San Fernando Valley Quakes as it expanded to nine teams. Playing at John Elway Stadium on the campus of Granada Hills Charter High School, head coach Ali Khosroshahin's team made an inauspicious start, tying 1–1 with Los Angeles Storm in their opening game, and then suffering a devastating 4–3 home defeat to Orange County Blue Star, having led 3–0 with 8 minutes to go. The Quakes' mid-season form improved considerably, highlighted by several impressive victories, including a 5–1 thrashing of California Gold, and an astonishing 7–4 road victory over San Diego Gauchos which included a hat trick from central defender Derek Hanks. The Quakes
U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association the late 1990s. The USNSTPA is also heavily involved in fundraising for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through their own Time In program and the national Soccer Kicks for Cancer program. U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association The U.S. National Soccer Team Players Association (USNSTPA) is the players union for the members of the United States men's national soccer team. Though the organization has existed since 1996, they rose to prominence within American soccer in late 2004 when their collective bargaining negotiations with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) became public. At the time, the collective bargaining agreement had been