SAN JOSE — The San Jose Earthquakes will be celebrating its 50th year as a club during Saturday’s California Clásico at Stanford Stadium, and it couldn’t have come at a more crucial time in the season.
Saturday’s match will be the first for interim coach Ian Russell following the firing of Luchi Gonzalez earlier this week. The Quakes will be looking to turn its season around after going 3-14-2 in through their first 19 games.
Russell said his goal is to get a statement win against the Quakes’ in-state rival.
“I want to win every game, especially the first one in the Clasico against L.A.,” Russell said on Wednesday. “It’d be very special.”
San Jose Earthquakes interim head coach Ian Russell walks off the field after a practice at Stanford Stadium in Stanford, Calif., on Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Star midfielder Cristian Espinoza added, “We want to win, not just for Ian, but for us and the fans. Hopefully this weekend, we can start winning in terms of the results.”
San Jose comes into Saturday’s matchup as one of the worst defensive teams in MLS.
The Quakes have conceded a league-worst 51 goals through 19 matches this season and have a goal differential of -22. They are winless in their last eight matches and have given up 27 goals in that span.
Russell said he is hoping to get more defensive effort from the team’s midfielders and forwards to take pressure off the back line.
“When you first look at it the first blame is going to the back four and the goalkeeper, but that’s not it at all,” Russell said. “It starts with the forwards and it starts with the midfielders. The back four should be the ones that are actually picking up the scraps at the end. So we have to change all that.”
The matchup with the Galaxy won’t be easy for the struggling San Jose defense.
L.A. is tied for second in MLS in goals scored and is fourth in assists. Forward Dejan Joveljic is Top-10 in the league in goals scored (11) and midfielder Riqui Puig is one of the better facilitators in the league, totaling eight assists so far this season.
Offensively, Russell said it is important for the Quakes to get Cristian Espinoza and Jeremy Ebobisse more opportunities to score.
“With Ebobisse, he has a very good track record of scoring,” Russell said. “He’s been a little off this year and I think for a goal scorer like him, it’s just a matter of knocking some in and the goal is going to get big again.”
Espinoza added, “I always want to score more goals. Even in the last six months, I have had a lot of chances to score but I made the wrong decisions.”
San Jose has also taken this week to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the team’s founding.
On Thursday, the city of San Jose honored the team by raising the Quakes’ flag at city hall. Quakes’ alumni will be making appearances at Saturday’s game to commemorate the team’s history.
Johnny Moore, second from right, the San Jose Earthquakes first player signed in 1974, helps San Jose City Councilmember Devora “Dev” Davis, far right, raise an Earthquakes flag at SJ City Hall to commemorate their 50th Anniversary Week at San Jose City Hall in downtown San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, June 27, 2024. At far left is councilmember Pam Foley next to councilmember David Cohen. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
The Quakes played in the North American Soccer League for 10 years starting in 1974. After the collapse of the NASL in 1984, San Jose played in the Western Soccer Alliance from 1985 to 1988.
The team made its first appearance in MLS in 1996 under the name “San Jose Clash” and hosted its first game at Spartan Stadium in April of that same year. The team’s name returned to the Earthquakes during the 1999 season.
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The team was moved to Houston in 2005, but returned under new ownership headed by Oakland A’s owner John Fisher. In its history, the Quakes have had star players such as Chris Wondolowsk and Landon Donovan.
“It’s a huge and special moment for this club,” San Jose Earthquakes president Jared Shawnlee told the Bay Area News Group on Thursday. “It’s the longest tenured club in American soccer history and it’s here in San Jose. It’s just an incredible story of success and perseverance and we’re really excited to have all the fans a chance to celebrate it this weekend.”
San Jose Earthquakes president Jared Shawlee, far right, shares a laugh with former Earthquakes’ Johnny Moore, the Earthquakes first player signed in 1974, before a flag-raising at SJ City Hall to commemorate their 50th Anniversary Week at San Jose City Hall in downtown San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)