undefeated in SuperLiga, the only team in the entire tournament with such bragging rights. And while Houston isn’t far behind with one loss, the teams’ MLS records paint a more vivid picture. Houston is 6-4-8 and New England is a telling 10-4-3. Not to mention, the Revs thumped the Orange 5-0 in this season’s 2-game series.

Personnel-wise, it’s not quite clear which team has the advantage. As the Revolution’s injury list is finally shrinking, Houston has added Richard Mulrooney and Eddie Robinson to theirs. Both teams also have players in Beijing (New England’s Michael Parkhurst and Houston’s Patrick Ianni and Stuart Holden). But with Jay Heaps suspended, the Revs are presented with a few question marks. Jeff Larentowicz has already slid into the center back position with Parkhurst gone. Who will join him in the makeshift back line? Perhaps the recovering Pat Phelan. Will Steve Nicol continue to employ the 4-4-2? Can Larentowicz step up and communicate and organize as well as his missing teammates? And who will keep on a sometimes spacey Amaechi Igwe, if not Heaps?

Another big factor to be considered; this is a home game for New England. Home fans, no travel, and almost a week between games. The Dynamo, on the other hand, had an MLS match-up Saturday night and now must travel the almost 2,000 miles to Massachusetts for the Tuesday night SuperLiga final.

My prediction? 2-1 New England. The past two meetings have been fast-paced and have seen many scoring opportunities for both teams. If the Revs can continue to capitalize on the speed of Sainey Nyassi and Mauricio Castro on the wings, and the patchwork defense can hold it together, they might just take the SuperLiga title.

According to Soccer y Futbol, Houston Dynamo have made several contract offers to former Forward Nate Jaqua, and expect to complete the transfer soon. Jaqua made the move to Austria side SCR Altach last season and has made 10 appearances, scoring 5 times. The 26 year old has played for 5 MLS clubs and has 3 caps with the United States Mens National Team. What do you think of Jaqua’s return? 

The crosses and chances were there for the Rapids against the Houston Dynamo Saturday night, but the finishing was not. It was a game of missed opportunities for the Rapids, as only one of the team’s 15 shots were on target. While 0-0 draw moved the Rapids into a tie for fifth in the Western Conference, head coach Fernando Clavijo knew his team had squandered a golden opportunity.

“We had five or six very good chances that we didn’t finish,” Clavijo said after the match. “We need more production from different players.”


One player that may see his playing time decreased is Jamaican striker Omar Cummings. Cummings, who has started ten games for the Rapids this season, is likely to get demoted in favor of Conor Casey, who seems to have recovered from a knee injury that left him sidelined for the first two months of the season. Cummings had at least five headers at net against the Dynamo, however, none of them were put on net.


Clavijo mentioned that while Cummings is trying his hardest, the results just aren’t there.


“Omar is working hard, but you need to finish. A striker is measured by his goals,” said Clavijo, who also complimented Casey’s workrate inhis twenty minutes of play.


Look for Casey to start alongside Scotish attacker Tom McManus against the Crew next week. Despite Casey’s return to full strength, the injury bug once again bit the Rapids as midfielders Jacob Peterson and Christian Gomez were taken out due to injury. Peterson was taken out after suffering a knee inury due to a yellow card tackle by Houston defender Craig Waibel, while Gomez was taken out minutes into the second half with an apparent leg injury.


Clavijo felt the referees could have done more to protect the players.


“Gomez was a marked man. I thought the officials were meant to protect skill players, that did not happen in today’s match,” Clavijo said.


While the finishing at the offensive end was below par, the defense at the back played well. Despite only having three defenders at the back, the Rapids had few mistakes during the game. U.S. national team midfielder Pablo Mastroeni looked very comfortable anchoring the back three, where he was accompianed by Ugo Ihemelu and Facundo Erpen. Clavijo called the three, “the best three defenders in the league.”


Wingers Colin Clark and Terry Cook both provided crosses into the box, while a 89th minute header by Clark hit the woodwork and bounced harmlessly away. Expect Cook to return to the starting lineup after Peterson’s injury. The Rapids next take the pitch against the Columbus Crew at Crew Stadium on Saturday night.

The New England Revolution heads south this week for their ESPN Primetime Thursday match-up against the Houston Dynamo. Both teams find themselves at the top of their conferences, but missing familiar faces during Week 12 for World Cup qualifiers.

When the Dynamo last met the Revolution at Gillette Stadium in March, their 2007 MLS Cup victory provided little comfort for the 3-0 beating they took. Significant changes in the Revs’ starting XI had taken place, and though coach Steve Nicol was confident in his men, the home fans were able to breathe a collective sigh of relief by the 15th minute. Sainey Nyassi’s combination of speed and stepovers saw him up the right flank, his through ball connecting with fellow Gambian Kenny Mansally and then captain Steve Ralston for the finish. It was a showcase of just how potent the youth and veteran combination could be for New England.

Houston goalkeeper Pat Onstad was certainly feeling the heat, despite the New England winter weather. He managed to block Jeff Larentowicz’s signature rocket shot off a quick restart, only to have Adam Cristman head the rebound home in the 32nd minute, denied Cristman later on a 1-on-1, and allowed Sainey Nyassi’s Week 1 Goal of the Week in stoppage time.

To be fair, the Orange took a similar 13 shots (5 of which were on goal); however, only one of which managed to make the FSC highlight reel. It was a Stuart Holden header off a cross from Brian Mullan, which Matt Reis’s diving save cleared.

A few notes:
- Being the first game of the season, Houston probably didn’t know what to expect from the new faces on the New England squad. The Revs have never been known for their speed, but this year’s youth have certainly brought just that. Given that this is now mid-season, expect the Dynamo to be a little more prepared.
- Also, the weather had to be tough for Houston. It was easily 30° warmer on the other side of that plane ride in March. Lucky(?) for the Revs, they had a few days of 100+° weather to acclimate to before their departure.

So back to Week 12. The injury report and list of international absences reads more like a team roster; there’s a whole side in there! For Houston, Wade Barrett is questionable with an adductor strain, and forward Brian Ching, withdrawn forward Dwayne De Rosario, and goalkeeper Pat Onstad are all away on national team duty. Good news for the Revs. Bad news for the Revs? Kenny Mansally, Shalrie Joseph, and Khano Smith are also gone for World Cup qualifiers. And Gary Flood, who has filled the hole left by Larentowicz on occasion, is listed as doubtful with an ankle sprain. Joseph’s absence is huge, and it will be interesting to see how the team adjusts.

My prediction? Houston was off to a slow start, but seems to have found a formula that works. That said, they’re missing three of the largest components. New England is on a five-game unbeaten streak and has never lost to Houston during the regular season. To me, this game is a test of Steve Nicol’s favorite word this season: Depth. 1-0 New England.

The 2008 Superliga schedule was officially announced Thursday afternoon and is as follows:
SuperLiga™ 2008 Schedule*?(All Times Eastern) / * Subject to change

Saturday, July 12

D.C. United vs. CD Guadalajara (RFK Stadium – Washington D.C.) 20:00

Houston Dynamo vs. Atlante (Robertson Stadium – Houston, TX) 22:00

Sunday, July 13

NE Revolution vs. Santos (Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, MA) 20:00

Chivas USA vs. Pachuca CF (Home Depot Center – Carson, CA) 22:00

Tuesday, July 15

D.C. United vs. Atlante (RFK Stadium – Washington D.C.) 20:00

Houston Dynamo vs. CD Guadalajara (Robertson Stadium – Houston, TX) 22:00

Wednesday, July 16

NE Revolution vs. Pachuca CF (Gillette Stadium – Foxborough, MA) 20:00

Chivas USA vs. Santos (Home Depot Center – Carson, CA) 22:00

Saturday, July 19

D.C. United vs. Houston Dynamo (RFK Stadium – Washington D.C.) 20:00

Atlante vs. CD Guadalajara (Buck Shaw – Santa Clara, CA) 22:00

Sunday, July 20

Chivas USA vs. NE Revolution (Venue TBD – Los Angeles, CA) 20:00

Santos vs. Pachuca CF (Pizza Hut Park – Frisco, TX) 22:00

Tuesday, July 29 - Semifinal 1 (Location TBD)

Wednesday, July 30 - Semifinal 2 (Location TBD)

Tuesday, August 5 - Final (Location TBD)

Hello Fans!

Well it definitely has not been the best couple of weeks for the team.  Two losses, and on top of that an embarrassing loss at home (I won’t try to sugar coat it).  Needless to say, all of us are not pleased with the past two results.  Obviously the Chicago game was a rough one for all who were involved, be it a fan or a player.  I am not going to sit here and try to make excuses for our poor performance.  I don’t think there was one person on the field who was the least bit pleased with their performance that game, and how could any of us have been pleased.  In a game that was talked about for a while (and blown a bit out of proportion by some fans and media) we simply did not show up.  Plain and simple!  A loss at home is always tough to swallow, but be it against a rival and a butt whooping…I can’t think of a worse case scenario.  About the only thing you want to do after that game is forget about it.  There are clearly many things we can take from that game; mistakes we made and lack of concentration.  However, at the end of the day every guy on the team knows that performance was terrible and we have to do much, much better.  So we have to put it in the past, and make sure that we do not have a repeat performance.

Last week we were in Houston, a place that especially in June, is not a very fun place to play at.  It was another hot and humid night, and even though Houston was missing some key players, they were still able to field a solid team capable of getting a result.  Although we were missing some key players ourselves (JP, Dave, and Claudio), we still had plenty of experience and talented players on the field to at least grab a point from that game.  It was not the prettiest of games, but it was a game that we were definitely in a good position to get at least a point.  We had talked all week about how Houston’s main strengths are their competitiveness and their set pieces.  Needless to say, conceding a goal on a play that we discussed during the week in practice was frustrating.  Give credit to them, they were aware of us turning our backs, and quickly put the ball back in play.  Next thing we know, the ball is in the back of our net and we find ourselves down 1-0.  Like I said earlier, I am not going to try and sugar coat or make excuses for why we lacked concentration at that particular moment.  We, as a team, simply have to do better and limit the small mental mistakes that we are making, and costing us precious points.  

Tomorrows game presents us with another good challenge against a team who is having their troubles with injuries, but have got great results in their past few games.  Having said that, I believe that we have more then enough experience, speed, and skill to win this game.  We just need to do a better job of possessing the ball; knowing the right times to attack, and the right times when maybe it is not on to go forward right away and just keep the ball.  I think sometimes we try and force the ball forward to quickly right after we have won it from our opposition.  More times then not, the opposition is most vulnerable when the ball is first turned over (because they have committed numbers forward and some players may be caught out of position).  However, sometimes it is simply not on.  You may not have the lane to pass the ball, or there may not be enough players forward to take advantage of the other team.  Soccer is a balancing act of patience (keeping possession) and urgency (knowing when to attack the opponent at speed).  If we can do a better job of balancing the two, I think we will find ourselves back in the win column.

On a lighter note, I would like to send a big CONGRATULATIONS to Dave Van Den Bergh and his wife for the birth of their new baby boy, Max.  Both Dave’s wife and son are healthy and doing great.  I know they are both happy and relieved that it is over with.  Although, you can already tell that Dave is not getting as much sleep as he was.  Guess that goes with the territory!  

Well, I really hope to see you guys out at the game tomorrow.  I know it is a weekday and many of you work, but we really do appreciate all of your support and we are eager to show you that our last two games are behind us and we are back to our winning ways!

As always, here are some of your questions:

Hello Hunter, what positions do you think need most strengthening in  

the RBNY squad? I know the popular opinion among fans would be Left  

footed defender, and center attacking mid, would you agree?

-Melanie K

Melanie,

It is no secret that the positions we are probably the thinnest at would be left footed defender, left footed midfielder, and now with the move of Jozy I would say forward.  Those are three areas that I would think are possibilities for us to improve in during the upcoming transfer window.

Hunter, who’s your pick to win the upcoming Euro 2008 tournament? Have

a dark horse pick?

-Steven J

Steve, 

My favorite to win would be Italy…and dark horse, the Swiss.

Hey Hunter, there are lots of rumors about Jozy slacking in training  

a little bit, what is your opinion? Think he’s doing alright?

-John K

John, 

Well needless to say, I think if you have been reading anything on the Internet today you have seen that Jozy has been sold to Villarreal.  Needless to say, he will not be with us much longer and I only wish him the best.  Definitely a dream come true, and I am excited for him.

Hunter, do you ever play pickup games on the side for fun? or are you  

a little sick of soccer during your off time?

-Carey F

Carey,

I don’t usually play soccer in my off time.  I get quite a bit of soccer in every other day!  Although, I have been known to play soccer tennis with my friends occasionally.  That’s as close as I get to playing soccer in my off time.

  Do you have any questions, comments, mixtapes or anything else to say to Hunter? Send them to Hunter@americansoccerreader.com  

Following a 5-1 loss to Chicago last Sunday, the New York Red Bulls head to Houston to face-off against the Dynamo. After having their five game unbeaten streak snapped in embarrassing fashion, New York will be looking to take advantage of a significantly weakened Houston side that will be missing numerous significant players. Star midfielder Dewayne DeRosario and goalkeeper Pat Onstad will be away on international duty with Canada as they play Brazil, and defender Eddie Robinson faces a one game suspension after picking up two yellow cards in Houston’s 2-2 draw with FC Dallas on Wednesday. The Dynamo, sitting on eleven points after ten matches, lie in fifth place in the Western conference, although they are only three points behind first place Los Angeles. 

There is no doubt that New York will be looking to improve defensively after surrendering five goals to Chicago, and will certainly be aided by the return of midfielder Seth Stammler from injury. Stammler’s tenacious tackling and ball-winning prowess was certainly missed last Sunday. Talking about Chicago midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco, Claudio Reyna said, “Without blaming anyone, every time I turned around I couldn’t believe how much time he had. Juan (Pablo Angel) and I sat at halftime and said we never have time like that. He just seemed to be running into spaces and didn’t really know why he was so open at time. Pace isn’t his thing and he was getting wide open on the ball.” Stammler is excellent at closing out passing lanes and establishing control of the midfield, while also providing support to the backline. 

Two notable absences will be Claudio Reyna, who will not make the trip west due to a hamstring injury, and midfielder Dave Van den Bergh. Van den Bergh will miss his second consecutive game, as his wife is scheduled to give birth to the couple’s second child in the coming days. 

Another intriguing combination to keep an eye on is the Red Bull’s strike force, which has struggled to establish itself this season. The duo of Juan Pablo Angel and Jozy Altidore was predicted to be one of the most prolific goal-scoring pairs in recent MLS history, but early injuries have plugged up the expected deluge of goals. Juan Pablo Angel has suffered from an underwhelming offensive supporting cast, as well as opponents becoming more familiar with him and marking him tightly with double teams. Red Bulls officials have also started to become concerned with the attitude of Jozy Altidore, who seems to be a bit distracted by all of the attention he is receiving from high profile international clubs. The team has also been suffering from an effective third option up top, but will be reinforced by the return of Columbian striker Oscar Echeverry. Considering the talent of this group, it is not a question of if the goals will begin to flow, but when. 

So it comes to this. Friends turned to enemies. The lost lover come home to bring back all the bitterness and heartbreak you thought you’d forgotten. That’s right, Houston comes to town tomorrow, a game that’s been highlighted on Quakes fans’ schedules since we knew that we would have a team back. I can’t speak for everyone, but for myself I approach tomorrow’s match with a mixture of the excitement that comes with every upcoming game and trepidation at the thought of having to see our old Quakes in that orange uniform. Yes, I was there to watch the Quakes play Houston during preseason, but this is different, more real and concrete somehow.

There are those who would implore us to move on and forget the past. They are surely right, but it is also surely easier said than done. Those were our warriors, our champions, as I’ve written before, and to see them play for another city has always been a slap in the face. We’ve been able to shut our eyes to it and revel in the sweet bliss of ignorance, but now we will be presented face to face with the reality. No turning away now.

Our new Quakes versus the old Quakes. Such confusion and strong emotions is a recipe for a rivalry in the making. No matter what happens tomorrow, I think Houston and San Jose will be a grudge match in the years to come. Tomorrow will be the final goodbye to those players, the farewell we never had. Hopefully we can send them off with a loss. Nothing personal, but we have a new team now. Even if they are bottom-dwellers, hey, those are our bottom-dwellers!Speaking of our squad, we added two new members, Jovan Kirovski and Kelly Gray, and gave up Preston Burpo in a trade with Colorado.

Gray is another former Quake come home to roost, and I was hoping that he would end up in San Jose since the beginning of the season. He was a solid member of our amazing defense in 2005, though his performance dropped off a bit towards the end of the season. He has bounced around the league since and has yet to reach his 2005 level, but I’m hopeful. Last time around, he seemed genuinely excited to return to his hometown of San Jose, and I believe that another such return will galvanize his play to reach those former heights. He can play a variety of different positions, which opens up some intriguing possibilities. Gray can fill in at fullback if Riley continues his shaky play, or he can be placed in the holding midfield position if Corrales is injured or cannot nail down that spot. I’m less hot on Kirovski. He seems like one of those players with potential and skill who never seems to conjure up the heart and energy to make good things happen. Its hard to believe that he has a Champion’s League medal. Still, perhaps the opportunity to grab a key role that an expansion team provides will motivate him.I will only deal with the New England game briefly before we move onto the analysis of tomorrow’s game. It was a forgettable game in every respect. The Quakes defense sorely missed Nick Garcia.

Defensive miscommunication has been a problem all year, but without Garcia it reached new heights of absurdity, culminating in Riley’s horrific own goal. Our midfield looked absolutely lifeless. We did not manage a shot until the second half. The only highlights of the game were when Ryan Johnson and Shea Salinas came onto the field. These two need more playing time. Johnson always plays hard and works for every ball, something that cannot be said for some of our players. Its worth trying him out up top, because of his strength, size, and workrate. Hey, he’s actually scored a goal too. Salinas is dynamite and will only get better the more playing time he gets.

Hey, we’re losing anyway, so we might as well get him some experience. Finally, if it hasn’t been confirmed before, let’s bury the Corrales-Grabavoy partnership as soon as possible. Corrales is not a convincing holding midfielder and cannot dominate the center of the park or distribute as well as he should. Grabavoy is not an attacking midfielder and lacks the necessary vision and creativity. In my book, our biggest weakness is not our forwards, but this central portion of our midfield, which exposes our defense and starves our offense.

Quakes/Houston Pregame Analysis

Goalkeepers: Wow, it already gets weird. It’s hard for me to conceive of Pat Onstad as the enemy, but I guess I better get used to it. What can you say about Pat? He is not the most athletic or gifted, but he finds ways to make epic saves and keep games close despite his advancing years. There will always be an endless debate among Quakes fans as to who the better keeper is: Cannon or Onstad. Cannon continues to have a bit of a shaky season. Hey Joe, next time tell Riley to get the hell out of the way or clear it to the side! He needs to command the troops better. Communication, communication, communication. So for the first time, I am going to give this category to the opposition until I’m proven wrong.Advantage - Houston

Houston Forwards vs. Quakes Defense: Welcome back Garcia and never, ever get injured again. I think it is now obvious how integral his acquisition was to the Quakes. Also, its time for Denton to head back to the bench and return to the Riley, Garcia, Cochrane, Hernandez line-up. Its not fool-proof by any means but its the best we’ve got. I wouldn’t mind seeing Gray get a chance at some point though. Brian Ching has yet to find his scoring touch, and Caraccio has yet to really impress either. The Quakes seem to have a problem of unproven strikers who can’t score. Houston has a problem of proven strikers who won’t score at the moment. Unfortunately, with Houston back in business and on the upswing, its only a matter of time before their strike force comes to life as well.Advantage - Even

Midfield: I’ve already said it but our midfield is woeful. Its even more painful because we know what a great midfield is because we’ve had them, and now one of our previous midfield incarnations is coming to town to put on a display. DeRosario and Clark have not been the same dynamic duo as in the past, but are now returning to form. Against the likes of Corrales and Grabavoy, they should be rubbing their hands together in pure delight. Mullan continues to be on San Jose fans’ wishlist because he works hard for ninety minutes and takes on defenders with abandon. Ronnie O’Brien, by contrast, seems unwilling to take anyone on at the moment. Stuart Holden is a rising star. To win, O’Brien needs to be the focus of attack once again and can’t be anonymous as he was against New England. Corrales needs to focus on staying back, marking DeRo, and distributing out of the back of the midfield. Grabavoy…well, I don’t know what to say anymore.Advantage - Houston

Quakes Forwards vs. Houston Defense: Another painful experience will be seeing fan favorite and likable character Craig Waibel playing against us. E. Rob and Barrett are solid. Boswell is the weak link on the Houston defense. He can be beat and we need to focus our efforts on attacking him. Certainly he is improving but his confidence needs to be shaken. How will this happen? Hell if I know with Kamara and “who knows” up front. I’d like to see Johnson up front as I said. I doubt Frank will throw Kirovski into a game right after being traded and without having time to practice with the team but you never know in these desperate times. I do expect for him to come off the subs’ bench. Doesn’t look good once again.Advantage - Houston

Coaching: Dom vs. Frank, another eternal debate among Quakes fans. Frank has a chance to answer those questions this season and in years to come. Can he build a team from nothing into a championship contender? We shall see, but he is far from it now. Dom has built a reputation for savvy trades (Ngwenya and Jaqua for Houston, Davis and Chung for the 2005 Quakes). Will Kirovski and Gray pan out as well for Yallop?Advantage - Even

Intangibles: Let’s get one thing straight. The old Quakes coming back is only a factor for us, the fans. For most of the Quakes, it will be just another game. Houston players who are returning may have some mixed emotions, but don’t expect any favors from them. The confidence of this Quakes squad is at an all-time low, while Houston’s is steadily building.Advantage - Houston

Key Man: Ramiro Corrales Its time for Corrales to take control of that midfield. Win balls, stay at home, and mark DeRo like you’ve never marked anybody before. If the Quakes can’t keep possession and clog that center of the pitch, this game will be over quickly.

Probable Line-up:                  Johnson-Kamara

Guerrero-Corrales-Grabavoy-O’Brien

Riley-Garcia-Cochrane-Hernandez                

   Cannon