The San Jose Earthquakes opened their season with four straight losses—so naturally—Luchi Gonzalez made four lineup changes to spur something different out of his team.
They all paid off. Primarily, with Alfredo Morales and Niko Tsakiris inserted into the midfield, the Quakes were both sturdier in defense and more threatening on the attack en route to a thrilling 3-2 victory over their longtime rivals, the Seattle Sounders.
Of course, that number is entirely coincidental. Last year’s record signing Carlos Gruezo was out on international duty and both Daniel and Amahl Pellegrino were dropped because of injury. Had they been available, perhaps Gonzalez wouldn’t have made those changes, but nevertheless, the second-year man must be thrilled with the results.
A duel in the midfield, in which a visibly more physical Morales emerged on top of, produced a corner that would set up the home side’s first goal courtesy of new left back Vitor Costa, who stretched out at the end of fellow new signing Bruno Wilson’s flicked-on header. Two minutes later, the Quakes won the ball back in the middle again and played Preston Judd in behind, producing an easy tap-in for last year’s team MVP Cristian Espinoza.
During the losing run, the previous flat three in the middle were languid; and as a consequence, the team leaked goals. On offense, there were extended spells where the players seemed more comfortable passing side-to-side. This time, the Quakes found an edge again by having Morales and Jackson Yueill sit back as a pair in front of the backline and the 18-year-old Tsakiris up in a more advanced position.
Similar to how Gio Reyna was able to come off the bench earlier in the week and make an immediate impact for the USMNT, Tsakiris did the same in his first game back from injury this year—hitting daring, dangerous passes into the final third.
“We missed Niko,” Gonzalez said after the game. “His courage, his personality—the ability to dribble and play through lines—he has an excitement and creativity to his game that we needed.”
For all the talk of recruiting a designated player (like Carlos Vela) to play in that role, it turns out that the solution might already be in house. The former academy product played 64 minutes in his first game back from injury.
“He’s an amazing player,” Morales said of the youngster. “There is a special hype around him, which is good. He should embrace it. There will be ups and downs, but he’s here—you can tell he’s a very talented kid.”
Morales, once an intriguing USMNT prospect under Jurgen Klinsmann, is now the grizzled veteran of the group at the age of 33. Playing as a hybrid six or eight, the former Ingolstadt and Dusseldorf midfielder played the entire 98 minutes—something he hadn’t done since last season with NYCFC, which ended with him sidelined because of injury.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time man,” he told Soccer Bay Area after the game. His sons, aged 12 and 8, tugging on his arm. “I’m still very confident in my ability. I’ve played at a very high level my whole life.”
He added: “I still want to be successful man. I demand a lot from myself and this team. I know I can get on the ball, be loud and lift this team as a spark.”
Another new player that has claimed a spot in the starting XI recently is Judd, who at 6 ‘3, provides a more direct threat in front of goal. While the former USL standout has added a certain sharpness to the previously blunt Quakes attack, it was the man he replaced, Jeremy Ebobisse, who scored the game-winning goal in the 81st minute, just one minute after the Sounders had tied the game.
After the final whistle, it was Judd who leapt onto Ebobisse’s back, and the two strikers embraced in the middle of the field.
“It’s a mutual respect we have for each other,” Ebobisse said of the moment. “Just because we all want to be on the field, that doesn’t mean we have to wish ill on a teammate.”
He added: “If the situation on the field is poor for one striker then it’s probably going to be poor for the other striker as well. Whereas if things are going right for one guy, you have to view that as an opportunity for things to go well for you as well.”
Saturday’s win in front of 16,109 at PayPal Park temporarily lifted the Quakes out of the bottom of the Western Conference standings and pushed the Sounders down in their place.
Seattle, which has been a team to model after for much of the past decade, were missing key starters Pedro De la Vega, Joao Paulo, and Léo Chú due to injury. Playmaker Albert Rusnák started the game on the bench and it was his introduction into the midfield, alongside Cristian and Alex Roldan that nearly turned the game for the visitors.
Last year, the Sounders finished second best in the West, and while they didn’t score a lot of goals, they were tied with Nashville for best in the league in terms of goals allowed (32 compared to San Jose’s 43).
The foes won’t meet again until September. By then, they can only hope the context of their seasons have greatly changed.
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 Twitter @KevinNguyen_89
