I am so freaking jealous of the Quakes

[SoccerPrime]

Now, who called this?
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/soccer/12939899.htm

My favorite line is this one:

"MLS, for all of its faults, is a league where the ability to improve dramatically exists,'' Lalas said. "We wanted people that had MLS experience. As important, if not more important, was that they wanted to be in San Jose. We were able to put together a collection of players who not only had chips on their shoulders but were also good people.''

[AreliusIII]

The two most important items for me are:

"Winless after three games, and with a midfield that looked especially weak, Kinnear did something radical: he moved De Rosario, a reserve forward, into the lineup as a central midfielder. De Rosario's first start brought the Earthquakes' first victory of the season. An inconsistent player for most of his career, De Rosario became a pillar, leading MLS with 13 assists and scoring nine goals."

Its interesting how position can be the difference between excellence and mediocrity.

and:

"The Earthquakes gave up just 31 goals, less than one per game and six fewer than the next-best defensive teams. They lost just once in their final 22 games, going 15-1-6 after a May 28 defeat at Kansas City. Depth, like defense, was a major factor: 16 players scored, and the top five combined for 36 goals, negating the effects of injuries and international call-ups."

RSL could learn a thing or two in this regard.

A related quote is:

"These Earthquakes don't have a Landon, but Yallop doesn't think that will be a problem. ``If you focus on one player, you'll be in trouble. They've got tons of firepower all over the field.''"

That kind of hits home...