The newly created San Jose Earthquakes team just finished up the Carolina Challenge Cup, an annual pre-season tournament featuring 4 teams. This year along with the Earthquakes the New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC, and home team Charleston Battery. San Jose went a perfect 3-0 to win the tournament while the USL team went 1-1-1 which was good enough to finish in 2nd place above the other 2 MLS teams.
Usually pre-season results don’t mean much - but that hasn’t been the case of the Carolina Challenge Cup. Each of the past 4 years the winner of the Challenge Cup has gone on to see great results in the MLS regular season. The winner has either won the MLS Cup or the MLS Supporters’ Shield in each of the past 4 years.
Which will it be for the Earthquakes?