Before continuing on, I have to explain the blog title.  If you haven’t already, all footy fans NEED, I repeat NEED, to start watching Special1 TV.  The weekly puppet show featuring Jose Mourinho, Sven Erikson, Wayne Rooney, and company is one of the funniest shows I can recall.  It is a classic quote generator.  One of these is the classic “Shut Up Sven!”

a few of the Special1 TV cast

After reading this next quote, I say KEEP TALKING SVEN! “The greatest barrier to success is the fear of failure.”  As an Earthquakes fan, how perfect is this?  This squad has absolutely none, zip, nada, Nada III confidence.  I personally feel that we have the squad to get into the playoffs.  The problem is that the early downslide and bad performances in games have not worn off, and the boys are fearful that they dont have the ability to win because its so rare.

This is not to say that I think we shouldnt be making moves come the Summer Transfer Window.  Just like last year, all its going to take is 2 - 3 players to change this season around.  We desperately need to find someone to play in the middle of the park with creativity, a defender that is rock solid, and a forward that is hungrier for goals, among other areas of need.

Coach said about a month ago, and I have already stated this, that all the boys need to do is grind out a 1-nil game to find their confidence.  It will be then and only then, when this “barrier” of fear can be collapsed and success can begin.  The 1906 Ultras will be in section 101 rocking the house through this Clash-like period.

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The Earthquakes take on Real Salt Lake tomorrow at Buck Shaw Stadium at 7:30pm (psh! like anyone needs to be reminded of this?).  The 1906 Ultras are switching up their pre-game activities just a bit for this game.  We will be meeting at Mondo Burrito for food and drinks starting at 4:30pm until our march into The Shaw at 6:45pm.  Please be there and have everything ready and done with by 6:45pm so that we can roll into the Shaw in full force.

Go Quakes.  May we collapse the wall holding us back from success.

Could someone possibly find a Quakes picture for this? or a good Photoshop?

It is sad to say that only a few weeks into the season, and I am already saying that the season has been a disappointment.  One win in 8 games, blown leads, horrible defending, inconsistent attacking.  This is just to name a few.  Now this group has been saying this for the past couple weeks, that we need to stay behind this team, ride it out, and make sure that we try to give the players as much confidence as possible (see our motto), but that is not to say that we, the entire fan base, are disappointed in the results and quality of play on the pitch.

Hopefully this bye week allows many players to realize the disappointment that we all have, to nurse any small or major knocks (I’m looking at Jay-Hur and Hucks) and come back next week against the Orange Scum at full strength.  With this bye week, there is not much to say, so I’ll go on to a few other points

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To all season ticket holders:

Look out for the 1906 Ultras section in this week’s, and all following week’s,  Quakes Insider.  We will be using this resource to put out all of our events (viewing parties, tifo meetings, road trips, etc.).  Keep an eye out on there, especially if you are not a regular on the boards, on any group news.

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Newest chant:

“Come on You Quakes” to the tune of the chorus of “Come On Eileen” by Save Ferris (the cover song, yes)

COME ON

EARTHQUAKES OF SAN JOSE

(x8)

OOOOOOH

COME ON YOU QUAKES

OH YOU’VE GOT WHAT IT TAKES

WE’RE THE ULTRAS

AND WE WANT VICTORY

(x2)

(repeat)

"Ca_iforni_ It's better without LA" (Couresy of The Project FC)

Man…nothing quite sums up this past game against the Goats more than just….man.  Here are a couple points that I thought were key in our horrible 1-nil loss:

• Zach Thorton

Need I say more?  The man has done a lot more than just lose weight during the offseason.  This beast of a man has to have Greek in his blood somewhere, because he seems to have the Midas touch (corny I know).  Goalkeeper of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year nominee for sure….hurts me to say it though.

• Refereeing

Now I am not going to blame this game and it’s outcome soley on the refereeing.  With the amount of chances we created, especially early in the first half, and with the scoreline only being 1-nil, refereeing cannot be put to blame.  However, there were many calls/non-call that occured that could have changed the game, easily.  There were three (3) obstruction calls not given for the Quakes’ favor, each (if I remember correctly…at least two) were well within striking distance of goal.  With our free kicking ability, it’s likely it would have never happened but you never know.  Ramiro Corrales’ offsides call in the 70th minute was just horrible.  It was pretty plain to see that he was in line with the last Chivas defender.  Now the refereeing was not biased against the Quakes, because there were two calls in particular that could have swung the game even more in Chivas’ favor:  Eric Denton’s handball in the box and his bulldozing tackle in the 76th minute.  Now the handball is debatable because his arm was away from his body at all times and he made no movement toward the ball, but there are plenty of referees that would have called it immediately (OKULAJA IS A THIEF @ 4:15).  The bulldozing….wow.  How its not called is beyond me.

• Alvarez’s right foot

Arturo’s lack of a functional right foot, except for walking/running, is apparent to all. Especially in the loss to Seattle (at least to me).  Now while Arturo made some great and dangerous runs around the goal and had some shots that were close, we could have easily tied and possibly won this game 2-1 if Artie knew how to use his right foot.  HIGHLIGHTS HERE…at 0:30, a great ball to Artie puts him onto goal.  With the defender chasing him from his left, he puts good enough power with his right foot, but RIGHT at Thorton.  If he knew how to use his right foot, in my opinion, he could have either slotted it across goal (harder with a defender chasing him down) or place it high into the near post (difficult shot, but really his only shot at getting a goal). at 0:57, a cross from the left side fell to Artie in the box, who used his right foot and lobbed a ball just over Zach Thorton, who with the Midas touch, tipped it over the bar.  In my opinion, if Artie knew how to use his right foot, he could have easily just touched the ball into the goal on the ground.  Instead, like most of us playing with our weak foot, it hits him too high up his leg.  Could have easily put us up 1-nil.

• Communication

I think we all know what I’m talking about…the horrendous goal.  I put the blame equally between Nick and Joe.  Again hard to say, because they are two of my favorite Quakes players, especially off the field.  The sequence start at 2:10, with the cross coming in from the left side.  Notice Garcia on the replay; he stays goal side of Braun despite the rest of his defense holding a higher line, keeping him onside on the ensuing cross.  Mistake #1.  Mistake #2 is on Joe.  I can not recall what Joe said he was commanding, but it was something along the lines of: telling Nick to get away from the ball but still hesitating, or telling Nick to clear the ball and when Nick moved Cannon hesitated.  I’m not quite sure which scenario is correct, but either way there needs to be better communication, especially between two veterans like Garcia and Cannon.

• Long Balls

Sweet and simple explanation…keep the passes short and on the ground with some long balls over the top mixed in.  We constantly just hoof balls up to our forwards, giving them a harder time to make a run onto it, rather than touching the ball around and opening up the game.

If there is any inaccuracies in any of my above comments, please let me know in the comments section below.

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200 East Santa Clara Street, San Jose, CA 95113

All Quakes fans are encourage to attend tomorrow afternoon’s city council meeting at 1:30pm.  The all important vote to reduce the price and acreage of the FMC site where the new stadium will rise is on agenda.  While most feel that this is a shoo-in, a show of support would go over very well.  I feel we took for granted the fact that we had a team prior to 2005, lets not make the same mistake again and put some influence on the city council to vote YES on this.

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I want to put out a quick word to any and all Quakes fans who have had a thought of doing the drug called Notgoingtogames…JUST SAY NO.  No matter how hard it is to cheer on this team…no matter how far you have to travel….no matter how much in debt you are….ok ok, so the last two points are valid for not going….we have to stay behind the team.  We may not agree with what the Front Office has done, the formations/starting line up that the coaching staff has put out, but we all agree that we need to get behind our players, every one of them.  Whoever is on the field needs to know that every Quakes fans in the stadium is behind them 200%.  A player with support is a good player.  That is what we, the 1906 Ultras, are here for…for the team.  To show support for the team that we love.  That is what the Casbah is for, and that is what all of you buy tickets for.  For the team.  So make sure we don’t skip a beat come May 30th against Real Salt Lake, no matter the outcome of our road trip, and come out in FULL FORCE!

WE ARE YOUR FAITHFUL

WE ARE YOUR CREW

WHEREVER YOU GO

WE’LL BE THERE FOR YOU

FOR SAN JOSE

WE WILL STAY TRUE

EARTHQUAKES FOREVER

WE BLEED BLACK AND BLUE