San Jose Earthquakes going the first five games of the season without a win means there’s not much to celebrate, but still managing to be another club’s bogey team can be amusing.
Take the Seattle Seahawks for example. Their stock has plummeted in the last few NFL seasons, but they still manage to sweep the ascendent San Francisco 49ers in 2021.
It means more when you are a competitive team to be able to “count on” points whenever you face a particular opponent, as much as anything can be counted on in this league.
Furthermore, it is rare to become the bogey team for an expansion side, such as Austin FC. Theoretically, every other team should be relatively comfortable against expansion clubs in their first few seasons of existence. But what is it about the San Jose Earthquakes that grinds Austin’s gears?
Austin FC continue to struggle in MLS against San Jose Earthquakes
For the second consecutive meeting, Austin held a two goal lead and blew it. Even though this time the turnaround ended in a draw rather than a win for San Jose, it’s something about the neon green aura of Austin that reverts the Earthquakes to 2012 Goonies Never Say Die mode. That is a bogey team’s origin story. How the Joker comes into existence. Why so serious, Austin? Let’s play again sometime.
However, there are jokers within the joker squad San Jose must address. Jackson Yueill is the Steve Urkel of the San Jose Earthquakes at the moment, which is a scary way to think about the club’s captain. He was responsible for a goal and a penalty conceded against Philadelphia and once again that was the game in this match. Maxi Urruti’s goal from long distance was impressive and JT Marcinkowski was caught off his line, but Jackson Yueill was the next closest defender to him. Any player can switch off for a second and burn their team, but those seconds are becoming minutes for Yueill.
On the positive side, the dormant offense for the San Jose Earthquakes woke up at a crucial time. Their offense is still 100% reliant on set pieces, but Jeremy Ebobisse and Cade Cowell each scored much needed goals for their confidence. If Ebobisse is to have any chance of making Cameroon’s national team, as that is the intention he expressed at a recent press conference, a good season in Black and Blue is essential to join fellow MLS players Olivier Mbaizo and Nouhou Tolo on that plane to Qatar.
Cade Cowell has the talent to be a part of a wave of young USMNT talent that can shine more in the 2026 World Cup cycle, and hopefully this leads to more opportunities for him to remain on that path. Ján Greguš is now up to three assists on the season, but it was Francisco Calvo, the recipient of the first two against Columbus, that spurned a golden opportunity to win it late. On the Austin side of things, Alexander Ring will rue his missed chance at the end of the first half.
The Quakes remain without a win in 5 games, meaning the trip to Houston Dynamo is an important one to tick that requirement. After that, Nashville and Seattle are on the schedule and you don’t want to be begging those teams for your first win. The nature of this draw feels like a set back for Austin, but they’ve still had a much better start to their season than anyone anticipated. Austin won’t have to worry about their bogey team until the penultimate fixture on their schedule. Instead, they host Minnesota United (the San Jose Earthquakes’s bogey team) up next.
I know I’ve said bogey too much, but the Masters starts this week so can you blame me?
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Quick Match Report
Saturday, April 3, 2022 4:30 PT
San Jose Earthquakes 2-2 Austin FC
0-1 Urruti (Cascante assist), 0-2 Driussi (pen), 1-2 Ebobisse (pen), 2-2 Cowell (Greguš assist)
Yellow Cards
31’ Marie, 42’ Fagúndez, 71’ Pereira, 77’ Redes, 79’ Calvo, 85’ Bouda
Earthquakes Lineup (4-1-4-1; Matías Almeyda)
GK: JT Marcinkowski (HG)
RB: Paul Marie (FRA)
CB: Tanner Beason
CB: Francisco Calvo (CRC)
LB: Marcos López (PER)
CDM: Jackson Yueill (captain)
CDM: Ján Greguš (SVK)
RM: Cristian Espinoza (ARG) (DP)
CAM: Jamiro Monteiro (CPV)
LM: Cade Cowell (HG)
ST: Jeremy Ebobisse (CMR)
Subs
62’ Ousseni Bouda (BFA) for Espinoza, Niko Tsakiris (HG) for Beason, and Tommy Thompson (HG) for Marie
90’ Eric Remedi (ARG) for Cowell
Austin Lineup (4-2-3-1; Josh Wolff)
RB: Nick Lima
CB: Julio Cascante (CRC)
CB: Ruben Gabrielsen (NOR)
LB: Žan Kolmanič (SVN)
CDM: Alexander Ring (FIN) (DP/captain)
CDM: Daniel Pereira (VEN)
RM: Ethan Finlay
CAM: Sebastián Driussi (ARG) (DP)
LM: Diego Fagúndez (URU)
ST: Maxi Urruti (ARG)
Subs
61’ Felipe (BRA) for Urruti
68’ Rodney Redes (PAR) for Fagúndez and Jared Stroud for Finlay
80’ Jhojan Valencia (COL) for Kolmanič and Jon Gallagher for Pereira (IRL)