Welcome to San Jose, Hernán López, where after six games, you’ve enjoyed three uplifting wins followed by three gut-wrenching losses.
Things might feel like they’ve gotten better since you’ve arrived, but the standings reveal a cold truth: the Earthquakes are still stubbornly glued to the bottom of the table.
“This feels like a loss,” Head Coach Luchi Gonzalez said after his side drew 1-1 at home against a languid Austin FC. Sure, a point is always better than none, but the Quakes had three in hand until they gifted their opponents an opportunity in a game they were handily dominating.
For much of the game, San Jose were the protagonists in this story. Fresh off a pair of one-goal losses to Orlando City SC and Sacramento Republic (in the U.S. Open Cup) earlier in the week, the home side came out attacking decisively, scoring first in the 10th minute off a sequence that started and ended with Jeremy Ebobisse’s superb hold up play and clever run to the far post.
Up until Brendan Hines-Ike headed home the equalizer for Austin in the 44th, the Quakes’ revamped front line was humming, purring—insert whichever adjective suits you most. Ebobisse, as mentioned, played an essential role in the build-ups, allowing his teammates to pour forward and take up different positions that confused the defense.
Meanwhile, more and more of Amahl Pellegrino’s dangerous runs in-behind are being rewarded now with the ball served over the top to his feet. And López, with his low center of gravity combined with his crafty left foot, is always capable of producing magic in a split second.
“We have a really dynamic attack,” Gonzalez said, raving about his four forwards which includes last year’s All Star Cristian Espinoza on the wide right. Left back Vitor Costa also shone bright, filling in the spaces left behind by Pellegrino.
But it’s the moments before and after these brilliant attacking sequences, where his team switches off—such as when Espinoza and Bruno Wilson both got yellow cards in a span of a minute right before Austin FC’s goal—that are costing San Jose.
“Giving away silly set pieces around our box, those are things we can avoid with a little more discipline,” Gonzalez said. “And it caught up to us today. We let [Austin FC] off the hook.”
These two sides last played in a seven-goal thriller in Austin in early April. Back then, the Quakes were in pole position for a win too, but were punished by a combination of unfortunate refereeing and defensive mistakes. Remember, it was also this very same Austin FC team, which despite playing for nothing, still managed to take a point at PayPal Park in last year’s season finale that cost San Jose an automatic playoff berth.
“xG doesn’t win you games,” Gonzalez said. “We know that.”
He continued: “We’re approaching every game like it’s a final. We want all three points… Our mentality is that we can’t slip anymore. If things don’t get better in a month, it’s going to be mathematically impossible for us [to stay in contention for the playoffs]. We can’t waste any more time.”
San Jose took 22 shots to Austin FC’s five on the night. After the first 40 minutes, the home side would have been justified being up two or three goals. But their last touch, like it has been all season, has been missing in the moments they need them most.
The hosts also nearly won the game on multiple occasions in the final five minutes. López came closest in the 90th when his rebounded shot bounced down off of the top bar but not across the line. The sole point from the result leaves them tied for last place in the Western Conference with Sporting Kansas City.
“The intensity that the guys showed tonight—that’s what I stick with,” Goalkeeper William Yarbrough said after the game. At the sound of the final whistle, many of the Quakes players collapsed in a heap as if they had just indeed laid it all out to bare.
Here’s the scary thing for Luchi and his men. There are no easy games or soft parts in the schedule to look forward to (there never is in MLS). After visiting red-hot New York City FC next Friday, they get a week off before hosting Eastern Conference contenders FC Cincinnati (June 15) and rivals Portland Timbers (June 19). Then, it’s both Los Angeles teams back-to-back.
Notebook Dump:
- For those in Silicon Valley, you’ve probably long heard that Austin has been emerging as a tech haven, a sort of San Jose for Texas as you will. Josh Wolff’s team is enjoying a tiny renaissance this year after finishing 12th last season. Over the winter, they reloaded with another set of steady MLS veterans in Jáder Obrian and Diego Rubio. But how far can you get relying on guys who’ve washed out as starters elsewhere? Austin FC has a lot of guys like that on their team. It’s low-key an old team too. Watch out down the stretch.
- For the record, Luchi Gonzalez’s job is not in peril. But Nashville SC, a more successful team in recent seasons, became the first club this season to part ways with their manager. Despite making four straight playoff appearances and a cup final last year, Gary Smith was dismissed on May 16.
- Interesting reflection from Quakes right back Carlos Akapo on how he’s finding MLS: “I’m very happy here. The city is so good. The club is so good. I feel comfortable with my teammates, with the coaches, with everything. MLS for me, it’s hard because we need to run a lot and it’s different than it is in Spain and Europe, which is more tactical. Here, you need to run more. It’s aggressive. I like that because I’m a quick player and I think it’s good for me, for my playing style. I like the state, to be here with my wife, my kids. For me, I’d like to stay in San Jose for a long time.”
About the Author: Kevin V. Nguyen is a business and sports journalist. He has covered soccer for The Guardian, The Sacramento Bee, and The San Francisco Standard. Follow him on X/Twitter @KevinNguyen_89
