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          San Jose Earthquakes sack Mikael Stahre, hire Steve Ralston as head coach

          • ESPN
          Sep 17, 2018, 05:58 PM

          San Jose Earthquakes have sacked head coach Mikael Stahre after less than a year with the club, the MLS side announced on Monday.

          He will be replaced by assistant coach Steve Ralston, who will serve on an interim basis.

          Assistant coach Alex de Crook was also let go with Stahre.

          "I would like to thank Mikael and Alex for their hard work and professionalism this season," Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli said. "Mikael has qualities, both as a person and a coach, that will be missed by players, staff and the front office alike.

          "We felt we needed a change and decided that the six remaining games represent an opportunity for all of us to begin heading in a new direction and to evaluate our options actively with a single goal in mind: to strengthen our First Team for the upcoming season and beyond."

          Stahre had signed a multi-year contract in November of last year after replacing previous manager Chris Leitch -- who himself replaced Dominic Kinnear, who was sacked last summer -- but has led San Jose to the bottom of Western Conference table this season, four points off the 11th-placed Colorado Rapids.

          Ralston, 44, takes over after serving as a Quakes assistant since 2015.

          A former United States international, Ralston is a longtime veteran of MLS both as a player and coach.