While the defensive lapse that cost the Quakes a win deserved attention, the team’s stagnant offense also troubled the team. Not counting Timo Werner, it has been almost four months since a Quakes striker has found the back of the net.
From players being misused to others seemingly having their commitment questioned, the team needs to take a gamble.
Ousseni Bouda becoming a competent MLS winger is one of the season’s best storylines. As the broadcast pointed out, the Quakes’ number seven is among the best crossers in MLS.
Given how important his role on the wing became for the team in the early part of the year, it always felt weird to move him to the striker spot. While Luchi played him as a striker, clearly he impacts the game more from the wing. As shown when he failed to pass to an open Löwen, his instincts in that lone striker role are not completely there.
Credit: San Jose EarthquakesArena has two options: bring Judd back into the fold or give Luka Jovanović a chance.
Judd’s high-profile lack of effort means he must earn back the trust of his manager and teammates. Becoming the most interesting transfer of the summer, Jovanović’s lack of playing time remains strange.
Should Arena continue to stick with this 3-4-3, a solution for the number nine spot needs to happen, at least until Werner returns.
This team’s continued slide means that Arena can’t afford to be conservative with his decisions.
Despite the last-second goal, the majority of the team’s issues against Austin came from a neutered front line. With two excellent playmakers, a lack of a pure goalscorer acted like an ulcer on their side.
Bouda on the wing gives them another dimension to their attack, as he plays a sort of Espinoza-lite role. However, when moved to striker, he lacks the ability to change the game when attacking through the middle. One solution could be to push Bouda back to that right wingback position, creating a strong offensive tandem with Ricketts on the left.
The fact that no striker or forward, aside from Werner, has scored since May underlines that, no matter the formation, deeper problems exist. An overreliance on Judd in the early part of the season meant that the moment he entered a rough spell, the whole offense would follow. By bringing in Löwen, the team hoped that another elite playmaker would unlock the attack, but it still hasn’t.
Credit: San Jose EarthquakesAll signs point towards Arena bringing back Judd to fill in that role at some point. Still working to re-earn that trust from his teammates and manager, returning him to the starting lineup still feels strange.
Before this season, Judd was profiled as a fine off-the-bench striker created in the mold of Alan Gordon. A physical force, he heaped pressure on tired backlines, but Judd entered this season in perfect form. Taking advantage of a system built for a target man, the former LA Galaxy striker broke out and earned a new contract for his hot start.
In this new system where the wingers prefer to cut in rather than cross, a player in Judd’s mold will struggle. Not fast enough to make runs behind the backline, Judd’s buildup play also doesn’t benefit a team lacking wing play. Without the crosses that allowed him to finish across the box, Judd may find himself isolated on an island.
Since being moved to the striker spot, Bouda has played to the best of his abilities, but he can’t be the team’s starter down the stretch.
Judd, after being benched, also seems like a bad fit for this new system.
Werner remains the likeliest of options to start in the nine spot, but even his fit in this system feels strange given how close his style is to both Löwen and Tsakiris. If Arena wants to gamble, Jovanović might be the best option.
With only two appearances thus far, Jovanović continues to be a bench fixture with barely any sniff of playing time. In fact, the last time he came close to stepping on the pitch was a few weeks ago, before Arena decided not to send him in. Up to this game against Austin, Arena has only given the striker around 100 minutes of playing time since joining in July.
Still only 21, taking it slowly to introduce a young player to a new league, one that is more competitive than the A-League, makes sense. However, the Australian being so good and dominant in his home league should offer him more chances.
If Arena remains committed to this shift, a more dynamic striker who can run at opponents is the only way it works. Reacting with more dynamism with two playmakers suits someone like Jovanović better than Judd. Bouda, as a natural winger, possesses some of that ability, but lacks the finishing ability of a pure striker.
Jovanović’s 2025/26 heatmap shows a player who can contribute in buildup play across the pitch unlike any other option. A striker who can flow alongside playmakers, rather than be a pure finisher, can open the game up for everyone. Finally, his game isn’t as black and white as Judd’s, as he can score across the box and not remain a poacher.
While reservations remain about how his skills will translate to the MLS level, Jovanović still finished as the A-League Golden Boot winner. There is enough proof in his game to warrant more opportunities. Especially with other forwards and the team struggling, Arena needs to be open to making a change.
Out of all the possible changes to make, Jovanović offers the most bang for Arena’s buck.
The club brought in the Australian to clearly be part of the team’s future; why not see what he has?
For all the attention the Quakes’ defensive issues continue to, deservingly, receive, their offensive struggles deserve more attention. Almost five months later, Werner remains the only forward to have scored since May.
To find a way out of this tailspin, Arena needs to take a gamble, and Jovanović feels like a worthy one.
