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MLS West Notes: Earthquakes start search for coach; Keane rules out England return; and more

EarthquakesLineup (ISIphotos.com)

BY MIKE DONOVAN

Less than a week after firing head coach Frank Yallop, the San Jose Earthquakes are starting an international search to find their next coach, according to Earthquakes President Dave Kaval.

Mark Watson has been named coach on an interim basis and will be given an “honest shot” to keep the job after this season. This will be the first time the club has had a coaching search since San Jose returned to MLS in 2008.

Here are some more news and notes from around the Western Conference heading into MLS Week 16 action:

CHIVAS USA

Chivas USA will take on its parent club, Chivas Guadalajara, in a closed-door scrimmage on Sunday, June 16. The Mexican-based squad is in Southern California for a training camp leading up to the beginning of the Apertura season. Chivas USA currently has six players that are on loan from their parent club.

COLORADO RAPIDS

The Rapids are in the midst of a six-game unbeaten run and head coach Oscar Pareja wishes that Colorado didn’t have a two-week break between a draw against FC Dallas on the first day of June and Saturday’s matchup against San Jose.

When asked if he was happy his team got a break, Pareja told the Denver Post, that “vacation is in December.” Colorado is currently tied with the LA Galaxy for fifth in the Western Conference standings.

FC DALLAS

During a chat with fans on the website of the Dallas Morning News, FC Dallas owner Dan Hunt said that the club is targeting two players in the hopes of signing them during the summer transfer window. The MLS summer transfer window opens July 9.

Hunt also stated that he believes the league will eventually add more roster spots to the current number of 30.

LOS ANGELES GALAXY

Galaxy striker Robbie Keane has ruled out ever returning to the Premier League and plans on finishing his career in MLS.

“I am very, very happy, very content where I am in this situation in my life,” Keane told the Daily Mail.  “If you keep playing and keep producing and keep scoring goals, it doesn’t really matter where you are.”

Keane also told the paper he plans on going into management when his playing career is over and that he will start his first coaching qualifications this offseason.

PORTLAND TIMBERS

Portland was missing four players due to international duty last weekend, however, two of those players will be returning in time for the Timbers match with FC Dallas on Saturday. Donovan Ricketts and Ryan Johnson, who both featured in Jamaica’s 2-0 loss to Honduras Tuesday, have completed their most recent stint and should be back in Portland for Saturday.

REAL SALT LAKE

RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando joined the U.S. Men’s National Team earlier in the week and will be with the team when the US takes on Honduras at Rio Tinto Stadium. Rimando has six caps for the U.S., but is unlikely to play as he is listed as the third goalkeeper behind Tim Howard and Brad Guzan.

“Having one of the games in my home stadium makes it truly special not only to represent the U.S., but also RSL, and I’ll be ready if called upon,” said Rimando, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS

As expected, Sounders midfielder Steve Zakuani has undergone surgery for a sports hernia. Zakuani, who has been out of practice for the last week due to the injury, is expected to return to the field in six to eight weeks.

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS

After an injury to Andy O’Brien during the Whitecaps 3-2 loss to the Seattle Sounders on Saturday, Vancouver has been forced to recall center back Carlyle Mitchell from his loan with lower-division FC Edmonton. Despite having not played since May 26 due to an ankle injury, Mitchell will likely be in the starting lineup for this weekend’s match with the New England Revolution.

The Trinidad and Tobago International will likely be paired with Honduran Johnny Leveron at the center back position. The two players combined have played in just nine MLS matches.

Comments

  1. No comments about the possible roster size change? That’s the real news here. Definitely needed. The devil, of course, is in the details. Will this mean a corresponding expansion in the number of cap roster slots and an appropriate increase in the budget cap? Or will these slots be for off-budget players, meaning Homegrowns and minimum wage players?

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  2. Keane: “It doesn’t matter where you play” ( but there is no way in he11 I am going to play for some team 45 points back in England, so quit asking )

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  3. C’mon man, we have this covered, Kaval and Hasselhoff have a warehouse full of amway products and free churros to lure the high end international talent. Who in their right mind would be caught dead in San Jose right now…..the FO is a joke.

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  4. Oh and who would want to go to SJ during the Summer transfer window not knowing who the manager will be or the style of play???

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  5. SJ is completely writing off this season by creating even less certainty for those responsible for the on field product.
    Robbie Keane knows that this is the only league (in a place you might want to live) that will pay him millions at this point in his career…this is an easy decision. He’s looking to get paid not be challenged at his age.

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    • He may have the freedom, but I don’t think he’s exercised it much. The only time he’s missed CCL or the USOC was was Bruce Arena decided to trot out his B team. He’s made the trip to Central America at least twice that I remember.

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    • I don’t recall Keane playing in the offseason or getting hurt for that matter in the offseason and not being available for the Galaxy.

      So….there’s that.

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      • He did do a loan spell at Aston Villa last year. He didn’t miss any games and I can’t remember how far in advance of the CCL games vs Toronto that he returned. The focus was on Gonzo being out with injury but as I recall, at the time, there was some talk about how the season might have started if had he spent the entire pre-season training with the team.

      • And it seemed like he might have been a bit gassed at the start of the season, although he definitely found his form again after the Euro tournament. Still, I’m glad he didn’t go out on loan again this past off-season.

  6. Yallop > Kaval/Doyle

    Hard to imagine how a guy that started a semi-pro baseball league has more insight and pull than a well respected career football man.

    The more I hear from Kaval the worse I feel about the long term success on the Quakes.

    We’re letting an inexperienced baseball man make huge soccer decisions for the team… More tragic comedy.

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    • Yallop was awful. Sure the Quakes were great last year, but they are UNWATCHABLE in 2013, and that was also the case in 2011. If anything, 2012 is the fluke.

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      • You must have a short memory. Just to remind you those two stars on our jerseys are from Yallop. 2011 we competed for the Eastern Championship and just last year we were earned the Supports Shield.

    • I just really hope they don’t hire someone outside of MLS. Foreign coaches have an extremely low success rate.

      I would love Jesse Marsh if Mark Watson doesn’t outright earn the job.

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  7. I guess it underlines the seeming spur of the moment-ness of the SJ decision that the search is starting now. If this was planned, looking before leaping would have been wise. Not a big fan of clearing out coaches (NYRB) or players (DeRo in Houston) without a real good idea of what the replacement looks like.

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  8. “Galaxy striker Robbie Keane has ruled out ever returning to the Premier League and plans on finishing his career in MLS.

    “I am very, very happy, very content where I am in this situation in my life,” Keane told the Daily Mail. ”If you keep playing and keep producing and keep scoring goals, it doesn’t really matter where you are.”

    Take note: everyone.

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    • I guess I’d prefer being a retirement league to just a pit stop.

      But more seriously, I think he does us a solid by finishing here.

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      • I didn’t take his statement as anything related to the previous, lack of character, “retirement league” aura previous bestowed by people +30 in the past.

        Keane has been exemplary and everything you’d want in a DP.

        I think it’s a bit disrespectful to throw him into that category.

      • It’s a bit disrespectful to throw a LOT of guys in that category, Beckham, Blanco, Henry, Keane, DiVaio, etc. etc.

      • +1 they aren’t retirement age players if they can still play and produce…there is no magic age for all when it’s over. each player is different, each team need different, etc.

      • “More seriously”……I was making a joke about the retirement label. In his particular case he has come here and retired here so if the shoe fits wear it. I think as long as we get a few good years out of a marquee player and they in fact retire from MLS, that reflects well upon the league abroad.

        Now, I personally would suggest signing younger players if I was a GM, but this tactic of signing retirement age players as DPs has worked for LA.

    • It’s noble of Keane that he doesn’t take a verbal dump on MLS every time he’s in Europe (like a certain well-quaffed east Londoner). Also, he proved he can still hack it in the EPL last year when we went on loan to Villa. He’s a good captain and a solid rep for MLS now.

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  9. Zakuani keeps picking up this little injuries since his massive one, hopefully he makes it through this. Lots of players never really get over it, Diaby has never been the same since his leg break, constant injuries

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