SAN JOSE, Calif. — When the Major League Soccer 2018 season schedule was announced just after New Year’s Day, the search was on to identify the marquee games on the calendar. For the San Jose Earthquakes, near the top of the list was this weekend’s clash with defending MLS Cup champions Toronto FC, a midsummer treat circled in red.
But the campaign has not gone as planned, and entering Saturday’s game at Avaya Stadium, the Quakes have only one home win to their credit and claim last place in the league as their own. It hasn’t gone so well for TFC either, as they are fighting to get above the playoffs line after a slow start to the season precipitated by a taxing run to the Concacaf Champions League final.
None of that has dampened the mood in the Quakes camp, as the team’s put in a solid week of training in anticipation of facing the champs. Star forward Jozy Altidore is suspended for the match, but Toronto still features superstars Michael Bradley and Sebastian Giovinco. The Reds also call former San Jose defender Justin Morrow, who scored for the visitors in their last appearance at Avaya Stadium, their own.
“They’ve got some great players,” goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell told Pro Soccer USA. “They are hungry to win, just like we are, so it’s going to be a good game. We have to do well in these home games and get some points.”
The Earthquakes, not mathematically eliminated from making the playoffs with 11 games remaining in the season, but certainly facing an almost insurmountable task to get there, are playing mainly for pride. A chance to knock off the MLS Cup holders in front of their home fans has provided strong motivation to be ready for Saturday evening’s game.
“We have to stay positive and work hard to improve the team and take it game by game,” head coach Mikael Stahre told Pro Soccer USA. “I’m really proud that the guys are still focused and competitive in training every day. I am proud, and also positively surprised that they are still there. For me, that is important. We have to win some home games.”
Since winning their season opener at Avaya Stadium, the Quakes have gone 0-5-3 at their San Jose home. No other team in MLS has fewer than four victories at home, and local fans are not showing up in the same numbers they did in the three years following the facility’s opening in 2015. To bring back those supporters, they’ll need to show they can again earn three points.
“Hopefully we can give something back to the fans also that come and we can win at home,” Stahre added. “We have just one win at home so far this season, and that is crazy.”
On the Quakes most recent homestand, they collected one point in two games — a scoreless draw against Real Salt Lake that marked the team’s first shoutout of the season — but they’re most recent results was a disappointing 2-1 loss at the Colorado Rapids. Shea Salinas was ejected from that game, and now the Earthquakes will be looking to fill his spot at left back against one of the most potent offensive teams in the league.
The situation in San Jose could easily blow up at any moment, as the further the team sits at the bottom of the standings, the more frayed interactions among players and coaches might become. Instead, the squad has for the most part kept it together of late, and a relative cohesiveness is visibly apparent within the group at training. Whether that leads to better results over the last 11 games of the season is still to be seen.
“You win together and you lose together, and you have to deal with that,” Stahre said. “It’s part of what it means to be a professional. Of course, we were expecting a much, much better season than this, and from a results perspective, it’s been a nightmare. If you dwell too much on the results, you get mad, and crazy, and sad, and you lose your focus. We are trying to do the best we can.”
Tarbell, who has worn the captain’s armband for San Jose over the last three games as regular captain Chris Wondolowski has been held out of the starting lineup, backed up his coach’s message. Only a year into role as an MLS starter, he is still learning the ropes, and he believes there is still some upside to what the Quakes have to offer.
“Things have gone our way a little bit better these past few games,” Tarbell said. “As we’ve said all season long, we’ve got to stick together and keep trusting in the game plan. We do have some new players in the lineup and a slightly different style of play, but it’s not like we’ve made massive changes. It’s a testament to the entire team that we are not giving up.”
Match Information:
When: August 18, 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Where: Avaya Stadium, San Jose, CA.
Broadcast: NBC Sports California, KNBR 1050
Live Stream: ESPN+
Earthquakes injury report: Out: Kevin Partida (knee)