Earthquakes, Wondolowski Hope for One Final Run

Sitting on the edge of the playoffs, the upcoming weeks will make or break San Jose’s season.

Soccer in San Jose blossomed through the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, with San Jose being named an expansion city in 1994 and joining Major League Soccer (MLS) as one of the league’s inaugural teams. After altering their name from the Hawks to the San Jose Earthquakes in 1999, the franchise went on to win MLS cups in 2001 and 2003.

For the past few years, however, the Earthquakes have found themselves stuck in mediocrity, finishing in the top seven of the Western Conference only once (in 2017) over the past half-decade. Since 2018, San Jose owns a 25-46-20 record with an abysmal -41 goal differential.

This season reaped more of the same disappointment for the Earthquakes. The team currently resides in 10th place in the Western Conference, three spots out of a potential playoff spot. Despite the team’s lackluster play, San Jose finds themselves merely 3 points behind 7th-seeded Real Salt Lake for the final playoff spot.

With aging superstar Chris Wondolowski in his final season with the Quakes, fans hope that their team has one more magical run in the tank dedicated to Wondolowski.

The Quakes’ playoff odds trended in a positive direction last weekend, with a crucial 2-0 victory over the 8th-seeded Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC).

Earthquakes head coach Matias Almeyda celebrated his team for their clutch performance, raving about his team’s “intelligent game.”

“We planned for this type of game against the formation that LAFC had been using. The players understood and responded well to the formation change we made,” Almeyda explained.

With fewer than ten matches remaining in the regular season, it is crucial for the Earthquakes to pick up as many points as they can to have a chance at going for the postseason. They got off to an uninspiring start, losing 3-1 to the Seattle Sounders, where the Quakes’ lone tally came via an own goal by Seattle. Only three more home matches remain on the schedule, with two of those matches against Austin FC and FC Dallas.

The most crucial match is against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Oct. 23, where two teams fighting for their playoff lives will be in a slugfest like no other. With a mad dash to the finish line in store for the Earthquakes, it will be crucial for the stands to be packed to the brim to give the Earthquakes as much help as possible in their quest for another playoff run.

In addition to the legendary career of Chris Wondolowski winding down, Quakes games are suddenly must-see entertainment. San Jose has four other crucial matches as they conclude the regular season, with two matches against the 9th place Vancouver Whitecaps and one more match each against the aforementioned Real Salt Lake and LAFC. The Earthquakes’ destiny is in their own hands, and it's up to them to seize that opportunity -- or risk residing into mediocrity for another season.

No game should be taken for granted down the stretch.

There is no denying the Earthquakes do not possess the top-end talent they once had, so if they are going to make the playoffs, they must scratch and claw their way in. Players must signal to the organization’s front office, and the fans, that this season will be different. The Quakes have an opportunity to do so, and the upcoming weeks will give us an answer. Can San Jose propel itself into a playoff contender and send one of their greatest franchise players off into the sunset? Talk about a storybook ending...