A year after announcing the hire of Luchi Gonzalez as the team’s next steward, the San Jose Earthquakes have plenty of reasons to feel good about where they stand. The disdain emanating from the final moments of the red-hot Matias Almeyda reign and the momentum-killer of the pandemic are behind them. And all of this is punctuated by the fact that the product on the field is finally good again.
Behind the high-pressing, possession based style of the former FC Dallas and USMNT coach, the Quakes find themselves in the handful of teams in the Western Conference that are in the mix to contend for a title.
Knock on wood, but barring a major setback in the final 11 games of the MLS regular season, San Jose is slated to finish this year with a winning record for the first time in nearly 10 years. If they continue handling their business, as they have been, PayPal Park could host its first ever playoff game since opening in 2015.
“We’ve earned the place where we are today,” Gonzalez said at the team’s first press conference since The Quakes were bounced from the Leagues Cup by Tigres. “We’ve built a team that can break lines quickly… Our shot volume has been good. We’ve given the best teams problems and that has given us the belief that we can beat anybody.”
With nine of their last 11 games being against opponents in the Western Conference, Chris Leitch’s front office wasn’t looking to leave anything up to chance. At the end of the league’s secondary transfer window, the Quakes bolstered their attacking corps with a pair of loans—adding 23-year-old Ayo Akinola from Toronto FC and 22-year-old Matthew Hoppe from English Championship side Middlesbrough.
“Ayo and Hoppe will be competing for playing time in all three of the front positions,” Gonzalez said. “Jack Skahan has emerged too. It’s great to have this kind of competition for playing time. They have already added a spark to our team.”
Before their arrival, The Quakes had become increasingly reliant on the brilliance of one player— first-time MLS All Star Cristian Espinoza. Incumbent striker Jeremy Ebobisse has not scored a goal in eight games, nearly two months ago. And it’s been even worse for young starlet Cade Cowell, who hasn’t scored for the club since October.
Despite the lack of output, Cowell has still attracted suitors in Europe, where the transfer window remains open until the end of the month. The Athletic first reported that the 19-year-old was subject to a bid from Italian side Bologna. To his credit, Gonzalez did not shy away from the subject, confirming that ongoing negotiations with the Serie A club are indeed taking place.
“This is not a surprise,” Gonzalez said. “He’s had and will continue to have interest [from abroad]. It just speaks to how development has improved a lot in this country. If and when he moves on in a way that is good for all parties, that’s a moment to be proud of.”
ESPN reported that the latest bid is a loan with an option to buy for a transfer fee of around $3 million and could rise to $5.5 million if certain incentives are met.
Whether or not the move for Cowell materializes, there will be ample opportunities for Akinola and Hoppe to assert themselves. Gonzalez said the decision to bring in the latter, a recently minted US international, was a “no brainer.”
“We did our homework [on Hoppe],” Gonzalez said. “Even though I didn’t work directly with him, I learned a lot from Gregg [Berhalter], B.J. [Callaghan], and spoke to his former teammates. Our concepts here are similar to what he’s already done for the national team.”
Hoppe, who will be wearing the number 12, agreed with his new coach’s assessment and said that the transition from Europe back to California had been comfortable, citing first and foremost the sunny weather.
“It’s a lot different than England for sure,” Hoppe said at his first media appearance with the Quakes. “It was pretty straightforward for me… I want to be able to fight for consistent playing time for a coach that believes in me.”
The 6-foot-3 Southern California native broke onto the scene with German side Schalke 04 before bouncing between Spain and England, where he found playing time hard to come by. He said that his preferred position is either on the left wing or as a central striker. But he surprised reporters by proclaiming that he actually prefers playing the number 10 role.
“I played midfield my whole life growing up,” Hoppe said. “As I got older, I started staying higher up the field, but the way we press high up here, I think I have the ability to play in that [number 10] role.”
His first chance will come as early as Sunday, when the Quakes resume their MLS season at Vancouver in BC Place at 7:30 p.m.
About the Author:Kevin V. Nguyen has covered soccer for The Guardian, The Sacramento Bee, and The San Francisco Standard. Follow him on Twitter @KevinNguyen_89
