A Slow Reset

Credit: San Jose Earthquakes

Since Niko Tsakiris went out with a long-term injury in a game against Toronto, the Quakes have won only one league game in seven. While they built up quite a large lead, getting only five points out of a possible 21 has closed the gap for the teams chasing.

Coupled with new signings still needing time to get used to MLS, the Quakes enter this Leagues Cup break with a massive wake-up call.

The Tsakiris injury and his recovery robbed the Quakes of their fulcrum. Tsakiris, while not the team’s best player, occupies the most vital position in Arena’s system.

Expected to be out until the last month or so of the season, finding a replacement in the short term needed to be the top priority heading into this summer. The front office pulled off some good moves, but none addressed the void. For a season that started so perfectly, allowing it all to unravel in the second half would undo all the progress made this year.

If the recent slide and transfer woes hadn’t created a divide, the news of the team hiring Gavin Wilkinson promises to split the team from the fans further. Having been out of MLS for over two years due to a number of issues from his time with the Timbers, this news came out of nowhere. With the ultras already announcing their opposition to this move, all the good vibes surrounding this season feel gone.

Having spent a year giving the club a desperate shot in the arm, all that progress has been unraveling since Tsakiris left the pitch in Toronto.

While the team still showed life since the MLS restart, they need to find their footing or risk another disappointing season.

After the best start in team history, May hit the team like a truck. A long-term injury to their creative focal point only deepened a crisis already bubbling.

Until the start of their slide, which continues to this point, the Quakes played with house money. A relatively thin squad that bet on internal developments with the addition of a star took control of the Western Conference. For the immediate improvement over last season, Arena and the team deserve credit.

Given that the team is still in the process of being sold, a path paved by these sorts of improvements was always going to be the only one. One thing lost in the excitement of this season is that this current Quakes roster, barring the new moves, is almost the same as last year. The lack of additional massive upgrades proves that there is a ton of talent on this roster that was unlocked.

To be fair, the start of the season and the team’s rise to the top of the West created an illusion of what this team truly is. For as good as the vibes this season have been, they outperformed the potential of this roster.

Players outperforming the limitations of the roster is a sign of good talent evaluation and a system that gets the most out of them. Daniel Munie serves as the best example, as he went from a backup centerback last year to an All-Star with the proper chances. However, one can’t build a team entirely out of developmental projects.

Look at the team beyond the starting eleven, and the real issue lies bare. Without adequate MLS-quality players to rotate or make tactical changes with, the team only has one option. Once that option hit misfortune, everything unraveled.

As the team prepares for this final stretch, some creativity will be needed.

No longer can Arena and his staff rely on the choices that built the squandered lead.

One of the highlights of this season came from the hope emanating from PayPal Park. The team’s success paired with the excitement of the players’ performances created such a positive atmosphere.

Despite the slide heading into the World Cup, many expected the team to continue playing with the good vibes that became their calling card. However, a number of events coinciding with the restart eventually zapped the team and fanbase of some of the hope. 

The trade of Daniel to Houston came out of nowhere, as did the addition of Angus Gunn. For years, the Brazilian stood as the team’s best player, one capable of keeping the team in games single-handedly. Those performances created a connection with fans, as he embodied the “Goonies Never Say Die” motto unlike any other player. 

Houston offered the Quakes more money than they could turn down; a million in GAM for a good, but flawed keeper was too much. In fact, the injury issues that characterized his time in part came back in the keeper’s first start with his new club. Gunn offered the team a similar level of keeper, but allowed them to cash in on Daniel.

Earlier last week, ESPN reported that the Quakes were set to hire Gavin Wilkinson, one of the former architects of the mid-2010s Timbers and Thorns sides, as a consultant to the front office. His work with the Thorns saw him implicated in a report detailing abuse in the NWSL by supporting a manager with allegations of abuse. Beyond the Yates Report, Wilkinson’s handling of the Andy Polo domestic violence case saw the MLS come down on him. 

Out of the MLS since 2024, Wilkinson saw his MLS career effectively end with fans and sponsors distancing themselves from whatever club brought him on. The Faultline already announced their disapproval of this move. With the baggage already brought by the Arena hiring, the Quakes deciding to make this move only shows a club willing to betray its own fans and culture.

From the Daniel trade to the Wilkinson hiring, the distance between the fans and club is returning.

A season that brought back an era of good feelings promises to completely fall apart.

As the Quakes prepare for yet another restart, they need to find a way to revive what was a promising season. However, over the past few weeks, bad vibes have started to creep in.

The Quakes now run the risk of allowing bad luck and decisions to derail their entire season.