SAN JOSE, Calif. — Florian Jungwirth says the San Jose Earthquakes, who currently sit bottom of the Western Conference and have only won games against Minnesota United this season, don’t have the talent to compete with the majority of the teams in the league.
More than halfway into the season, the Quakes, who sit at 12 points, winless in nine games and with the lowest points per game in the league (0.67), are on pace to register the side’s worst season ever in MLS.
The German midfielder had previously spoken up about the team’s poor performances this year, calling the Quakes showing against a visiting Portland Timbers in May “youth soccer.”
“As a player, you want to get results, but this year we have to be honest: we don’t have the quality to compete with most of the teams in this league,” Jungwirth told Quakes Epicenter on Wednesday prior to San Jose’s match against Montreal. “So, that’s the problem, but I think we all saw it [coming]. It’s not like to blame on single players, on [a] single person or whatever. Like I said, the quality is not good enough, otherwise we would have been able to straighten out and win some games.”
The Black and Blue, however, are not at the bottom of the league’s spending list. Last summer, Jesse Fioranelli put together a sizable deal to make Vako the club’s most expensive player ever. In January, $1.4 million were payed to Stockholm’s Djurgården IF for Magnus Eriksson, a club-record transfer fee. So, what exactly is affecting this lucrative Quakes side?
Jungwirth insists that the Black and Blue have been outsmarted off the field by the competition.
“The coaching staff is working 24/7 [and] trying everything,” Jungwirth said. “I think we as players, we try a lot to get better and improve. But if I see the other teams, we have to be honest: most of the teams are better than us. It’s simple this year.”
“Obviously, we bought players but the others did their homework, as well,” he added. “Obviously, we could have some more points but, all in all, realistically, we don’t have a roster to compete for the playoffs.”
With hopes of lifting an Open Cup or clinching a consecutive playoff berth impossible, the vice-captain hopes that his teammates realize how brutal the game’s industry can be if playing poorly becomes a routine and use that as motivation for upcoming games.
“I want to win every game (from now on) , and I hope every single player has the same thoughts,” the former Bundesliga midfielder said with cautious hope. “In this club we have a lot of great employees, who are working in every different business of the club. And for our fans, everyone deserves that we fight in every game. They deserve to get wins. They deserve to see nice soccer.”
“And everyone (players) has to think about their future because if you lose a lot of games, maybe you get cut of your contract here, maybe you don’t find another club,” he added. “The business is going to eat you if you don’t give your best. I don’t wish that for anybody, but that’s part of the business. That should be the most motivation for every single player.”
Flo is on point. Our DP’s are junk except Wondo. As is our clueless coach. Worse off than with Dom and Leitch. And mid level players got even worse. Starhe and Fiorenelli need to go.