In a gaffe that certainly sets MLS expansion San Jose off on the wrong foot, "Northern California's team" went barnstorming for young high school talent, and muddied their eligibility along the way. The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is investigating a series of youth development tryouts held by the soon-to-be Earthquakes that places the status of several students in jeopardy. Inside Bay Area.com writes:[CIF director] Ishida said regardless of whether the players are reinstated, though, any games they played after the tryout would be forfeited. That could ultimately have a major effect on league standings and NCS playoff seedings.
The Earthquakes held seven tryouts from Nov.3 to Dec.2 in Walnut Creek, Oakland, Hayward, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Salinas and Sacramento.
Ishida ruled that by participating in a tryout, the players violated CIF Bylaw 213-D, whichstates that high school players cannot participate "in any tryout for a professional team in any CIF-approved sport" from Sept.15 to June15 unless the player has written approval from the school's principal and the tryout has no more than five players.
The Earthquakes maintain that because no players received money and because the tryouts were for unpaid spots on the developmental team, they did not violate the spirit of the rule.
Spirit of the rule or not, the new Quakes will certainly get a black eye from this. The wave of forfeitures are the most intriguing part to us, as nothing heralds the arrival of a new sports franchise than holding them responsible for ruining entire high school seasons. Lucky for the students in question this shouldn't affect their college prospects.
San Jose is fortunate they play the 2007 season in a variety of venues in lieu of a home stadium. Its best to be a moving target when you mess up like this.
If the 2008 presidential race is anything like the 2004 and 2000 campaigns, we're about to hear a lot about the importance of appealing to soccer moms, those lovable suburbanites who will vote for the candidate who promises to make the world a better place for their adorable soccer-playing tots. 
