A season of pent-up frustration and frankly boring soccer in the Bay Area met with a dramatic reversal on Saturday, as the Quakes defeated their archrivals, the Los Angeles Galaxy, 3-2.  For the first time this season, Quakes fans were reminded just what beautiful attacking soccer could look like, San Jose putting on a display more reminiscent of 2005 than 2008.  With Saturday’s win, the Quakes’ playoff dreams were renewed. 

The cause of this dramatic turnaround is not hard to find, with Frank Yallop and John Doyle burning through the transfer window, bringing in Darren Huckerby, Arturo Alvarez, Francisco Lima, Scott Sealy, and Mikel Arce.  Huckerby was everywhere on Saturday, posing a constant danger with every touch, and involved on all three Quakes goals.  He has quickly become a fan favorite, cementing that status by scoring against L.A.  Sealy has proven to be a more effective version of Kamara, while Alvarez looked like he had been playing for the Quakes all along, quickly getting off the mark in the scoring department and displaying passion for the team.  Lima has proven a calming influence, at one point not batting an eye as he took the ball away from Donovan in the penalty area. 

However, the impressive display seemed ruined when Buddle scored a late equalizer.  It seemed that yet again the Quakes would come up short despite deserving a win.  Cochrane’s winning goal, though, signaled the beginning of a new era in Quakes history, the return of the Comeback Spirit of 2003, and once again the belief that anything is possible, even the playoffs.  Those in the supporter’s sections danced jubilantly far after the game was over, exorcising all the pent up frustration from the season so far, and remembering what true glory felt like.  Next up is New England at home (after a rest week), and a win against the league leaders would make a real statement of intent.

Player Ratings

Joe Cannon - B (had a chance to stop the second goal, other than that was solid)

Jason Hernandez - A (was all over the place, making key defensive plays)

Ryan Cochrane - A (has eliminated the glaring mistakes, scoring the decisive goal)

Nick Garcia - A (another solid game, unfortunate to slip on the second goal)

Eric Denton - B (a bit shaky at times, best offensive showing yet, maybe inspired by Huckerby)

Darren Huckerby - A (the offensive engine and dangerman)

Ronnie O’Brien - C (he’s capable of better, held the ball too long at times)

Francisco Lima - B (made a few bad passes, but generally provided good distribution)

Ramiro Corrales - B (the Corrales of old is gone, the new one is much better)

Scott Sealy - B (worked hard to win balls, and keep attacks alive)

Arturo Alvarez - A (had a great first half, including the key first goal, faded in the second half)

SUBS

Ryan Johnson - B (lost his starting job, provides great energy and drive off the bench)

Jovan Kirovski - N/A

After two humiliating losses this season against their most hated rivals, Quakes fans are hoping for a different result this Sunday.  While the Galaxy’s inept defense should surely win the award for best comedic performance, the Quakes have yet to put one in the net in two previous meeting with their SoCal foes.  So far it’s been a story of Leaky D vs. Impotent Offense, with the Quakes’ lack of goal-scoring punch making the L.A. defense look like world beaters, a tough task indeed. 

All that looks to change, however, as Frank Yallop and John Doyle have gone on a transfer binge, signing Francisco Lima, Darren Huckerby, Arturo Alvarez, Scott Sealy, and now young Spaniard Mikel Arce.  Joe Vide and Ivan Guerrero (one of my personal faves) were shown the door.  Surely a Quakes attack boasting the likes of Huckerby, Alvarez, and Sealy will be a bit more worrying to the Galaxy.  On top of that, the Quakes are on a wave of optimism while L.A. is stuck in a state of stagnation and bad feelings that could only get worse.  Appearances are always deceiving with rivalry games though.  L.A. plays with confidence against San Jose this season, while the Quakes always look a bit intimidated.  Donovan’s first return to the Bay Area since 2005 will see a reawakening of old passions and hatred, which can always have unpredicatable effects on a game. 

Your guess for the Quakes’ lineup this Sunday is as good as mine, with the many new additions making any predictions difficult.  I expect Yallop to avoid any sudden changes by keeping to a 4-4-2 (at least for now), and using Alvarez off the bench.

Probable Lineup:

              Sealy-Johnson

Huckerby-Lima-Corrales-O’Brien

Denton-Garcia-Cochrane-Hernandez

                      Cannon

I hope that Yallop benches Denton and puts someone else (perhaps Riley) in that spot, but so far Frank seems to be set on starting him.

Tactically, the Quakes’ main focus should be to contain L.A.’s potent offense of Beckham, Buddle, Donovan, and Ruiz.  This begins with dominating possession, especially in the midfield, forcing the Galaxy’s attacking stars to track back and play defense, while also keeping the ball away from them.  Physicality will be key to taking Donovan and Ruiz out of the game.  You can’t simply mark them forever, they will find a way to break through at some point, so you have to outmuscle them and make their lives hell for ninety minutes without giving away any stupid fouls.  Buddle is physical himself, so the key is to match him, something that Cochrane did a horrible job of last game.  Usually the logic is to cut off service, but Beckham’s service is not going to be denied.  Huckerby’s defense is not his strong suit, nor is Denton up to the task.  Just keep an eye on the dangermen up front. 

On offense, the Quakes need to be less predictable.  Build-up play is fine, hesitating and letting your opponent get back into shape and settle is not.  L.A. is embarassingly vulnerable to counterattacks, so San Jose needs to be better in transition play and make those overload opportunities count.  I think this is where someone like Alvarez can definitely help out.  Additionally, Huckerby needs someone in the left back position who can make overlapping runs and open up space for him.  The difference between Denton and Guerrero behind him last week was like night and day.  Unfortunately, Guerrero is now gone, but someone like Riley, while also prone to boneheaded mistakes, at least has more offensive prowess than Denton.

Team Match-Up

San Jose                                       Los Angeles

***                Goalkeepers          *

***                  Defense                *

**                    Midfield                **

**                    Forwards              ****

 Key Man: Darren Huckerby

Somebody has to step up and exploit the Galaxy defense.  With two games under his belt, Huckerby should have a better idea of how to fit into this team.  Here is his chance to endear himself forever to San Jose fans, by giving them a win against their most hated enemy. 

Verdict: A goal-fest looks to be in the cards for this one.  I’m not convinced that the Quakes defense can keep L.A. shut down for a whole game, and I think the Quakes can put some in the net this time around with their new personnel.  With the playoffs looking out of reach, all Quakes fans want for Christmas is a win against L.A.

I will be trying out a new format this week, with a general analysis of what I expect to see in tomorrow’s match-up, followed by a side-by-side comparison of the teams.  This contest against the Red Bulls is the most anticipated of the year, simply because it’s our first chance to see Huckerby, Lima, and Sealy in action.  Quakes fans have pinned their hopes on this trio.  If not the playoffs, we are at least hoping that they can lead us to some more exciting soccer.  With the coming of new players, there has been the exit of others, with Joe Vide waived after disappointing in his few appearances, and Kamara traded to Houston in exchange for a draft pick and allocation money.  The theme of tomorrow will be hope, however, and moving towards the future.

 Of all opponents to try out our new look squad against, it seems like the Red Bulls are the perfect choice.  They sit at the bottom of the eastern conference, and appear to be doomed to yet another year of mediocrity and failure (sorry RB fans, but it’s the truth).  Then again, its never wise to underestimate any opponent, especially given our own cellar-dwelling status. 

The Red Bulls will most likely match up a 4-4-2 against our own, with the difference being that they tend to more clearly position an attacking and defensive mid, while Yallop favors side-to-side central midfielders who can either defend or go forward.  The key danger man for New York is of course Juan Pablo Angel, so the Quakes need to cut off his service and dominate possession in the midfield, both of which are possible given that the Quakes probably have the better personnel now. 

Jeff Parke is a good defender, so Sealy needs to make good runs and keep him occupied, opening up space for the likes of Huckerby.  Expect the Quakes to line up something like this:

                   Sealy-Johnson

Huckerby-Lima-Corrales-O’Brien

Denton-Garcia-Cochrane-Hernandez

                        Cannon

For the most part, it looks good, but I can’t understand why Yallop has decided to keep Denton on the field instead of putting Guerrero in at the left back spot.  While Denton has been surprisingly solid, Guerrero has been one of our best performers this season and can provide an attacking punch from that position.  Perhaps Yallop feels that Denton has developed more of an understanding with the rest of the backline, but I still think Guerrero should get the nod.  Similarly, given Cochrane’s struggles, I would keep Garcia and Hernandez in the middle, and hand the right back spot to Kelly Gray, who has played with heart. 

The Quakes are sure to be fired up and full of optimism given their new look, while the Red Bulls are at a low point mentally.  I see this as a Quakes win.  Lima definitely impressed me last week with his ability to actually look calm and comfortable in the middle (something I haven’t seen all season from this Quakes squad).  This allows Corrales to settle and find some good passes and through balls to the forwards and Huckerby. 

Team Comparison

SJ                             NY

***      Keepers      *

**        Defenders  **

***      Midfield      *

**        Forwards   ***

***      Coaching    **

 Key Man: Francisco Lima

Nope, not Huckerby.  I think Lima can change the game if he is able to calm the rest of the midfield, hold possession and distribute well.  This will allow the rest of the team to find space and make runs, especially the forwards.

Verdict: Osorio is losing this team quickly.  I thought he might actually turn this franchise around, but it’s official.  That team is poison.  They could make Mourinho look like McClaren in the space of a season.  For the Quakes, optimism has reached its highest point since the start of the season.  But if the results don’t start coming, things may turn ugly. 

After what has seemed like an eternity without a home game for this Quakes fan, it would be hard to imagine anything that could distract from tomorrow’s contest against Colorado.  That is until the news filtered out yesterday that Darren Huckerby was coming to the Quakes.  After a frustrating start to the season marked by offensive impotence, anything and anyone who promises excitement and goals is like a long awaited savior.  While it is unknown whether Huckerby will line up in his usual left midfield spot or finally fill the hole up front, either way he promises to bring pace, creativity, and, let’s face it, attractiveness to what has been an ugly brand of soccer so far.

But the column today isn’t about Huckerby, because oh yes, there is finally a home game again tomorrow.  All in all, the Quakes’ long road trip is a reason more for hope than despair.  While we only picked up two points in the last four games, our play against Chicago warranted a win, and we should have earned a draw against Chivas.  There were plenty of signs that the midfield is beginning to settle into a rhythm, that the defense is eliminating the frequency of mistakes (minus Riley red cards), and chances are starting to come more frequently.  Unfortunately, we still can’t finish those chances.  With the addition of Huckerby and a couple of other new signings, the Quakes should be able to earn some wins and possibly challenge for a play-off spot, especially with the second half of the schedule leaning towards home games.

We got our first win of the season on the road against Colorado, can we repeat our success?

Quakes/Rapids Pregame Analysis

Goalkeepers: I have been a bit critical of Cannon’s play in the past couple of months, but he looks to have finally recaptured his old form.  He made quite a few great saves during this road trip, helping keep every game close.  Coundoul sometimes makes things harder for himself than they have to be.  He has the physical skills, but the mental aspect and positioning is sometimes lacking.

Advantage - Quakes

Rapids Forwards vs. Quakes Defense: We will likely see McManus paired with either Conor Casey or Omar Cummings, more likely the latter.  McManus-Cummings is a classic target man and speedster combination.   The Quakes have been better this year at dealing with the big strong forwards than the ones with pace.  Colorado’s wide players are good and help stretch defenses, leaving space for the quick feet of Cummings to take advantage of.  Garcia should be solid, but with Cochrane likely making his return, can he finally eliminate his mistakes?  I’m a bit skeptical.

Advantage - Even

Midfield: Definitely Colorado’s strength.  Cooke and Clark are dangerous from the flanks, LaBrocca is solid as the defensive mid, and Gomez and Ballouchy both can provide an offensive spark from the middle.  Corrales and Gray are the best options in the middle of the park for the Quakes, providing a better defensive edge than you would have with Grabavoy playing.  O’Brien and Guerrero will be the offensive channels as usual.  The key is for Corrales and Gray to make solid challenges, track back, and distribute the ball quickly to the flanks and forwards, as they will have little time on the ball. 

Advantage - Rapids

Quakes Forwards vs. Rapids Defense: Oh Kamara.  How I’ve supported you throughout the season when others called for your head, and claimed you were a bench player at best.  I really wanted to believe in you, but after painful misses against Chivas and Chicago, it looks like your day is done.  Johnson will likely stay up top due to his work rate and strength, but Kamara will soon be replaced, possibly by Huckerby.  The Rapids defense is solid, but potentially vulnerable.  Ihemelu is quick and strong.  Mastroeni can be a monster if he tries, which is no guarantee.  I say go after him and see if he wants to play or not.  Erpen can be beaten; we did it last time. 

Advantage - Rapids

Coaching: Yallop will be relieved to finally be able to add a few more pieces to the puzzle during the transfer window.  His personnel choices will determine the fate of this team.  No pressure.  He needs to end the season on a positive note, playoffs or not, in order to build a foundation for next year.  You would think this season would be Clavijo’s last chance, but he always seems to stick around.

Advantage - Quakes

Intangibles: The Quakes will finally have a home game, but have yet to establish the Shaw as a fortress (not that they’ve been given much of a chance).  A win here would be a start.  The Rapids seem to be mired in yet another inconsistent season after a promising start.  Will this stagnation be too much psychologically?

Advantage - Quakes

Key Man - Ramiro Corrales

Yes you, Ramiro.  For your entire Quakes’ career, you have most often been the butt of jokes.  Field Goal Corrales, Miss It Like Corrales, etc.  But the past two games we have seen a whole new side of you.  You have been like a demon, making good passes, charging up and down the field, tackling, and rattling beautiful shots off the frame.  It seems like you are on a mission to pull the Quakes up by their soccer laces.  Make it so, Ramiro.  After all, the spotlight will soon be on Huckerby, so do your best now.

If I Were Manager:

           Johnson-Kamara

Guerrero-Gray-Corrales-O’Brien

Denton-Garcia-Hernandez-Riley

                     Cannon

Verdict: I’ve got a good feeling about this one for once.  Must be that Huckerby magic floating through the air.