San Jose settles in for 2025 season

Score recaps from the last five matches. pc: @sjearthquakes on Instagram

Josh: Even though it’s been longer than we promised, it seems like now’s a good time to catch up on our Quakes before the first LAFC matchup of 2025. And maybe you want to focus on someone other than your Revs… <awkward>

Matt: I’ve grown attached to the Quakes over our years of blogging, so they’ve been a welcome distraction from the lack of success the 2025 Revs have produced. Do you know what’s made it easier? I recognize even more players this year…The Quakes brought in Josef Martínez, Arango, and even Bruce Arena, Dave Romney, Ian Harkes, Mark Anthony Kaye, Nick Lima, and Earl Edwards, Jr.! How does this sound: Let’s hear it for your..*throat rumbling sound*...San Jose Quakes/Revolution West!

Josh: It doesn’t flow, but I like where your head’s at. And don’t forget Nick Lima was a San Jose Homegrown first! Although we don’t want El Rey to catch our precious Wondo (and the announcers say it’s impossible) El Rey Josef Martínez has leapt to 6th lifetime MLS goals with his hat trick on Sunday. But that’s skipping ahead to the good news.

Matt: It’s good to see Martínez having a resurgence this season. After his injury, disappointing exit from Atlanta, and lost season in Montréal, he seems like he’s finally having fun again in Quakes Black and Blue. Laundry aside, as a fan of the game itself, it is exciting to see Martínez produce a lot of highlights for the 408.

Josh: Looking to one of our other phenoms, Red Card-turned-shoulder injury took powerhouse Hernán López off the pitch and into the DL for multiple months. And the first couple of matches without him show that Coach Arena and the Quakes planned to have his leadership and field view out there. After the rocking start to the season, they followed up with 0-1 MNUFC, 1-2 Colorado, and 1-4 Charlotte. Anything that stood out to you in these humbling matchups?

Matt: Arena likes to play a 3-5-2 with this team, which can work REALLY well or cause trouble if a particular team is able to beat them in transition. Overall, of the three you mention, the Colorado match was the most disappointing - the Quakes were the best team on the field that night, but Colorado came ahead in the “team with the most odd and beneficial bounces” category. In the 71’, the Colorado forwards sliced up a suddenly and unforgivingly stagnant Quakes team in its own defensive end. SJ led Colorado in Shots (29 to 9), Shots on Target (13 to 4), Corners (10 to 4), and xG (3.1 to 2.2), but walked away with fewer points (0 to 3).

San Jose used a 4-man back line to bolster the D in Queen City, but Charlotte used their patience and poise to beat them, despite lagging in shots (14 to 27), Corners (0 to 5), Aerials won (29% to 71%), and, barely, xG (2.8 to 3). Charlotte DID lead in two important categories: Shots on Target (8 to 6), and Goals (4 to 1). I think Charlotte is a young franchise that can still surprise an experienced team and coach, but with strong players like Malanda, Westwood, Vargas, Agyemang, and Zaha, no one should come into Charlotte’s stadium and expect anything to come easy. Third - Minnesota simply showed up ready for a dogfight and held their own on the road.

Josh: For me, it was revealing that even with Romney leading the backline, the Black & Blue had communications issues that led to repeat through-balls off center about 25 yards out, which left Daniel to his own devices to save. Even with some impressive support efforts, the easy goals went in for the other teams. Feels like the attacking defenders on the wing need to play a little more heads up.

Matt: Disclosure: I am a HUGE Romney fan. He’s not invincible, but a consistent and smart player that would benefit any lineup. But like any good defender, he can’t do it all by himself. IMHO, a lot of this is the result of having a team playing on its front foot, ready to attack and counterattack. This can create exciting soccer, but it calls for a lot more running on the part of the forwards. If that lags, then Daniel is in the hot seat. He has definitely made some great plays this season, but that net can feel pretty big for one man to guard, even if they do get to use their hands.

Josh: Indeed - and Daniel earned nominations for Team of the Matchday on the soon-to-be-mentioned draw, which is saying something about how he is still performing very well! Anything else you’d like to say about the tough streak?

Matt: One, I think San Jose is experiencing the good problem of no longer being underestimated. Two, Arena is making the right choice to keep developing players (read: Tsakiris, Bouda, Ricketts, and more), and that may cost them moments here and there. But it’s early in the season, and that gained experience will benefit them as the playoffs approach and they hopefully have developed a deeper, more experienced lineup. My conclusion: these three losses will help the Quakes develop as individual players and as a team, and better now than in the dog days of August.

Josh: Agreed - especially because recruiting top tier players means the International Breaks and regional tournaments are going to have a bigger impact on player availability. So those subs will get their turn to start and that field time will pay off. Soon we got a little more hope, even though yesteryear Quakes peeked into PayPal Park, ending up with a draw after Seattle scored a 79’ goal. But a draw against a Heritage Cup opponent is still an improvement from 2024.

Matt: Seattle is always tough, and they are well-coached. They hung with the Quakes, who were the recipients of a lucky bounce that slipped past Frei’s extended fingers, and kept the pressure on. On this night it was Arango who was unlucky - he overran a little defending Rusnak, who kept his cool and went far post uncontested.

Josh: Of course, the main event, hosted by Josef Martínez, with supporting cast Chicho Arango, Cristian Espinoza, and Ahmal Pellegrino, got PayPal Park shaking for Saturday’s Heroes on a Sunday, for the MLS 30th matchup against DC United. I bet Coach Arena was happy to be on the right side of the pitch this time. And this is the first time in a long time that the MLS Player of the Match Day is wearing a San Jose shield.

Matt: It’s definitely a story, the 30th anniversary rematch of the first MLS game ever. Another parallel - DC is redefining themselves this season (e.g., former GK Bono is wearing Revs blue this season). Sunday afternoon, the Quakes made DC look every inch the underdog. 

Josh: And hold the phones - 6 goals on Sunday puts the San Jose Earthquakes, yes your San Jose Earthquakes, tied for most goals in MLS at 15 on the season (Orlando), with a Top 3 Goal Differential (+5) in the Western Conference. Woah - the investment in the front line is paying off.

Matt: One of Arena’s almost eerie abilities as a coach is to identify the strengths of players and envision how they can be successful in several scenarios and formations. First off, just like he was with the Revs, Arena is both the coach and the Sporting Director. I have to imagine in early meetings that Arena also made it clear that Espinoza & Friends needed more offensive weapons in order for him to get on board with this project. In short, yes.

Josh: Coming up - LAFC in LA, Kansas City at home for Country Night (apparently), and Columbus in Columbus. It’s going to be a challenging hot & cold couple of weeks. What do you anticipate?

Matt: Over the next three weeks, I predict some hostile road environments in LA and Columbus, and the potential for some really good Brisket and BBQ trucks at PayPal Park. But seriously, I think the Quakes have a chance to walk away with at least two wins. Things aren’t really clicking for LAFC or SKC right now, but Columbus will be a good test for the Quakes. Nancy is an excellent coach who makes very good in-game adjustments, so I think Bruce will have the opportunity to play chess that night. Plus, San Jose-acclimated athletes will have to enter Ohio’s own special and unpredictable climate…the weather there is like Forrest Gump’s box of chocolates.

Josh: In Columbus in April, you never know what you’re gonna get, and this is a new San Jose lineup. I’m going with an optimistic 7 more points to end April for our Quakes, getting us back up in the mix with San Diego and Austin. Vamos SJ!

Quake-o-meter for Matches 3-7 (Richter goes to 9, OURS goes to 10)

Final Score on the Quake-o-meter Richter Scale: 7.8 / 10 - What an exciting level to be humble about.

Current % chance of a San Jose/New England MLS Cup Final: 40% - New England needs to get above the Playoff Line, but there’s a lot of soccer between here and October.

Twitter/X and Instagram: @QuakesCoasts