Midseason makeover gives Quakes hope for future
San Jose's strong finish has players, coaches looking forward to next season
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The defense that was so stingy in 2008 would once again provide a solid foundation. The acquisitions of midfielder Bobby Convey and forwards Cam Weaver and Pablo Campos -- when combined with attackers like Darren Huckerby and Arturo Alvarez -- would kick the Quakes attack into overdrive and lead the team into the playoffs.
Unfortunately, the accuracy of this forecast was closer to that of Miss Cleo than say, Nostradamus. A dreadful 2-7-2 start put the Quakes in a hole from which they never recovered, and despite a modest revival in the second half of the campaign, San Jose finished last in the Western Conference. In the process they became the first side in a decade to finish with fewer points in their second season than they did in their expansion campaign.
"[The season] was just frustrating, especially when you feel like you know how you want to play but don't quite have the manpower or the system or the players to do it the way you want," said manager Frank Yallop. "We were better than we showed points-wise, but it's all about getting points."
The seeds of San Jose's demise were planted during the offseason. Replacing forward Scott Sealy, winger Ronnie O'Brien, and in particular holding midfielder Francisco Lima, proved tougher than expected. And when injuries struck defenders Ryan Cochrane and Jason Hernandez, combined with the poor form of some veteran members of the defensive unit, the expected backbone of the team proved to be its primary weakness.
The subpar play of the defense wasn't helped by a midfield that found it difficult to consistently possess the ball, and as a result the Quakes' defensive ranking plummeted from fourth in 2008 to dead last in 2009.
While the offense did end up scoring 36 goals, a 12.5 percent increase over a year ago, the improvement had little to do with their new recruits. Neither Weaver nor Campos ever completely settled in, and by mid-July both players had been traded. Injuries also plagued the attack with Huckerby hobbled all year by a hip ailment that eventually required surgery and will likely result in his retirement. All told, his output of three goals and two assists was exactly half of what he produced a year ago.
As for Convey, he proved to be a significant disappointment. The erstwhile U.S. international was brought in to be the creative hub in the center of the San Jose midfield, but that experiment was quickly abandoned by Yallop, and Convey was soon being moved all over the field -- he spent time as a second striker, left back, as well as out wide -- in a bid to find his best position. Despite finally returning to his more natural spot on the left side of midfield, the Philadelphia native contributed a solitary goal and just two assists on the season.
This combination of factors saw the Quakes stumble out of the gate, despite a favorable early schedule heavy in home games. On several occasions San Jose outplayed opponents only to drop points, with a 3-3 draw against Chicago, a match that saw the Quakes take the lead three different times, a prime example.
"I just think it hits your psyche," said Yallop of the team's inability to close out games. "And what happens is you feel you're playing catchup, and you're always behind in the standings."
The nadir was reached during a 4-1 hammering on the road against New York that ceased to be a contest when the Quakes conceded three goals inside of the first 22 minutes.
"I think there were too many games, especially in the beginning of the year, where we were too easy to play against," said goalkeeper Joe Cannon. "Even when we scored first, we lacked the real bite to make a difference this year."
That left Yallop and general manager John Doyle with no other choice but to blow the team up and start over, a painful admission that they had miscalculated on most of their offseason decisions. In addition to the departures of Weaver and Campos, defender Nick Garcia, who had been stripped of the captaincy in preseason, was dealt to Toronto in June. The team continued to shed salaries into August when they traded the oft-injured Cochrane to Houston.
In the meantime, reinforcements were brought in, and in stark contrast to the team's offseason acquisitions, nearly all of them validated the faith put in them by Doyle and Yallop. Midfielders Andre Luiz and Ramon Sanchez, as well as forwards Cornell Glen and Chris Wondolowski, were brought in to beef up the attack, while defenders Bobby Burling and Aaron Pitchkolan were acquired to solidify the defense.
The Quakes' midseason makeover began to bear fruit in late July when the team staged a gutsy fight back from two goals down to tie D.C. United 2-2. A 4-0 rout of Seattle gave a glimmer of hope that 2008-like unbeaten streak was in the offing. But a 3-0 home defeat to Columbus on Aug. 8 essentially extinguished any playoff hopes.
To the team's credit, they didn't quit, going a respectable 3-3-4 the rest of the way, and took points off several teams vying for a playoff spot. It's this finish to the season that has players and coaches alike looking forward to next season.
"In the second half, we proved that we could battle, fight, and compete against teams, and get a result when needed," said defender Chris Leitch. "That's what we need to do from the start next year."
In the process the team discovered some building blocks for the future. Forward Ryan Johnson led the team with 11 goals and proved himself a handful for opposition defenses with his nose for goal and constant willingness to fight for every ball. Sanchez proved to be a find in the center of midfield with his calm and composed play. Defender Brandon McDonald helped shore up the center of defense, while Leitch, one of the few preseason acquisitions to pay off, delivered a solid season at right back and was named the team's Defensive Player of the Year.
Yet even amidst this uptick in the team's fortunes, there are still some concerns. Midseason arrivals like Glen and Andre Luiz significantly improved the skill level of the side, but were unable to stay healthy. While a strike force of Glen and Johnson along with a center midfield tandem of Sanchez and Andre Luiz have the spine of the team looking solid, there's no guarantee that this foursome will play together next year. And while Hernandez is expected to recover from ankle surgery he underwent just prior to the end of the season, his constant struggles to stay healthy in 2009 make him a question mark as well.
For that reason, Yallop is taking a more hands-on approach to the team's offseason fitness regimen, keeping the side together for two weeks beyond the end of the regular season. The team will also reconvene in December, the better to monitor the physical condition of the players, especially those like Glen, Wondolowski and Hernandez, as they recover from surgery.
There is also hope among the players that the rebuilding project that started in the summer, will continue during the offseason.
"They were great changes to start the process," said Cannon. "I think we have a good core here, we just need to add a little bit to it. The main ingredients are there, but there are a few more things that we need to be competitive game in and game out."
Yallop has targeted a second striker/attacking midfielder as his biggest priority, the better to help the team keep possession, as well as score goals. Adding some cover at center back and in the center of midfield would also help.
If Yallop is successful, then perhaps the dreams that accompanied the team in 2009 will come to fruition in 2010.
Jeff Carlisle is a contributor to MLSnet.com.
