Photo: Jose Rocha / The Town FC
MORAGA, Calif. — Setting up shop 55 miles north of PayPal Park, at Saint Mary’s College, The Town FC, formerly known as Earthquakes II, has been attracting the attention of Bay Area sports fans and is quietly competing with MLS NEXT Pro’s best in the Western Conference.
Through nine games, The Town FC sits in sixth place in the West with 15 points on a 3-2-4 record and would be in a playoff spot if the season ended today. Head coach Daniel DeGeer’s club started the year on a four-game road trip before commencing play at home.
The Town FC has been one of the league’s best defensive teams, allowing only eight goals against — tied for second-fewest across the board. While the team’s offensive production has been dry at times — injuries have plagued the roster — making The Town FC’s success even more impressive.
Cruzing to future greatness
The Town FC’s captain and midfielder Cruz Medina has yet to register a goal or an assist this season, but his breakout seems to be on the horizon.
Medina signed a homegrown contract with the San Jose Earthquakes in 2022 at just age 15, making him the third-youngest player to ever do so. Since then, he’s been an anchor of the second squad, whether it be named Earthquakes II or The Town FC.
Medina saw rather limited action in 2022 and 2023 and found the back of the net on multiple occasions, but has upped his shot production in 2024. Medina’s game is fast; he’s not afraid to create space with his feet and use his speed to create chances.
He’s also made noise on the international stage, impressing fans while playing with the United States U-17 squad and gaining recognition from The Guardian as a top phenom.
The long, grueling MLS NEXT Pro schedule will be a test for Medina to step up on a contending team. At just 17 years old, his promising resume will only grow as he sets his sights on first-team status.
Goalkeepers galore
The Town FC has utilized three different goalkeepers this season: Mikolaj Bieganski, Jacob Jackson and Emmanuel Ochoa. Bieganski has played the most — starting in seven matches — but Jackson and Ochoa each posted clean sheets in each of their starts.
While Bieganski was in net during several late-game collapses for The Town FC, he picked up steam in mid-April, registering back-to-back shutouts. However, he’s been sidelined in the team’s last two bouts, giving the spotlight to Jackson and Ochoa.
Jackson and Ochoa both had impressive performances in their season debuts for The Town FC. Against North Texas SC, the last unbeaten team at the time, Jackson saved six shots en route to a massive upset victory for the Bay Area side.
Against LAFC2, Ochoa only saved two shots in regulation, but made two huge additional saves in the shootout to give The Town FC another strong home finish.
It isn’t surprising that a team known for its defense has displayed stout goalkeeping, but The Town FC’s “next man up” mentality has allowed for multiple netminders to stand tall and rise to the occasion when called upon.
2024 draft picks shine
In the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, the Quakes selected defender Jamar Ricketts, midfielder Beau Leroux and forward Riley Lynch, in rounds one, two and three, respectively. All three have seen varied playing time with The Town FC and have contributed to the team’s success through the first handful of games.
The No. 13 overall pick in the draft, Ricketts has received high expectations following a successful collegiate career at California State University, Northridge.
Since being drafted, Ricketts has spent time with both the parent club and The Town FC, while also dealing with injuries. He’s suited up in three games for the MLS NEXT Pro squad, but because of his limited playing time, has yet to truly show his potential. He saw the pitch in the Quakes’ loss to Houston Dynamo and the team’s U.S. Open Cup victory over Oakland Roots.
Leroux co-leads The Town FC with two assists and has started in seven games thus far. A San Jose native, and a former San Jose State Spartan, the 20-year-old offers plenty of upside following an injury-ridden 2023 college season. He’s intelligent with the ball and often finds his open teammates to capitalize on attacks.
Lynch, who played his college ball at Saint Mary’s, has been arguably the most promising 2024 San Jose draft pick this year. Lynch has scored twice this season, including the first goal in Town FC history. He has a knack for positioning himself precisely in the box, displaying this trait when he scored the game-winner against Real Monarchs.
When he’s not scoring, though, Lynch is creating opportunities for other players. Lynch had a highlight-level assist against Houston Dynamo 2 where he lobbed a perfect cross into the 18-yard box to set up an eventual goal for The Town FC.
While the MLS NEXT Pro season is still young, all three new members of the organization will aim to keep hitting their strides, and most importantly, avoiding injuries.
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.
