San Jose Earthquakes (1974–1988)


The San Jose Earthquakes were a professional soccer club that played from 1974 to 1988. The team began as an expansion franchise in the North American Soccer League, and was originally set to play in San Francisco; but slow season ticket sales led to a late switch to San Jose's Spartan Stadium. The switch to sports-starved San Jose was an immediate hit, and the Earthquakes led the league with attendance over 15,000 per game in 1974, double the league average. The team's success led Spartan Stadium to be chosen as site of the first NASL Soccer Bowl in 1975. From 1983 to 1984, the team was known as the Golden Bay Earthquakes. During this time, it also played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League and in the NASL's indoor circuit, winning the first ever NASL indoor tournament in 1975. Their indoor games were first played at the Cow Palace and later at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.
Following the collapse of the NASL in 1984, the team's name reverted to San Jose Earthquakes prior to joining the Western Soccer Alliance in 1985, where it played until the league's folding after the 1988 season.
The name Earthquakes was created by general manager Dick Berg. While it was criticized due to San Jose's proximity to the San Andreas Fault, the name stayed on. In 1999, the Earthquakes name returned when San Jose's Major League Soccer franchise renamed themselves from the Clash to Earthquakes. A rebranding in 2014 added "1974" to the MLS team's crest, an explicit reference to the original NASL team.

Year-by-year

Outdoor:
SeasonLeagueWLTGFGAFinishPlayoffsAvg. Attend.
1974NASL98343382nd WestLost Quarterfinal16,584
1975NASL81437485th Westdid not qualify17,927
1976NASL141047301st SouthLost Conference Finals19,826
1977NASL141237442nd SouthLost in 1st round17,739
1978NASL82236814th American Westdid not qualify14,281
1979NASL82241744th American Westdid not qualify15,092
1980NASL92345684th American Westdid not qualify13,169
1981NASL112144784th Westdid not qualify12,400
1982NASL131947625th Westdid not qualify11,012
1983NASL201071542nd WestLost Semifinal11,933
1984NASL81661625th Westdid not qualify10,676
1985WACS4211091stN/A
1986WSA34713236thN/A
1987WSA6721133rdRunners-up
1988WSA7520193rdRunners-up

Note: The team played as the Golden Bay Earthquakes in the 1983 and 1984 seasons.

NASL and MISL Indoor Soccer

In the winter of 1975, the NASL ran a two-tiered, 16-team indoor tournament with four regional winners meeting in a "final-four" style championship. Not only did San Jose host their region at the Cow Palace, but the final four as well. The Quakes swept through the tournament unscathed, defeating the Tampa Bay Rowdies 8–5 in the final to the delight of their fans. San Jose teammates Paul Child and Gabbo Gavric were named co-MVPs. In 1976, the Earthquakes again advanced to the final four before losing to the Rochester Lancers at the Bayfront Center in Florida. They would rebound the following day to win the 3rd Place match 5–2 over Dallas. The NASL would not begin playing full indoor seasons until 1979–80, but San Jose did not fare nearly as well in that format. The NASL canceled its 1982–83 indoor season. As a result, the Earthquakes along with Chicago and San Diego played in the MISL that winter.
SeasonLeagueWLGFGAPlacePlayoffs
1975NASL4037171st WestNASL Champions
1976NASL3135181st West3rd place
1980–81NASL1081181153rd Westdid not qualify
1981–82NASL513831413rd National Westdid not qualify
1982–83MISL17312402905th Westdid not qualify
1983–84NASL19132061904thLost Semifinal

Note: The team played the 1982/83 and 1983/84 seasons as the Golden Bay Earthquakes.

Head coaches

Honors

Championships
NASL Division titles
NASL Most Valuable Player
North American Player of the Year
Coach of the Year
Leading Scorer
Leading Goal Scorer
Assists Leader
All-Star First Team selections
All-Star Second Team selections
All-Star Honorable Mentions
Indoor All-Star/All-Tournament selections
Indoor All-Star Game selections
U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame
Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame
Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame'''