Front Office Interview
“The Most Annoying Team in the League”: How the Quakes Got Better by Staying the Same
Colin Etnire chats with Jesse Fioranelli about his roster construction philosphy
Colin Etnire
Player Profile
Suggested Signing: Matko Miljevic
Colin: After two consecutive MLS Superdrafts where I guessed the Quakes pick in advance, I've decided to press my luck and take a wild guess on a future signing that, I should emphasize, is not based on any insider knowledge or reporting. It's entirely speculation. I&
Reno
Quakes have themselves a nice little draft
Simply put, the Quakes nailed their first-round pick and executed a clear plan. Top marks to Jesse Fioranelli and crew. However, it probably will make very little difference in San Jose's league position this year, and it may never. The MLS draft, despite lots of media predictions to
San Jose Earthquakes
Decoding the Latest Roster Update
They're always late. Seriously. In my five years covering the club, they've always been one of the last in the league to report their options/declines decisions, and always after the deadline for submittal. I'll admit I'm probably the only person who
San Jose Earthquakes
What's Next:
The 2019 season started horrifically, ascended magnificently, and sputtered pathetically at the end. Regardless of how much credit or blame you assign Matías Almeyda for each of those things, it's certainly put San Jose Earthquakes fans in a place of greater optimism going into 2020 than in any
San Jose Earthquakes
2019 Stats Analysis: Players
Advanced stats can't tell us as much about individual players, since each player's results depend on the collective, and vary dramatically depending on position. But we can learn a bit about how well they flourished within a particular system, and compliment it with more basic "
San Jose Earthquakes
2019 Team Stats: What does luck have to do with it?
Stats aren't everything. But modern soccer stats do give us some interesting insights into the overall quality of team play, and we can speak to style through more traditional stats. Today will be about the team, with individuals to follow. For me, the most interesting thing about taking
Uncategorized
Quakes Salary Thoughts
Just like birthdays, the semi-annual holiday known as the MLS Players Association salary guide release tends to get less exciting every year, with certain notable exceptions. That said, I'm still a roster nerd. As always, my contract spreadsheet lives here. Here are some of my quick takes on
San Jose Earthquakes
You Don't Deserve Wondo
Chris Wondolowski is a genius, universally respected by his fellow players, and as important to Quakes fans as the franchise itself. He is almost certain to pass Landon Donovan this season to become Major League Soccer’s all-time leading scorer. His is an incredible, inspiring story that could only ever
San Jose Earthquakes
Potential Quakes 2019 Roster
I thought it might be fun to put together a model 2019 roster for the beginning of the Matías Almeyda era, where I simulate the offseason as if I were Jesse Fioranelli, to give you an idea of what the makeover might look like. I'll take it step
San Jose Earthquakes
A Statement of Intent
My word. Matias Almeyda is a massive, massive hire for the San Jose Earthquakes, no ifs ands or buts about it. All coaches have weaknesses and failures, but Almeyda's are at a level so far above where the Quakes are right now that they aren't worth
San Jose Earthquakes
Player Stats Analysis: End-of-Season Edition
Earlier this year I looked through some statistics (both the advanced sort and the simplistic "counting" sort) to get an idea of whether or not my subjective impressions were on point. I take no pleasure in reporting that my doubts about Mikael Stahre, written this May after just