The San Jose franchise relocated to Houston ahead of the 2006 season, retaining its name and history for a future expansion team. During the Earthquakes’ two-year hiatus, the Dynamo were busy establishing themselves as back-to-back MLS Cup champions.
The past and present will meet for the first time Thursday when the Earthquakes host the Dynamo in their return to the Bay Area.
After spending 10 seasons in California, the Earthquakes franchise moved its players and coaches to Texas to become the Dynamo in December 2005. However, the team’s name, colors and competition records - as well as two MLS Cup titles - belong to this year’s expansion Earthquakes.
But it hasn’t been an easy transition for the Earthquakes (1-5-1), who are winless in four straight league games - not including a U.S. Open Cup loss to Real Salt Lake.
James Riley’s own goal in the 23rd minute sent San Jose to a 2-0 loss at New England on Saturday, giving the team its longest run without a victory since going 0-3-4 from Sept. 8-Oct. 16, 2004.
“Both goals were preventable, to be honest,” coach Frank Yallop told the Earthquakes’ official Web site. “It was a free kick into the box that wasn’t dealt with by our defenders and then an own goal. (It was just a) bad start.”
San Jose was without Nick Garcia for the first time in 2008 as the captain sat out with a right groin strain. Garcia, acquired from Kansas City for the first overall pick in this year’s SuperDraft, is listed as questionable for Thursday’s matchup.
Whether or not the veteran defender is in the lineup, the Earthquakes must solve their offensive woes if they plan on ending their recent struggles.
They are last in MLS with four goals, and have been shut out four times during their five-game winless streak. They were limited to two shots on goal and four overall their last time out.
San Jose is the only team in the Western Conference to have scored fewer goals than the defending league champion Dynamo (2-2-4), who have been limited to nine goals in eight games. However, four have come in winning their last two matches, including a 2-1 victory at Chicago on Saturday.
Dwayne De Rosario scored his second goal of the season before Bobby Boswell’s tally in the 82nd minute gave Houston back-to-back victories after an 0-2-4 start.
“I think we have just been unlucky with our results early in the year,” Boswell told the Dynamo’s official Web site. “The breaks just weren’t going our way. Or we were making one mistake here or there. But things are going to even out over a matter of time.”
Thursday’s matchup brings 10 Dynamo players back to the Bay Area, including De Rosario, who collected 27 goals and 31 assists in 108 games over five seasons with the Earthquakes. Forward Brian Ching compiled 25 goals and 11 assists in three years with San Jose.
Earthquakes defender Ryan Cochrane, originally drafted by San Jose in 2004, relocated with the Dynamo before heading back to his first club as a first-round pick in this year’s expansion draft.
The teams’ next meeting is Sept. 13 at Buck Shaw Stadium, then the season series concludes in Houston one week later.