This is my first instalment of what will be a weekly column in which I write on all things related to the Earthquakes. Whether it is a new food truck at Avaya Stadium or a new player signing I hope to find interesting people and stories that create the unique culture around the San Jose Earthquakes.
“If he be Mr. Hyde, I shall be Mr. Seek.”
Coming into the season it was well known that the San Jose Earthquakes were going to have to take some time to figure out their formation. After 112 games it has been difficult to determine which team will take the pitch every week. Either it will be the team that showed up May 16 against Columbus, a team that took 505 passes and completed 87% of them while maintaining 55% of the possession or the team that moseyed into Red Bull Arena and completed 70% of 389 passes attempted with only 43% possession. International call-ups and injuries have made an already difficult task for Dominic Kinnear and crew that much more difficult to figure out especially at the top of the formation. Chris Wondolowski and Tommy Thompson are regular call-ups for their national team, when they are needed for international duty the Earthquakes are stretched thin.
Injuries are more difficult plan; case-in-point, Steven Lenhart. The 28-year-old striker has not played a minute all season and if the silence coming out of San Jose is any indication it will most likely be a while before we hear anything about Lenny’s future. The never-say-die Goonies image that dominated the Earthquakes time at Buck Shaw Stadium seems to be fading into the sunset. Some parts of the magic remain, though, the winning percentage that turned Buck Shaw into a “fortress” seems to have made the jump over the railroad tracks to Avaya. The Quakes have lost only 1 of their first four games at their new home. With 7 of their last 9 games this season at home, including a make-up game against Montreal in September, the Earthquakes look to be in a nice spot to take advantage of that home-field advantage later on in the season.
Home Field Advantage
Actually, calling Avaya Stadium a fortress is a bit of a misnomer. The truth is that most MLS teams have a positive winning percentage at home. This number is just about even with other soccer leagues around the world and among major sports is the highest home winning percentage. It is a topic that could be talked about infinitely without getting any solid answers as to why this happens. Do players try harder at home because of the perceived threat of the opposing team attacking their “territory”? We humans are after all, a territorial type of animal and will defend what we perceive as ours with our lives. Maybe the referee feels the pressure of the home crowd and subconsciously call the game with a slight favour for the home team? These referees are also human after all, and 20,000 screaming people have the ability to intimidate just about anyone. Many articles and studies have been written on the subject, and I mean many, but none have conclusive answers.
In reality the cause of home field advantage is a combination of the different factors that come together at random but have a real and measurable effect on the outcome of soccer games. That outcome is usually a win for the home team, and good news for the Earthquakes who play seven of their last games at home.
Home Away From Home
Speaking of home, the San Jose Earthquakes are going to ensure fans can watch their boys whether playing home at Avaya Stadium or somewhere out on the road. For the next two home games the team will open up the 7Up Epicenter one hour before kickoff and will then be showing the game on one side of Avaya’s massive screens. For those not familiar with the Epicenter, it is a 2 acre patch of grass at Avaya that on gameday hosts food trucks and other concession stands while at the same time giving open access to the outdoor bar and the team store. The team plans to have a couple of food trucks plus the bar and concessions open for the game against Toronto FC Saturday, May 30, and Saturday, June 20, against Seattle Sounders. It should be an interesting experiment that could help spread the Earthquakes brand in San Jose.
