San Jose Earthquakes Return to MLS

The Earthquakes franchise was moved to Houston (to become the Dynamo) after the 2005 season due to an inability to resolve lease issues at Spartan Stadium or build a permanent one of their own. Soon after that move was made an effort was launched to restart the club and those efforts came to fruition yesterday. The club will be run by Lew Wolff and John Fisher, owners of baseball's Oakland A's. The pair will lead efforts to build a permanent stadium for the club with the first choice a location near San Jose International Airport.

The announcement was made by Wolff and MLS commissioner Don Garber at the 2007 All-Star Game in Denver, Colorado. "This is a momentous day in the maturation of Major League Soccer", Garber said in the official press release. "One, because we are able to reward the soccer fans of the Bay Area for their patience and complete our commitment to return a team to them. Two, because it shows how much the sport's credibility has grown in just two years time. The Earthquakes now have a solid foundation on which to build."

The Earthquakes will use the same colors and logo as in their previous MLS incarnation and will be the seventh team in the league's Western Conference. A short-term stadium has not yet been announced but is likely to include Spartan Stadium of San Jose State University (their previous home) and possibly other locations within the San Francisco Bay area. The club were one of the most successful during their time in the league, winning the 2001 and 2003 MLS Cup final and the 2005 Supporters Shield.