Earthquakes Defender Victor Bernardez Called to Honduran National Team Duty

SAN JOSE, California. – San Jose Earthquakes defender Victor Bernardez has been called to Honduras national team duty ahead of their upcoming friendly against Venezuela. Los Catrachos will host the match at Estadio Olimpico in San Pedro Sula on Wednesday, March 5.

Honduras was drawn into Group E at the 2014 FIFA World Cup along with Switzerland, Ecuador and France. Bernardez and his countrymen finished third in the CONCACAF hexagonal, earning their second-straight trip to the World Cup.

Bernardez, 31, has 68 career caps with Los Catrachos. He was a part of Honduras’ 2010 World Cup squad and was a mainstay on their backline during the 2014 qualification process. Bernardez is entering his third year with the Earthquakes. He has three goals and two assists in 49 regular season appearances during that time and was a 2012 MLS Best-XI selection.

Bernardez departs for Honduras following the Earthquakes’ final game of the Rose City Invitational on Saturday, March 1 against Portmore United (Jamaica). That game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. PT at Providence Park in Portland, Ore. with a livestream available at www.sjeartquakes.com.  Bernardez will return to San Jose in time to face Deportivo Toluca FC on Tuesday, March 11 in CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal action.

GOALKEEPERS: Noel Valladares (Olimpia), Donis Escober (Olimpia), Luis Lopez (Real Espana).

DEFENDERS: Arnold Peralta (Rangers), Walter Williams (Real Sociedad), Maynor Figueroa (Hull City), Victor Bernardez (San Jose Earthquakes), Bryan Acosta (Real Espana), Emilio Izaguirre (Celtic), Henry Clark (Real Sociedad), Juan Carlos Garcia (Wigan Athletic)

MIDFIELDERS: Jorge Claros (Motagua), Edder Delgado (Real Espana), Luis Garrido (Olimpia), Boniek Garcia (Houston Dynamo), Andy Najar (Anderlecht), Roger Espinoza (Wigan Athletic) and Marvin Chavez (Colorado Rapids).

FORWARDS: Diego Reyes (Marathon), Rony Martinez (Real Sociedad), Jerry Bengtson (New England Revolution), Jerry Palacios (Alajuelense), Rommel Quioto (Olimpia).

DULORME vs. MAYFIELD

MARCH 29 AT THE BOARDWALK HALL IN ATLANTIC CITY, NJ

LIVE ON HBO BOXING AFTER DARK

NEW JERSEY (February 25, 2014) - Gary Shaw Production's super-lightweight contender and Puerto Rican star, Thomas Dulorme (20-1, 14 KOs), who's ranked WBA # 3, IBF # 5, WBC # 6, and WBO # 14, will battleWBO # 6 and WBC # 11 rated contender,  Karim "Hard Hitta" Mayfield (18-0-1, 11 KOs) battle for the NABF Super-Lightweight title.  The 10-round bout will take place at the Boardwalk Hall (The Ballroom) in Atlantic City, New Jersey, March 29 on the undercard of Sergey Kovalev (23-0-1, 21 KOs) vs. Cedric Agnew (26-0, 13 KOs).  The event will be televised live onHBO Boxing After Dark® beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Dulorme is coming into the bout riding a 4-fight winning streak.  Since moving from welterweight to super-lightweight, Dulorme feels he's more powerful and will look to bring that power to Mayfield. 

"I know I made the right move coming down from 147 lbs. to 140 lbs." said Dulorme. "My punches carry a lot more pop now and I'm making the weight with no problems.  I feel most comfortable at super-lightweight.  I know Mayfield has power so I will be fully prepared for his awkward style.  A fight like this is what the fans deserve.  My goal is to bring a victory back to Puerto Rico.  Mayfield is in danger."

"Dulorme is coming to show the world he's got the talent to be something special in this sport and Mayfield is no walk in the park," promoter Gary Shaw stated. "Dulorme's very comfortable at 140 pounds and I expect him to be in great shape for this fight.  I know if he's focused he'll come out on top."

Mayfield, known for having a unique style, has knocked out four of his last six opponents.  His ability to punch heavily with both hands makes him a difficult foe for any fighter.   He'll be looking to take the fight to Dulorme.

"My style is to always go for the knockout and wear down my opponent," Mayfield said. "I've seen Dulorme fight and he's got good skills but I'm a whole different animal.  He's going to have to withstand my hard hitting style, which is not easy to do.  I believe if I can catch him with a good shot on his chin, he's going down."

Having seen both fighters up close, promoter Gary Shaw feels this fight is going to have a lot of action.

"Both Dulorme and Mayfield have special talents that they bring to the ring," said Gary Shaw. "Dulorme is an excellent boxer, with a great jab, while Mayfield has a rough house awkward style.  The two of them have good power, and both chins will be tested.  I think it's going to come down to who wants it more which makes for a great night of boxing.  This is certainly a fan friendly fight, one everyone should be tuning into."

A’s Officially Unveil New Website Brand Domain ‘athletics.com’

OAKLAND, Calif.–To ease fan access to the official club website and conform with most Major League Baseball clubs, the Oakland A’s have announced a new brand domain, “athletics.com,” effective immediately. Previously, the A’s had used “oaklandathletics.com” and now the shorter brand address will make accessing the Athletics much easier and faster for fans while seamlessly conforming to the A’s official social media accounts, such as @Athletics on Twitter.
While athletics.com is a simpler option for public use, the team stressed that oaklandathletics.com will continue to function.

MLS ADQUIERE A CHIVAS USA

El equipo permanecerá en Los Ángeles; varios grupos interesados en adquirir el club

 Major League Soccer hoy anunció que le ha comprado Chivas USA a Jorge Vergara y Angélica Fuentes. Con efecto inmediato, la MLS asumirá la responsabilidad del funcionamiento del club. La MLS nombrará próximamente a un ejecutivo experimentado en el ámbito deportivo como presidente de Chivas USA, durante este periodo interino. El director técnico, Wilmer Cabrera, quien se unió al club el 9 de enero, continuará en su posición y se reportará con el nuevo presidente.  

 

En los próximos meses, la liga revenderá el club a un nuevo grupo de dueños quienes estarán comprometidos en construir un nuevo estadio y mantener el equipo en la ciudad de Los Ángeles. La liga ha sostenido conversaciones iniciales con un número de dueños potenciales muy calificados, y tiene la intención de finalizar un acuerdo con un nuevo grupo durante este año. 

 

El club jugará como Chivas USA durante la temporada 2014 de la MLS y será relanzado bajo un nuevo nombre y logo junto con la venta a un nuevo dueño. 

 

Bajo los términos del acuerdo de compra, el señor Vergara y la señora Fuentes retienen todos los derechos de marca y de uso del nombre de Chivas. La MLS tiene permitido usar la marca de Chivas USA durante la transición. 

“Agradecemos a Jorge Vergara y Angélica Fuentes por su compromiso con la Major League Soccer,” dijo el Comisionado de la MLS Don Garber.  “Jorge fue de los primeros en creer en la liga, y él y Angélica han sido socios importantes en la MLS. Juntos acordamos que es mejor vender el club a nuevos dueños quienes están comprometidos en asegurar un nuevo estadio y proveerle a la MLS un fuerte rival para el LA Galaxy.”

Vergara fue parte del grupo original de inversionistas que compró un equipo de expansión, el cual  comenzó a jugar en 2005, y él junto a Fuentes se convirtieron en dueños únicos del club en 2012.

“Cuando Angélica y yo obtuvimos el control completo de la operación del equipo por primera vez hace 15 meses, estábamos esperanzados de poder darle un giro,” dijo el señor Vergara. “Sin embargo, solo hay un Chivas de Guadalajara, y nos hemos dado cuenta que requerirá más tiempo, recursos y un nivel del compromiso que desviaría demasiada de nuestra atención de nuestros otros negocios e intereses. Exploramos oportunidades de vender a otros grupos, pero creemos que vender la franquicia a la MLS en forma acelerada es de beneficio para todos involucrados, incluyendo los jugadores y la fiel afición del club. La MLS nos ha asegurado de su compromiso de mantener el equipo en Los Angeles y de encontrar los dueños correctos para hacer este equipo exitoso en el futuro. Agradecemos el liderazgo y colaboración de Don Garber y sus colegas en la MLS, ya que resulto en una transacción eficiente y beneficiosa para todos involucrados”.

 

Junto con la venta del equipo a un nuevo dueño, la MLS también encabezará las conversaciones para un nuevo estadio que será la nueva casa del club. El equipo ha jugado sus partidos de local en el StubHub Center en Carson, Calif. desde su debut en 2005 y continuará jugando ahí en 2014. 

 

Chivas USA arranca la temporada 2014 en la MLS el 9 de marzo cuando reciban al Chicago Fire.

Earthquakes Sign Former Stanford Midfielder JJ Koval

  

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that they have signed former Stanford midfielder and first-round SuperDraft pick JJ Koval. Per league and team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"I'm very excited. It's been a dream of mine to get an opportunity to play professional soccer for a long time,” Koval said. “I'm thankful for the chance and look forward to playing for the San Jose Earthquakes."

Koval, 21, was a standout midfielder during his four seasons with the Cardinal, earning a starting role as a freshman and appearing in 74 games during his career. He earned All-Pac 12 honors as both a junior and a senior with the Cardinal, including a spot on the All-Pac-12 First Team in 2013. A central midfielder, he scored six goals and posted four assists during his collegiate career. As a senior, he helped Stanford reach the third round of the NCAA Tournament, defeating Loyola Marymount and Cal State Northridge along the way.

He also spent the summer playing for the Ventura County Fusion in the PDL in 2013 and played his youth soccer for Real So Cal. At Stanford, he was twice named to the Pac-12 All-Academic Team. He is the 12th Stanford player to be drafted by the Earthquakes.

Transaction: San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) – San Jose Earthquakes sign M JJ Koval.

JJ Koval
Jersey Number: 28
Position: Midfielder
Height: 6-1
Weight: 175 lbs.
Born: May 19, 1992 in Westlake Village, Calif.
Hometown: Camarillo, Calif.
College: Stanford
Citizenship: USA

 

ANTEL Y LA NBA ANUNCIAN ALIANZA MULTIANUAL

-- Antel es Ahora el Socio Oficial de Servicio de Telecomunicaciones de la NBA en Uruguay --

 -- NBA Proporcionará Orientación Sobre el Desarrollo de Antel Arena en Montevideo --

Nueva York, 19 de febrero del 2014 – Antel y la NBA (National Basketball Association) anuncian hoy una alianza multianual para asesoramiento y marketing que convertirá a Antel en el Socio Oficial de Servicio de Telecomunicaciones de la liga en Uruguay.

 Mediante la asociación, Antel tendrá como objetivo brindar a los fans en Uruguay con experiencias notables de la NBA al ser el patrocinador principal de programas de la liga, tales como una clínica de NBA Fit y una fiesta para los fans, así como realizaciones de promociones que permitirán a los fans a recibiren acceso a partidos en vivo de la NBA en los EE.UU. así como contenido de la liga a través de suscripciones del NBA League Pass Internacional.

Como parte de la alianza, NBA brindará pautas respecto del desarrollo del Antel Arena en Montevideo, Uruguay, de acuerdo con los estándares de arenas internacionales de la liga.

La presidenta de Antel, Carolina Cosse ha remarcado su importancia.  “Esta alianza con un número uno del mundo marca el estándar de calidad constante en la política de Antel, que es masificar la calidad. Esto es en esencia el Proyecto de Fibra al Hogar y es la esencia del profundo compromiso social que toda empresa pública debe tener. ”

“Antel es la empresa líder de telecomunicaciones en Uruguay y nuestra asociación mejorará significativamente la forma en que nuestros fans en Uruguay pueden conectar con la NBA", dijo Philippe Moggio, vicepresidente de la NBA, América Latina.  "Gracias a nuestra nueva sociedad vamos a colaborar en maneras de llevar la emoción de la NBA a más fans en todo el país y al mismo tiempo ofreciendo orientación para que ellos desarrollan una instalación deportiva de clase mundial."

 Sobre Antel

Antel, es una empresa propiedad del Estado uruguayo, cuyo cometido fundamental es el desarrollo de todos los servicios  de telecomunicaciones. Supera los 4.000.000 de servicios y es la empresa de telecomunicaciones con más fans en Uruguay. Antel ha asumido un fuerte compromiso con la universalización del acceso a la banda ancha desplegando una red nacional de fibra óptica que constituya la infraestructura que permita el acceso a las demandas del futuro. Es la primera empresa en América Latina en brindar a sus clientes servicios con tecnología LTE, situando a Uruguay entre los 10 países con mayor índice de acceso a la Tecnologías de la Información. Antel desarrolla acciones para eliminar la brecha digital y favorecer la inclusión digital, por esto se ha fijado la meta de lograr el 100% de los hogares conectados a Internet, alcanzando hoy un total de 62% de hogares con conectividad. Brinda conectividad a todas las computadoras portátiles que se le entrega a cada niño de las escuelas públicas de todo el país, servicios celulares a los maestros comunitarios y se acerca a los hogares de menor poder adquisitivo brindándoles un PC reciclado con software libre y acceso a Internet. Antel se ha propuesto transformarse en el motor de la sociedad del conocimiento, desplegando más y mejores posibilidades de acceso a los ciudadanos, una estrategia más cercana a la educación, a la academia y a la industria.

 Sobre la NBA

La NBA es un consorcio global de deportes y medios.  La componen tres ligas profesionales: la National Basketball Association, la Women’s National Basketball Association (liga femenina), y la NBA Development League (liga de desarrollo). La liga ha establecido presencia global con programación y juegos en 215 países y territorios, y en 47 idiomas. Mercancía de la NBA se comercializa en más de 125,000 tiendas en 100 países de seis continentes. Hoy hay una cifra récord de 92 jugadores internacionales en la NBA, representando a 39 países y territorios.  Entre los activos digitales de la NBA destacan NBA TV, disponible en más de 60 millones de hogares americanos; NBA.com tiene 9.5 billones de páginas visitadas, con más de 50% de las cuales llegan desde otras regiones del mundo.  La NBA es el deporte profesional número uno en medios sociales, con más de 500 millones de likes y seguidores de las plataformas de la liga, los equipos y los jugadores.  A través de NBA Cares, la liga, sus equipos y jugadores han donado más de $230 millones a instituciones de beneficencia. También ha completado más de 2.8 millones de horas, en servicios a la comunidad.  La NBA ha apoyado la creación de más de 860 lugares donde los chicos y sus familias pueden vivir, aprender y jugar.

 

Earthquakes Weekly Update

  

2014 PRESEASON

Camp Roster

GOALKEEPERS (4) – David Bingham, Jon Busch, *Billy Knutsen, Bryan Meredith.

DEFENDERS (12) – Brandon Barklage, Victor Bernardez, Shaun Francis, Clarence Goodson, ^Andreas Gorlitz, Ty Harden, Jason Hernandez, Tommy Muller, ^Jon Otsemobor, *Joe Sofia, Jordan Stewart, ^Daniel Welsh.

MIDFIELDERS (11) – ^Juan Baena, Cordell Cato, *A.J. Corrado, Sam Cronin, Sam Garza, Atiba Harris, *JJ Koval, Walter Martinez, Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi, Shea Salinas, Tommy Thompson.

FORWARDS (6) – Mike Fucito, Alan Gordon, Adam Jahn, Steven Lenhart, Billy Schuler, Chris Wondolowski.

*Unsigned 2014 MLS SuperDraft pick
^Trialist

Upcoming Training Schedule
Feb. 10-20 – San Jose, Calif.
Feb. 21-March 1 – Portland, Ore.
March 2 – San Jose, Calif.

Game Schedule
Feb. 5 – #Lost 1-2 vs. Seattle Sounders FC
Feb. 8 – #Lost 1-3 vs. Houston Dynamo
Feb. 15 – Lost 1-2 vs. LA Galaxy at Chukchansi Park in Fresno, Calif.
Feb. 23 – %Portland Timbers at 5 p.m. PT
Feb. 26 – %Vancouver Whitecaps FC at 5 p.m. PT
March 1 – %Portmore United FC (Jamaica) at 2:30 p.m. PT

# Desert Diamond Friendlies at Kino Sports Complex in Tucson, Ariz.
% Rose City Invitational at JELD-WEN Field in Portland, Ore.

Ticket Information for Preseason Games
Each of San Jose’s preseason games is open to the public. Tickets are being sold by the host organization for each event. That list includes:

Rose City Invitational – www.portlandtimbers.com

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Academy Standout Scores in 2-1 Loss vs. LA Galaxy
The Earthquakes’ late comeback bid fell just short, as they lost 2-1 to the LA Galaxy in the Central California Cup at Chukchansi Park over the weekend. The Galaxy grabbed a 2-0 lead early in the second half, but the Quakes made a push to nearly pull out a result at the end. Josh Morton, a U-18 Earthquakes Academy player, scored in the 67th minute and the Quakes created a number of quality chances late in the match, but they could not find the equalizer.

Earthquakes to Host Fifth-Annual Corporate Cup
The Earthquakes will host its Fifth Annual Corporate Cup on Saturday, July 26 in San Jose. The 5v5 tournament features companies from across the Bay Area, including past winners National Tire Warehouse, DZH Phillips and DV8 Elite. Teams are guaranteed at least three games and can choose to play in Men’s Corporate, Men’s Open or the Co-Ed divisions. Registration is now open at www.sjearthquakes.com or by calling 408-556-7700. All proceeds will benefit the Earthquakes Community Fund. Packages will include a fully catered meal by Cosmo Catering during the tournament and San Jose Earthquakes match tickets. All proceeds will benefit the Earthquakes Community Fund.

Eight Players Invited to PDL Evaluation Following Open Tryout
Eight players from the club’s open tryout on Jan. 26 at Danville’s Mustang Soccer Complex have been asked to participate in a second round of tryouts. The group will compete for a roster spot on the Earthquakes’ PDL team. The list of participants includes: Mario Cos, Adam Updegrove, Hugo Banuelos, Gustavo Silva, Jose Diaz, Carlos Gabriel Pecanha, Jaime Barragan, Kyle O'Brien.

Earthquakes Unveil New Logo, Jerseys
The Earthquakes unveiled the club’s new logo during a public event attended by over 4,000 fans last week at San Pedro Square Market in Downtown San Jose. The club projected images and videos onto the 12-story Sunwize building at the corner of W St. John St. and N San Pedro St. For more information about the unveiling, visit www.sjearthquakes.com.

CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal Schedule Announced
The Earthquakes will host Deportivo Toluca FC on Tuesday, March 11 in the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinal. Kickoff is 7 p.m. PT at Buck Shaw Stadium with television information to be announced at a later date. San Jose will travel to Mexico the following week for the second leg on Wednesday, March 19 at Nemesio Diez Stadium. Kickoff will be 5 p.m. PT with television information to follow at a later date. Earthquakes season ticket holders should use Bonus Game “A” for the match. Individual tickets are available by visiting www.sjearthquakes.com or calling 1-800-225-2277.

Stanford Stadium On-Sale Date
The Earthquakes will play at Stanford Stadium for a fourth-consecutive year on Saturday, June 28 against the LA Galaxy. The previous two editions drew sellout crowds of over 50,000. In addition to the soccer match, fans will be treated to a Salute to the Armed Forces halftime show and post-game fireworks extravaganza. Tickets will go on sale beginning Wednesday, Jan. 29 with a special Visa Pre-Sale. General public availability will follow two days later starting at 10 a.m. PT.

Earthquakes to Open Levi’s® Stadium on Aug. 2, 2014
The Santa Clara Stadium Authority and the San Jose Earthquakes announced that they have partnered to present the first event at Levi’s® Stadium. The Earthquakes will play host to Seattle Sounders FC in one of Major League Soccer’s most heated rivalries on August 2, 2014. Earthquakes season ticket holders and Levi’s® Stadium SBL holders will have priority access to tickets for this event. Tickets for the general public go on sale at a later date. In order to ensure great seats at the match, fans should call the Earthquakes Front Office at 408-556-7700 to purchase season tickets today.

ACADEMY NOTES

Marcinkowski Stars for United States
JT Marcinkowski started and played 90 minutes in two of the Unites States’ three games in the Copa del Atlantico last week. The Alamo, Calif. native saw action against Spain and Argentina, helping give his team a chance as the Americans fell 1-0 in both games.