SAN JOSE, Calif. — Throughout the San Jose Earthquakes’ recent ebbs and flows, there’s been one concept Matias Almeyda has asked his players not to forget: Play soccer with a smile from cheek-to-cheek and a warm heart.
“Now, the only thing I always ask from the players is that they should be happy playing soccer,” said ‘El Pelado’ following his team’s 4-1 victory against Sporting Kansas City. “Today they were, and I think that is fundamental in order to be a part of this sport.”
Along with the Black-and-Blue’s ebullient aura on the field, — which when the final whistle blew, carried over into the locker room — came a complete, top-to-bottom performance against a team that, according to Kansas City’s Gerso Fernandes, had an utterly underwhelming night. “Everything went wrong,” the winger said. “The chances we had, we didn’t score and we didn’t defend well as a team. It didn’t go well, which was a bad night for everybody.”
Peter Vermes’ side, who Almeyda praised as one of the top two in the league midweek, had very few sequences go their way, largely due to the fact that the Quakes comfortably posed as the superior side in both side of the pitch. Within the first 12 minutes, Hoesen had a brace. 10 seconds into the second half, San Jose were up 3-0. And when the final whistle blew, the home side extended their winning streak at home to two, a first time since August of 2017.
In other words, for the second time in two weeks time, the players executed Almeyda’s tactical philosophy accordingly: A team in which everyone runs and everyone plays.
“The team is finding the path, is finding a style,” said the Argentine. “And we knew of the rival we were facing, and the players were great interpreters of the way we had to play this game. I think the key (to the game) was that. The commitment, the sacrifice, the collective gameplay, the conviction of everyone, that’s what I think made the difference.”
A lot can be said about Shea Salinas being the key to the Quakes’ two victories, as well.
With a frenetic style and experience playing to his advantage, Salinas is no stranger to covering large portions of the field or being the protagonist for the Bay Area side. The recently-appointed captain may very well be the embodiment of San Jose’s current upwards trajectory, being a team player, a difference maker and a game-changer throughout the course of the 90 minutes. But most importantly to Almeyda, the speedy midfielder assumes responsibility and leadership behind the scenes, specifically during the long hours of training alongside eternal captain, Chris Wondolowski.
“When I started watching our practices and started being with them on a daily basis, [I see] that we have players that train with such effort, such passion and such love that they make a difference,” ‘El Pelado’ said regarding Salinas’ resurgence. “Nowadays, it’s more of them that do it that way [than not]. One of them is Shea (Salinas) and the other is Wondo, among others.”
“I told (Shea) that if he convinced himself, he would be an important player for our team,” he added. “And obviously, with our input, giving him advice on what needs improvement and, most importantly, [giving him] confidence that, if he wants and he commits to it, he’ll play all the games that way (like against Sporting). He has a big commitment towards the team. They needed to break that barrier that they couldn’t do it, and yes they can. It can always be done, and now I’m happy for them.”
Salinas didn’t expect the badge around his arm this early in the season, much less to have scored two goals in five games. He recognizes, like Almeyda, that his revival can stretch for much longer than a handful of weeks, and he’s up for the task.
Above all, however, performances like the ones against Sporting has Salinas convinced that the collective effort and goodwill of him and his teammates will lead to abundant prosperous and joyous times.
“Tonight was just an amazing team effort,” said Salinas, who is third in all time appearances for the franchise. “When they had the ball, they were frustrated; they couldn’t find free guys. Everyone was staying with their man. When we needed to switch, we were switching. It was just so much fun. It was so much fun to be out there. It was fun to win and play.”
In two weeks — with a loss in between — the Quakes have earned half the wins they did in 2018. With 27 games to go, surpassing four wins seems far from a daunting task, especially when the team is executing Almeyda’s system to perfection and, not to be forgotten, is having fun along the way.
“If this system works, and the freedom we get to play, then it’s a lot of fun,” said Hoesen contentedly. “You see people smiling on the field. You see people working for each other. You see these guys every day. You see these guys maybe more than your own family. You need to work together and like each other. After a win, it’s a lot easier.”
