Caption
Close
Dominic Kinnear has returned to his roots, both childhood and coaching, by rejoining the Quakes.
Photo: Rainier Ehrhardt / Getty Images
Think of a childhood memory that cemented you to sport. Dominic Kinnear, the new coach of the San Jose Earthquakes, remembers the 1978 World Cup Finals in Argentina, when he was 12.
Scotland, the land of his birth, had qualified. Kinnear’s family had immigrated to the Bay Area when he was 3 years old and was visiting relatives in the old country when the tournament began.
The country was electrified. Scottish coach Ally MacLeod spoke with a messianic vigor; he would deliver the World Cup to the Scots. Many believed, and many flocked to Argentina to witness the miracle.
Then came the tempest. A whirlwind of off-field scandal and poor results sent the team home after the first round. MacLeod was condemned to the wilderness for his insane visions. Likely, no one bought him a pint in the pub ever again.
Back stateside, Kinnear’s love for soccer grew. An 11-year professional playing career with a variety of clubs resulted, highlighted by 54 appearances for the U.S. national team before graduating to coaching.
This will be his second stint in charge of the Quakes. In his second year of calling the shots, San Jose won the 2005 Supporters’ Shield for the MLS team with the best regular season record, setting a league record for fewest losses with only four. The club relocated to Houston the following season, where Kinnear’s successful ways endured.
His silver collection includes back-to-back MLS titles with Houston in 2006 and ’07. As a head coach, his teams have made the playoffs in nine seasons out of 11. His 139 wins place him third among coaches on the league’s all-time list.
Kinnear is just what the Quakes need to jump start a new era. Last year’s disastrous campaign left the team in the basement of the Western Conference with a meager 6-16 record in a campaign marked by a long list of injuries and the disruption of the World Cup. Key players Chris Wondolowski and Victor Bernardez were called up for the U.S. and Honduran national teams, respectively.
At season’s end, the Quakes said goodbye to coach Mark Watson. Also a thing of the past is humble Buck Shaw Stadium on the Santa Clara University campus, the Quakes’ home since the club was reformed in 2008 under the ownership of Lew Wolff and John Fisher.
Avaya Stadium is the Quakes’ new 18,000-seat venue, adjacent to the San Jose airport. It’s beautifully constructed with a steep rake on the seats under a roof designed to enhance the booming sound of the crowd.
The excitement is palpable among Quakes fans, some of the most loyal and passionate supporters in MLS. They’ve long waited for a modern stadium to call home so the venue becomes a fitting tribute to their perseverance in keeping support for the club alive, especially after the old Quakes departed for Houston.
Opening Day is scheduled for March 22 against the Chicago Fire. But before the referee blows the whistle for the kickoff, the league and the players’ union must sign a new collective bargaining agreement. A work stoppage is possible.
A “soft” opening — tickets have been limited to 10,000 — to test the stadium’s functionality is set for Feb. 28, when the rival Los Angeles Galaxy visit.
Add this date, too — on May 10, the U.S. women’s national team will play Ireland in a warm-up for the World Cup Finals the following month in Canada. The Quakes could never have attracted such a match if they were still renting turf at Buck Shaw. Expect more world-class games at Avaya Stadium down the road.
Alan Black is a freelance writer.
TV pick
English Premier League
Manchester City at Chelsea, 9:30 a.m. Saturday
Channel: 11 Channel: 3 Channel: 8