No one has played more for the Clash than Tim Martin, who has started 48 games for San Jose. He sees a bright future for the team in the Brian Quinn era. SOCCER AMERICA: Within a week, the Clash fired coach Laurie Calloway and hired Brian Quinn, and it beat Dallas 3-1. Has the coaching change already had an effect? TIM MARTIN: No matter what the situation is with a team, whether players have bad attitudes or are upset about not playing, everything changes when a new coach comes in. It’s a new beginning and we all have new attitudes. SA: How has the team taken to Quinn? TM: Everyone was impressed with how Brian prepared for the game. Everything he predicted ù about what we would do, and what the Burn would do ù came true. Anyone who saw the game saw we played with more intensity, and that we played faster than we have all season. We were a different team. I had fans telling me it was the best Clash performance they’d seen in two years. SA: That has to do with the coaching change? TM: I think the fact we played so fast, that we kept possession well, and that we applied defensive pressure quickly to get the ball back was a result of a good week of practice. SA: The practices under Quinn were different? TM: Oh yeah. They are shorter, but probably harder. A lot of one-touch, two-touch and moving forward playing possession ball. They are definitely faster-paced. SA: Like his predecessor, Quinn has a British background. Is he bringing a British style with him? TM: No. Not at all. He keeps things moving, but it’s not, “Let’s thump the ball forward.” The only thing British or Irish about his style might be the intense work ethic. SA: Will the team become more attractive under Quinn? TM: I think it will be much more attractive. The fans who saw his first game seem to agree. SA: Is it too early to say that the Clash’s bad times are behind it? TM: We had a three-week stretch that was worse than anything we had in our club’s history. When you have a losing streak, everything is magnified, such as the finger-pointing between players that happens with all teams. This is all forgotten. Everyone’s getting along now and everyone likes the coach. It’s a different atmosphere. Maybe there was nothing Laurie could have done and maybe a coaching change was the only thing that could save us. Of course, winning makes a big difference. Now, we all have a good vision of where we want to go. by Soccer America Senior Editor Mike Woitalla