Hope on the Wing - Bay Area Sports Nation

For a few seasons now, the left side of the team remains incomplete. Cowell promised to be the long-term solution, but the team failed to get the best out of him.

With the season truly gone, what can Russell figure out with this position?

Since Cowell left, the team has continued to lack stability on the left wing. While Cowell never truly developed his game, his presence is sorely missing.

Pellegrino has played well in spurts but seems more effective in a two-man striker system that lets him drift from the left. Russell clearly likes having Kikanović balance the team despite the striker’s struggles on the wing. The only time this season where threats appeared on the left came when Russell pushed Costa further up the field.

Freshly recalled from his loan, Ousseni Bouda gives Russell another option. He is not a left-winger by trade, but Bouda deserves a shot to make that position his own. At this point, nothing is left to be lost, so why not see what Bouda offers?

If anything is to be salvaged this season, it should be a player drafted like Bouda.

Maybe he isn’t ready to be a MLS player, but he needs a shot to understand what he is.

Even before Cowell, the left side of the Quakes’ offense never truly scared the league. From Erikson to Vako, plenty of players tried their luck there to no avail.

This season, both Luchi and Russell underestimated the lack of a left-wing attack. Neither found a way to mold their formation into one that could produce a balanced attack.

To be fair to Pellegrino, the forward remains the team’s top scorer. Yes, he misses three clear chances for every goal, but that’s still production. The issue remains that he offers nothing outside of scoring, making his fit anywhere outside up top difficult.

Kikanović continues to spend his tenure in MLS without a real position. Russell sees him as a left winger like Mandzukič, a defensive forward who can provide another outlet. That’s a great role for a winning side, but this Quakes’ team is far from it.

Surprisingly, the left side looked the best this season when Russell moved to a back three with Costa as a wingback. The Brazilian bombed up and down the field and offered more of a threat than any winger. Of course, this leaves gaps in the background, but one hopes that Gruezo can fill those gaps.

If the team abandons the idea of playing with three up top, it makes sense to just use Costa as the left-sided threat. However, to get the most out of this roster, the team needs to have spots for Espinoza and López. For a player as talented as López, the wing just doesn’t fit him.

Every new iteration of the Quakes attempts to fix their lack of balance at the winger position. Not a single one came close to figuring the balance out.

Drafted two years ago, Bouda excited fans with his pedigree and profile.

Here arrived an exciting winger who looked to score while beating defenders off the dribble.

Despite being a more senior member of the squad at this point, Bouda’s impact is barely noticeable in terms of tenure. Over the past three seasons, Bouda only holds 30 first-team appearances to his name. For the majority of this time, the winger found himself in the lower leagues.

Drafted eighth overall, Bouda promised to fit the mold of the modern winger. A key creative hub that aims to cut in and open up space for his fellow attackers. Not only did his high school records appeal to scouts, but so did the translation of his game to the college level.

After failing to hold down a spot so far this season, the team decided to let him go on loan to Monterey Bay. Bouda didn’t exactly set the USL on fire, but his recall signifies that the team is placing their trust in him.

As mentioned earlier, Bouda didn’t come into the league as a left winger. Even in USL, he occupies the right side of the wing. However, the team will need him to adapt his game at the highest level and replace Cowell.

The only hope remaining for the team is that Bouda brings the skills he showed at the lower levels to beat MLS defenders. It’s by no means an easy task, but one that is necessary for both his and the team’s future. Russell and the front office do seem to realize this just by bringing him back into the fold.

Jackson Yueill and Paul Marie are the two draft picks that have hit for the Quakes. Bouda promises to be one, but without game time, he can’t prove himself at the highest level.