Quakes, Russell aim to salvage season ahead of 101st California Clásico

PHOTO: SJ Earthquakes

STANFORD, Calif. — A mere three wins in 19 matches simply weren’t enough to keep head coach Luchi Gonzalez, who was relieved of his duties on Monday following a disastrous 6-2 loss to LAFC last weekend.

The San Jose Earthquakes soon appointed assistant coach Ian Russell to the interim head gaffer role. Russell had previously played with the Quakes from 2000 to 2005 — plus served as an assistant from 2008 to 2016 — with a brief stint as head coach in 2014.

Russell was rehired as assistant coach in early 2023 and saw a once stout defense fall from grace, with San Jose on pace for record-breaking goals-allowed figures this season following a sound 2023 campaign.

As the Quakes celebrate their 50th anniversary with the annual California Clásico against the red-hot Los Angeles Galaxy at Stanford Stadium, the coaching change offers a new beginning for a San Jose club desperately seeking positive results.

Russell, along with Argentine midfielders Hernán López and Cristian Espinoza, spoke to the press about the coaching change, plus the team’s mentality going forward.

Russell’s approach

Given Russell’s lengthy experience with the Quakes and with their former United Soccer League affiliate Reno 1868 FC, the transition to having him at the helm shouldn’t be too rocky.

“I know this club really well,” Russell said. “I just use all of my experiences that I’ve had throughout those years to lead this team.”

Russell noted that playing at Stanford Stadium excites the team, and that recent training sessions have felt a jolt of needed energy upon the heated rivalry match.

“We love these games. It’ll be a physical game, good atmosphere, good crowd,” Russell said. “This week of training has been very competitive. Everybody is trying to get a starting spot at this point.”

Russell also admitted that his approach will be slightly different than that of Gonzalez, and the team will need to improve across the board, not just on defense or in net.

“The first blame is going to be, ‘Oh it’s the back four, it’s the goalkeeper,’ and that’s not it at all,” Russell said. “It starts with everyone. All 11 players.”

Taking over head coaching duties for the worst team in MLS isn’t an easy task, but Russell remains determined to salvage what’s left of San Jose’s historically lackluster year.

“I believe in this team. I know it’s been a poor start, but we have a lot of good players,” Russell said. “We just need a few good results and I think the confidence will be there, and we can go on a run.”

Improving the defense will certainly be at the top of Russell’s agenda. The Quakes have conceded 51 goals thus far, the most in MLS.

With no long-term head coach lined up, the rest of the season is essentially an audition for Russell to try to secure the job for the future.

“I like having pressure on me,” Russell said. “I thrive off that, I believe in myself.”

With 15 league games left, the playoffs may seem like a pipe dream for San Jose. But if Russell can polish up the Quakes’ defensive unit and prioritize goal prevention to the fullest extent, the team may be able to make a surprising second-half push and put previous woes in the past.

How do the players adjust?

Espinoza and López provided their thoughts on Gonzalez’s firing and the upcoming match.

“It was a tough moment for us, it’s not always easy to see a coach losing his job,” Espinoza said. “But we need to move on.”

Espinoza tallied his 10th assist against LAFC, placing him among the league’s best. He mentioned that Gonzalez and Russell had previously shared similar ideas, making the coaching change a smooth adjustment.

“I don’t think the team is going to change so much in terms of the tactics, or the way we’re going to try to play,” Espinoza said. “We want to win, not just for Ian [Russell], it’s also for us, for the fans.”

Although López — who joined San Jose in April — didn’t play for Gonzalez for a long time, he still acknowledged the coaching shift.

“It’s a results-based decision. It’s tough on a personal level, but at the same time, [I] understand,” López said. “We understand that what we do on the field affects the situation around us.”

Both López and Espinoza have been catalysts on the Quakes’ offensive front, which has been one of its brighter spots in 2024. San Jose has scored 29 goals this season thanks in large part to its Argentine core.

While the Earthquakes enter Saturday’s match without a win since May 11, the Galaxy are coming off three straight victories and are in third place in the Western Conference.

In San Jose's Mar. 2 home opener, the Galaxy stunned the Bay Area side, besting it 3-1, effectively pushing the Quakes into a downward spiral. Los Angeles then took a 4-3 result in the teams’ second meeting this season on Apr. 21, when the Earthquakes mounted a second-half comeback effort but came up short.

Both sides will square off at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at Stanford Stadium in the 101st California Clásico.

Kasey Kazliner is an undergraduate sports broadcaster at USC. He covers a variety of sports, but particularly loves analyzing the Quakes' prospect pipeline. He is The Town FC's official beat writer and covers every match for the club. You can follow him on Twitter here.