Return of the Quakes

After a two year vacation from the league, the San Jose Earthquakes are returning to the MLS next year.

The Earthquakes were the only MLS team that retained the same name from their NASL days. The club stayed active for twenty years in different leagues with different names. The original Quakes (featuring the legendary player with a Wedding Present album named after him) played in the NASL from 1974 until the league folded in 1984, then continued in the WSL, then finally the MLS.

San Jose's MLS club was initially called the Clash (Billy Bragg at the Warfield, late 1990's -- "Why do you name your football clubs after bands like the Clash?"), but reverted back to the original Earthquakes name after a few years. After reviving the Earthquakes name, they won a couple of MLS titles, but moved to Houston after the 2005 season. Their ownership group (AEG) didn't like playing at Spartan Stadium and wanted the city of San Jose to construct a soccer-only stadium at public expense. The new owners (Oakland A's owners Lew Wolff and John Fisher) are building a soccer only stadium at their own expense. So it was worth the wait for Santa Clara county taxpayers.

These Earthquakes will keep the records and titles of their former team, so they're coming back as an expansion team that's won two MLS titles (one of those Baltimore Ravens/Cleveland Browns things). Great news for Bay Area soccer fans. I should try to get out catch a game sometime . I haven't seen the Quakes since the early 80s when George Best played for them.