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
After losing two of their first three games of the season the Earthquakes went on a tear They didn’t lose another match for almost two months The unbeaten streak from mid-April to early July helped them climb in the standings But another event that summer put the entire league on notice MLS got a good look at San Jose’s skill level during the 2001 All-Star Game in mid-July Six Quakes were named to the team That was a record at the time And the game would be played in San Jose San Jose’s All-Stars did not disappoint The fans who packed the stands at Spartan Stadium roared as Donovan scored four goals Donovan’s offensive genius helped him win the game’s Most Valuable Player MVP award San Jose’s unbeaten stretch and All-Star brilliance established the Earthquakes as one of the top teams in MLS San Jose closed out the season going 500 over its final 12 games Big wins over DC United and the Kansas City Wizards propelled the Quakes to one of the best seasons in team history Thanks to Agoos and goalkeeper Joe Cannon San Jose gave up the fewest goals in the league The team could score too Forward Ronald Cerritos led the Quakes with 11 goals while Lagos came in second with 8 8
Landon Donovan raises the MVP trophy he won in front of his hometown fans at the 2001 MLS All-Star Game 9
