SJEarthquakes.com: You played for the San Jose Earthquakes and managed both the San Francisco Blackhawks and the San Jose Clash. For someone that much soccer experience in the region, what did the inaugural MLS match in 1996 mean to you?
Laurie Calloway: “It was the culmination of a relationship with San Jose and the fans from day one. I had a fabulous relationship with the fans as a player. You had Krazy George rallying everyone together which made the experience much more exciting than anything I had experienced in England. Obviously, playing against players like Pele was a great experience. I carried on in San Jose after NASL folded and Peter Bridgwater kept the club alive with the Western Soccer Alliance. Then the Blackhawks came along and I won a national championship with them as the coach. It was very meaningful for the city and myself for the success we had. I was fortunate enough from there to be selected as the first coach of the Clash and I owe a lot to the club and the city for the opportunity.”
SJEQ:Talk about what you remember about that inaugural match.
LC: “That whole year was such an exciting experience, but it was the inaugural match in particular that really stands out for me. It felt like a Super Bowl week. Everyone was in town for the game because no other games were scheduled. The other teams were starting that next weekend. I think everybody was encouraged that the crowds were going to be big that year, but no one really knew. There was a lot of excitement with people who liked the sports, but there were skeptics that thought MLS would fail because the NASL had failed. “The game wasn’t a classic by any means. That wasn’t a surprise though, because it was the first-ever league match. We hung in there and got a goal in the last few minutes from Eric [Wynalda] and it was just ecstasy. The celebration after the goal and the celebration in the locker room postgame are moments I’ll just never forget.”
SJEQ:For a game of that magnitude, what did you say to your players to get them in the right frame of mind?
LC: “To be honest, I didn’t really have to say much. With games like that, they’re similar to a playoff or championship match. I asked the guys if they really understood what they were a part of, but they knew. Everybody is psyched. Everybody is pumped up. Everybody wants to be the guy that wins the game. Everybody wants to be the guy who does his job. I’m the type of guy who likes to motivate my team, too, and I didn’t have to do much of it going into that game. I could sense that everyone was focused and wanted to do well for their team.”
SJEQ: What was the preparation like for D.C. United?
LC: “The week ahead of the match was really busy because of the press conferences and all of the sponsor functions. We played a few games against D.C. United a few months earlier during the combines, but we still didn’t know too much about them. You understood their system of play, though, which helped us leading into the match. At the end of the day, we did our job to get the win and a result that the entire Bay Area wanted.”
SJEQ: Coaching the likes of Doyle and Dayak with the Blackhawks and being the coach ushering them into a new league and a new team must have been something special for you.
LC: “When I was given the job, it was a no-brainer for me to bring in players that I had worked with previously with the Blackhawks. As a lot of people knew back then, we won a national championship and we had nationally recognized players like John Doyle and Dominic Kinnear. I knew I couldn’t get them all in that first draft, but I obviously got some key guys. To be able to keep working with them was a tremendous privilege and was key for us staying competitive in the first couple of years.”
SJEQ: We have heard so many stories about fans in attendance pregame, but what were the scenes on the field like before kickoff at Spartan Stadium?
LC: “I can remember the intimacy on the sidelines in that first game. There were a lot of people who came down to the field and congratulated me on getting the job before the match started. There were faces that I remember and faces that I’d never seen before, but it was a memorable experience. It was always a great place to play. I always felt very privileged to have played there so long and to be able to coach them so long. I can’t remember how many games I’ve played and coached inside Spartan Stadium, but it was a lot. There aren’t many guys who had the experience that I had with playing with the Earthquakes, coaching the Blackhawks and then coaching the Earthquakes. I’ve always been appreciative of the fans that came out to the games and I hope they still know my appreciation.”
