Jahmir Hyka was one of the Earthquakes key offseason signings this winter and will be key in Saturday’s match against the Montreal Impact (photo credit Lyndsay Radnedge)
After a disappointing 2016, the San Jose Earthquakes have reloaded for the 2017 campaign thanks to new General Manager Jesse Fioranelli and his multiple offseason signings. Fioranelli brought in defender Harold Cummings, forward Danny Hoesen, midfielder Jahmir Hyka, defender/midfielder Florian Jungwirth, and forward Marco Ureña all in an attempt to right the ship that the Quakes rode to a ninth place finish in the West last year.
The new signings do not come without loss though as San Jose let go of defenders Clarence Goodson and Jordan Stewart, midfielder Alberto Quintero, and forward Henok Goitom amongst others. The pieces brought in to replace them look on paper to be improvements at the position, but time will tell if the new signings can mesh with the club.
Looking at the preseason results could give Quakes fans hope as the club went 5-0-1 and held multiple opponents scoreless although only their final preseason match saw them score more than one goal. San Jose was dead last in scoring last year averaging less than a goal per game, a major point of emphasis for 2017. Hoesen and Hyka both scored in the final preseason match, a 4-1 home victory over Sacramento Republic FC, showing sparks of scoring ability that coach Dominic Kinnear will hope to see translate to the season opener when the Quakes host Montreal Impact on Saturday.
Hopefully the season opener will answer some remaining questions for Quakes fans. Will the offense become more potent? Does Chris Wondolowski still have high level scoring left? Do the offseason signings fit on this roster? Montreal was a dangerous side last year, their season ending just short of an MLS Cup appearance after an electric Eastern Conference final against Toronto FC, and should be a good early season test for San Jose.
The biggest hole in Montreal’s game is their defense. Look no further than the Eastern Conference final and you’ll see a 3-0 lead at home given up due to two late goals, followed by a second leg where they ultimately let in five after extra time. On all of the regular time goals, Toronto scored thanks to blown set piece coverage and San Jose need to be aggressive on Saturday to earn set pieces and force mistakes.
Florian Jungwirth, seen here during the preseason against the Sacramento Republic, will be integral this season to the Quakes rebuilt defense (photo credit: Lyndsay Radnedge)
Questions remain of San Jose’s own defense though as half of their backline will be new. Jungwirth and Cummings will have to find their comfort quickly with the rest of the defense and limit their own mistakes against Montreal. Dominic Oduro, Ignacio Piatti, and Matteo Mancosu managed to pick apart a high quality defense in Toronto last November and will be difficult for any defense to handle.
Chris Wondolowski may seem like a footnote on this year’s squad but the captain’s fiery leadership will remain a key component in 2017. Wondo currently sits fourth all time for MLS goals scored, just 24 back of tying leader Landon Donovan, and has lead San Jose with double-digit scoring since 2010. Even if he fails to hit 10+ goals this season, Wondo will remain the heart of the club, pushing his teammates to give their best performances on the field.
San Jose starts their 2017 campaign Saturday, March 4th at 7 PM Pacific at Avaya Stadium as they look for their first win over Montreal Impact. You can catch the game on CSN-Bay Area in San Jose or TSN1, TSN4, and TSN5 in Canada.
