PHOTO: ISI Photos
The 2018 San Jose Earthquakes’ departing sequence was so fitting that even interim head coach Steve Ralston had a hard time believing otherwise.
“It would not have been an Earthquakes 2018 game if it didn’t end that way,” Ralston said after San Jose’s stoppage-time loss to the Seattle Sounders. “It is just how the season has gone for us.”
On a pure result basis, San Jose’s second year under the supreme command of general manager Jesse Fioranelli was tormentingly dark, often riddled with teasing highs only to quickly turn into unimaginable lows. Such fashion remained intact until the final whistle of the sour season blew, earning the franchise a historically-poor 21 points in 34 games, and a wooden spoon.
When seasons are understood that way, silver linings almost do no justice. Or do they even exist?
Pessimistic fans would argue that there is nothing positive to take from the 2018 campaign, while the optimistic might claim they witnessed a break in the clouds. The reality is that there is a lot to be hopeful about in San Jose, and a significant part of it lies outside of Matias Almeyda’s arrival. There’s no waiting period for it either; it’s a product of Earthquakes Way.
“I think we are still a few pieces away, but I do think we have some definite talent within the team,” Ralston said. “Especially some of the young guys that stepped up in the last month. They proved that they can definitely play at this level.”
The youth.
Since Ralston’s appointment back in mid-September, at least three players — sometimes as many as five — under 23 years of age constructed the starting lineups throughout his seven-game spell. In the process, the longtime assistant handed Eric Calvillo his league debut subsequently followed by his first start. Between the sticks, JT Marcinkowski also made his league debut and started five out of the last six regular-season games. Tommy Thompson, Luis Felipe and Jackson Yuiell reemerged from time to time, while Nick Lima culminated the season with a perfect 34 games under his belt.
Perhaps more impressive, however, was the signing, management and development of Gilbert Fuentes. It encapsulates the franchise’s contemporary emphasis on youth production under Fioranelli, where team officials are threading its youngest players from the academy ranks to league-game cameos.
This year in particular, it’s obvious that the Black-and-Blue’s on-field failure granted Ralston the green light to give the youth a go, of course. But that’s where the silver lining lies, and it couldn’t have come at a better time with youth-proponent Almeyda set to take the helm. What can be perceived as a “colossal failure” can also be perceived as a blessing in disguise.
“I definitely do [look forward to playing for him],” Fuentes said on playing for Almeyda, who he recognizes is keen on youth development. “It’s something I got excited about when I heard he was going to be our head coach for the next year. Definitely looking forward to working for him, just giving it my all.”
During his tenure at Chivas, Almeyda was the cornerstone in the development of several of Chivas’ current stars, including Angel Zaldivar, Carlos Cisneros and Eduardo “Chofis” Lopez. It didn’t happen without some external work, though, as El Pelado integrated all of El Rebaño Sagrado’s upper academy systems from the U17 to the team’s second-division side — the equivalent of the Quakes U17s to Reno –, granting him the ability to oversee and participate in their development. Quakes Epicenter understands figures inside the academy have come to terms with the idea that the Argentine is going to have control of San Jose’s academy too, with one source saying, “There is no doubt he’s going to want power over the academy ranks.”
The timing is perfect.
Fuentes, who joined the academy years prior to Fioranelli’s arrival, mentioned that “the transition to the first team was smooth,” signaling that the recent introduction of the youngsters’ workouts at the first-team’s gym and influx of personnel played a big role. Off the field, San Jose attempts to progress at an equivalent pace. In particular, team officials have made multiple trips to Santa Rosa in efforts to lure Jonathan Gonzalez’s brother, Adrian, to join the Quakes, a different source told Quakes Epicenter.
In truth, historically, San Jose’s youth and academy contingents aren’t the most accomplished, much less the most pampered. But the organizational structure is blossoming since the new regime’s arrival, driving the Quakes to the signing of three homegrowns in a calendar year alone.
Insert Almeyda, who once confessed he was willing to “bet” on Chivas’ academy in efforts to zero the club’s expenditures, and it is music to the executives’ ears. The Quakes and Almeyda are set to embark on a “project” that involves every facet of the franchise, and one that will, most likely, result in a second-consecutive roster overhaul in the coming months. But given Almeyda’s track record with the youth and the Quakes recent investment and commitment to the greater good of their local talent, all things point to the youth being a paramount focus of the team’s new direction.
So, was it all coincidence or fate? Or should we compromise and recognize it as the silver lining that it is?
