History
When the San Jose Major League Soccer club decided to change its name and look in 1999, it went into the past to do so. Reaching back to a previously successful soccer team in the area, the Clash became the Earthquakes. The previous incarnation of the Earthquakes played in the North American Soccer League from 1974-1984, and then in the Western Soccer Alliance from 1985-88. Those Earthquakes teams called Spartan Stadium home. The name Earthquakes originally came from a newspaper contest in the San Jose Mercury News, in which fans were encouraged to send in suggestions for the name of the soon-to-be formed San Jose franchise. The name Earthquakes was chosen by the team's management. Following are the results of those teams: