SAN JOSE -- Major League Soccer did not chose Los Angeles or New York to launch its startup 20 years ago this week.
The league's braintrust picked Silicon Valley to initiate a sporting experiment that by most metrics has become a towering success. It all began April 4, 1996 at Spartan Stadium in the San Jose Clash's 1-0 victory over D.C. United.For then-coach Laurie Calloway it felt like a Super Bowl, not that the former English defender had ever seen one. The Clash got a police escort from their downtown hotel to the game. On the bus the players were told it would be a sellout.