Oct 18, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski (8) signs autographs after the game against Vancouver FC at Buck Shaw Stadium. The San Jose Earthquakes tied Vancouver FC 0-0. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
As the San Francisco Giants celebrate winning yet another World Series championship, down the 280, things aren’t looking so rosy in the land of the San Jose Earthquakes. The Quakes finished their time at Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara, Calif. with a record of 6-16-12 (30 points), a far cry from their record of 19-6-9 (66 points) in 2012. Amazing how things can go pear-shaped in a span of two seasons.
Such is the nature of Major League Soccer, a parity-driven, single-entity competition that allows everyone a fair go at winning the top prize in the competition, the MLS Cup. This year, the Quakes were anything but a contender, The signs of futility were apparent from the get-go: losses to Sporting Kansas City (0-1) and the New England Revolution (1-2) offset a valiant 3-3 draw with Real Salt Lake in March. It was not until April when they had their first victory of the season, a 1-0 win over Chivas USA on Apr. 26.
The high point of the year came in May, when they went 3-1-1, including wins over FC Dallas (2-1, 2-1) and the Houston Dynamo (3-0). However, their inability to solve the Cascadia teams (3-2 loss to Vancouver and 1-0 loss to Seattle) were just part of the issue regarding San Jose. A massive stretch between early June and mid-July saw the Quakes lose four straight matches, including a 1-0 loss to their primary rival, the Los Angeles Galaxy, at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, Calif. on June 28.
After a 5-1 rout of the Chicago Fire at home on July 23 (their best result of the season) and a 1-0 upset over the Seattle Sounders on Aug. 2 at home, there was reason to believe that their would be a turnaround. However, starting with their 2-2 draw with the Galaxy at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. on Aug. 8, the Earthquakes’ season fell apart. Since their 1-0 win over Seattle, the Quakes went winless for 15 straight matches to close out the year.
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San Jose’s worst spell came in October, when they suffered back to back losses to the Portland Timbers, followed by a 2-0 loss to Real Salt Lake. The final straw came on Oct. 26, when they sent Chivas USA into the sunset with a 1-0 defeat. Mark Watson was sacked and Ian Russell was forced to fill in.
Notable performers for San Jose this season include forward Chris Wondolowski, who had 14 goals and 77 shots to lead the Quakes, midfielder Shea Salinas, who had eight assists to become San Jose’s top provider, and goalkeeper Jon Busch, who had 137 saves, which is a new club record for most saves in a regular season.
There is reason to believe that things can turn around for the Earthquakes next year. A brand new stadium is close to completion, and Dominic Kinnear, a former assistant to Frank Yallop, is coming home to manage the Quakes and bring a winning attitude back to the land of the Goonies. As the old saying goes, “Goonies never die,” and if the right pieces are put into play in the offseason, there is reason to believe that San Jose will be ready to compete next season in what will be a very tough MLS Western Conference.