SAN JOSE, Calif. – There were no points on the line, no California Clasico hype to fulfill. Nevertheless, there was a special feeling at the corner of Coleman Avenue and Newhall Drive on Saturday afternoon.
And even if it was just another preseason game for the San Jose Earthquakes, the venue – brand-new Avaya Stadium, hosting its first event – more than made up for it, excitement-wise, during a 3-2 Quakes win against the LA Galaxy.
“For a preseason game, it was a big event,” said Quakes coach Dominic Kinnear, who worked before his home fans for the first time since returning from Houston this winter. “It was almost like Opening Day. You could just tell the feel had something different about it – when you walked out on the field for warmups, when you were walking out of the locker room to start the game. So it really wasn’t a preseason feel.”
Even with ticket sales limited to just 10,000 fans to ensure the game worked as a soft opening, the stadium featured plenty of noise – especially when JJ Koval and Adam Jahn scored second-half goals to put the Quakes up 3-1. And certainly, the accommodations were more plush than either of San Jose’s previous MLS homes of Spartan Stadium (at San Jose State) and Buck Shaw Stadium (at Santa Clara).
“It’s great to see. This is special for this area,” said Galaxy defender Todd Dunivant, who broke into MLS in 2003 with San Jose’s first MLS incarnation. “They played at universities, really, for as long as I can remember. To have a stadium of their own is something that we talked about back then. That was such a high priority, and it’s been 20 years that they were searching for this, and it’s finally here. This is special for me to come back and see this.
“I think everyone that’s been a part of this organization at any point knows how important this is. To see the stadium, to see the fans – this is going to be a great venue for the league.”
The biggest problem for Kinnear might have been keeping some of his players in check as they finished off a 3-1-2 preseason – all but one against MLS competition – with a regular-season opener looming in Dallas next weekend.
“I was trying to tell the guys, look, this doesn’t really count against the standings,” Kinnear said. “These guys have been waiting for so long for something like this to happen, and it’s there. To try to take the excitement away from them and break it down can be difficult.”
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The most obvious wrinkle in a day that seemed to go so smoothly for the Quakes was a brief downpour and hailstorm which struck moments before the game entered second-half injury time. Fans and players alike ducked for cover from the squall, which blew through after a few minutes, ending just as the final whistle sounded.
Then it was time to look ahead – not only to Dallas, but to the real Avaya Stadium opening, on March 22 against the Chicago Fire.
“It’s a great feeling, to step out to your home stadium and to have a nice lively crowd out there and some passionate fans,” Quakes captain Chris Wondolowski said. “It’s amazing. But to be honest, I’m really looking forward to the 22nd. That’s when it really counts.”
