NEWS: Fans Invited to Meet Quakes Coach Matias Almeyda
Bienvenido Matias Almeyda
2019 Season Passes – On Sale Now!
2019.01.17 – San Jose Earthquakes fans will have the opportunity to meet head coach Matias Almeyda and members of his technical staff at the Bienvenido Matias event on Jan. 20 at Avaya Stadium.
The event is presented by Telemundo 48 Área de la Bahía. Bienvenido Matias will take place from 1-4 p.m. and is free to attend, but fans must have a ticket to enter the stadium. Free tickets are available here.
Bienvenido Matias will feature a Q&A session with Almeyda hosted by Telemundo 48’s Gabriel Sotelo, followed by an autograph session.
Gabriel Sotelo with Quakes Head Coach Matias Almeyda at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California.
The event will also feature many more activities for fans, including a performance by San Jose-based Mexican “Popteño” band SuenaTron. Founded by the sons of Los Tigres del Norte bassist Hernan Hernandez.
Read more at: San Jose Earthquakes Media Services / MLS.com
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Jose Earthquakes, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
Bienvenido Matias Almeyda!
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2019 Season Passes – On Sale Now!
San Jose Earthquakes Hire Matias Almeyda as Head Coach
2018.10.08 – San Jose Earthquakes announced today that the club has hired Matias Almeyda as head coach.
2018.10.08 – The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that the club has hired Matias Almeyda as head coach.
The former Argentina National Team midfielder recently led Mexican side Chivas de Guadalajara to the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League title.
Interim head coach Steve Ralston will remain in his role for the final two matches of the 2018 regular season before Almeyda takes over in 2019.
“What we saw in Matias was a coach that brought success by creating a culture we strive to emulate,” said Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli. “He has demonstrated leadership qualities in Argentina with River Plate and Banfield, as well as in Mexico with Chivas.
MATIAS ALMEYDA AS HEAD COACH
Almeyda has always had a winning mentality, both as a player and a coach, and most importantly, he is someone that knows how to redirect a team in a difficult situation with a commitment to a distinct style of play and youth development.
“Matias came here because he welcomes the challenge of helping our organization open a new chapter after a grueling season. He had several other opportunities available to him from clubs and national teams around the world but made it very clear the Earthquakes were the one he wanted to lead.”
The Quakes new coach comes to San Jose with an extensive background both as a player and manager. The 44 year old Argentinean most recently served as head coach of Chivas from September 2015 to June 2018, where he led the club to five trophies in his three seasons.
During his tenure, Almeyda managed numerous Mexican National Team players, including Carlos Salcedo, Omar Bravo, Alan Pulido, Oswaldo Alanis, Rodolfo Pizarro, Miguel Angel Ponce and Isaac Brizuela.
Almeyda’s side won the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League with consecutive wins over MLS clubs Seattle Sounders FC (3-1 agg.), New York Red Bulls (1-0 agg.) and Toronto FC (3-3 agg.; 4-2 PKs).
It marked the club’s first CONCACAF Champions League title since 1962, the first year of the competition’s existence, and secured Chivas’ first-ever qualification for the FIFA Club World Cup.
In addition to their international success, Chivas also performed well domestically under Almeyda. Chivas won the nation’s biannual tournament, Copa MX, in 2015 (Apertura) and 2017 (Clausura), as well as the 2016 Supercopa MX.
The club also won the Clausura 2017 Liga MX championship, their first league title in more than 20 years. He was subsequently named Liga MX’s Best Coach after winning the league double.
ALMEYDA AS HEAD COACH IN ARGENTINA
Prior to joining Chivas in 2015, Almeyda was head coach for multiple clubs in Argentina.
In June of 2011, Almeyda made the rare transition from player to head coach, where he was tasked with leading a River Plate side that had just suffered relegation.
In his debut season as manager, Almeyda led the Argentine power-house to a commanding 20-5-13 record and promotion back to the nation’s top league. The team also reached the semifinals of Copa Argentina with five consecutive victories, in which they allowed one total goal, before bowing out to Racing in penalties.
Almeyda left River Plate in November of 2012, joining Argentina’s Club Atletico Banfield a few months later. Banfield had also recently suffered relegation and turned to Almeyda to restore the club to the Primera División.
Banfield won the championship and earned promotion in his first season, finishing with a 22-8-12 record and +31 goal differential, scoring a league-best 71 goals in 42 games. Only one other team finished with more than 54 goals that season.
After avoiding relegation in 2014, Almeyda’s side surged ahead in 2015, finishing in eighth place in the 30-team league with a 14-8-8 record and earning qualification for the 2016 Copa Sudamericana. Almeyda departed for Chivas after the team’s successful 2015 season.
MATIAS ALMEYDA AS A PLAYER
Almeyda became a head coach after a lengthy playing career that featured stints in five countries. The defensive midfielder played in nearly 300 club matches, including 129 in Italy’s top-flight Serie A, 63 in Argentina’s Primera División and 28 in Spain’s La Liga, also making 20 appearances in UEFA Champions League competition. He featured for some of the world’s most storied clubs, including Inter Milan, Lazio, Sevilla and River Plate.
Among the trophies he helped lift as a player are three Argentinian championships (’93, ’95, ’96), one Copa Libertadores (’96), one UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup (’99), one UEFA Super Cup (’00), three Italian Cups (‘98, ‘00, ’02) and one Italian championship (’00).
Almeyda started and ended his playing career at River Plate, retiring in 2011 and immediately taking the reins as head coach at 37 years of age.
Internationally, Almeyda made 35 appearances for the Argentina National Team, scoring five goals. He represented his country at the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cups.
The assistants on Almedya’s coaching staff will be announced at a later date.
Read more at: San Jose Earthquakes Media Services / MLS.com
JEstevez@EMIsportsCentral.com
For more on the San Jose Earthquakes, see the blog at www.EMIsportsCentral.com
Bienvenido Matias Almeyda!
EMI Sports Central – EMI Sports Bay Area: Join the conversation on sports news for SF Bay Area teams: Follow @EMIsports on Twitter, “Like” us on Facebook and sign up for our FREE email newsletters.