CHAPTER 1 A QUAKES FIRST Changes were in store for the San Jose Earthquakes in 2001 A new ownership group entered the picture just three months before the start of the Major League Soccer MLS season They were determined to turn around a club that hadn’t made the playoffs since the league’s first season in 1996 The first change came on the sidelines San Jose named Frank Yallop head coach just two days before the league’s draft Yallop would be San Jose’s fourth coach in five seasons He was an experienced and savvy leader during his long playing career The Earthquakes would lean on Yallop’s experience to help unite the new players on the roster Defender Jeff Agoos bottom was one of San Jose’s key acquisitions in 2001 4
Yallop wasted little time building a strong team in San Jose The Quakes first focused on strengthening their defense The team traded with DC United for All-Star defender Jeff Agoos Then San Jose acquired defender Zak Ibsen from the LA Galaxy Agoos a defensive force had already won two MLS Cups with DC Ibsen also had championship experience having won an MLS Cup with Chicago in 1998 Next Yallop turned his focus to improving the offensive side of his squad The team signed talented young forward Dwayne De Rosario He had been scoring in bunches at the level below MLS San Jose then traded with Tampa Bay for midfielder Manny Lagos However the most important preseason move happened just a few days before the start of the season It might have been the most important event in team history On March 29 the Earthquakes finalized a deal to bring in Landon Donovan on a loan The 19-year-old was one of the most promising young players in the country He was already a fixture on the US national team However after starting his professional career in Germany he was struggling to find playing time with his club there Donovan hoped a move home to California could help kickstart his career 6
High-scoring forward Dwayne De Rosario front began his long MLS career with the Earthquakes in 2001 TURNING IT AROUND The 2001 season was San Jose’s sixth in MLS Up to that point the Quakes had never been past the first round of MLS playoffs The 2000 season was San Jose’s worst ever But the recent moves brought a new feeling of optimism to soccer fans in Northern California 7
