With less than a month remaining, the San Jose Earthquakes stand within a few points of securing a playoff spot in the next couple of weeks. Likely to finish between the third and fifth seed, they need to focus on reaching that long-dreamed-of home playoff game in one piece.
Given their recent injury report against Colorado, staying healthy for the postseason may be tougher than expected.
At this point in the season, with the playoffs well within reach, teams start planning for an MLS Cup run. For the first time in more than a decade, the breathing room built over the course of the season allows Arena’s side to ease into the postseason.
Staying around the third or fourth seed lets fans see the Quakes finally host a playoff game at PayPal Park. With the stadium a decade old and having never hosted a game of that magnitude, that accomplishment makes the season a win in itself. Starting the playoffs at home, without having to play in the play-in, may make a difference for any run.
Credit: San Jose EarthquakesOne of this season’s underlying storylines has been the number of injuries the Quakes have sustained and their impact. In fact, one could argue that Niko Tsakiris’s May injury derailed the team’s chances of being the No. 1 seed. However, the recent injury report was concerning, as it showed the injuries haven’t subsided.
Managing his players’ workload may become Arena’s biggest challenge in the next few weeks.
Entering the postseason with a team that is both healthy and able to contend is the only way to celebrate a first home playoff game.
Injuries played a role in this season’s story from the opening kick. From Timo Werner’s litany of injuries to DeJuan Jones’ Achilles tear, few other teams saw these issues rock them.
Strength in numbers became the calling card of the Warriors’ first two title runs. While the Quakes lack the game-breaking talent of the Dubs, Arena’s team-building strategy embodied that idea. By building a squad of MLS-level players, the hope was that they could weather anything.
Rather than depending on whatever was at his disposal like last season, Arena could now call upon MLS vets when he needed a change. As injuries and poor form piled up, the roster’s flexibility gave Arena help. The Costa-Ricketts battery also managed the Jones injury, which threatened to derail the season.
Signing Werner meant acknowledging he would miss chunks of the season. However, the front office took months to realize that they needed a backup for the German.
Credit: San Jose EarthquakesAgainst Toronto in May, Tsakiris came off in the first half with an injury that eventually shook the Quakes to their core. With Werner still in and out of the roster, no other player replaced Tsakiris’s impact. His long absence coincided with the team’s worst run of form this season, which saw them plummet down the standings.
Upon his return in August, the prodigy played at an All-Star level, scoring and assisting at will. Tsakiris was central to the team’s turnaround in September, changing everything for the club. Seemingly out of nowhere, however, it appears that the injury issues have returned for the youngster.
Losing Tsakiris so close to the playoffs leaves fans hoping this new injury isn’t serious.
After already seeing a good patch of their season fall apart due to a Tsakiris injury, every Quakes fan fears another collapse.
Over the next few weeks, the Quakes will play a number of teams outside the playoff picture. Outside of their games against Dallas and Nashville, room exists for rotations to save players for the postseason.
While the game against Nashville promises to be an exciting affair, FC Dallas gives a glimpse into a potential playoff matchup. Not only does Dallas sit above them in the standings, but this game may also be the first round of the playoffs. Both teams will see this as a chance to fine-tune their form for the postseason.
Beyond those two games, Arena’s side faces decent opposition, but none that can threaten their spot. Instead, these games should be seen as similar to the Colorado game. It’s a chance to rotate the squad, give some players a break, and let others warm up for the next month.
Credit: San Jose EarthquakesIf the injury list keeps growing, as it did during this recent international break, Arena will need to improve its load management. Additionally, as players return from international duty, pressure will only keep piling on.
In the remaining four weeks, they play six games with multiple games a week for a few weeks. Understanding when to save certain players for different matchups will require Arena to understand the standings and opponent. Picking up points where you can while rotating the side also lets the manager see where substitutions may work best in the postseason.
The slide from May through June didn’t completely kill the Quakes, giving them enough breathing room to enter November. Injuries may complicate things and take up some of that room, but the stabilization over the past month helped. Of course, any long-term Tsakiris injury could throw any of these plans out the window.
With the team likely to finish among the middle seeds, now is the time for Arena to load-manage his side.
His main concern needs to be keeping players fresh and ready for the playoffs.
Against Colorado on Saturday, they walked away with a point despite international absences and a litany of injuries. As the playoffs near and a home playoff game looms, Arena needs to get his players in shape for a run.
Balancing which games certain players play and when to rest others may give them a real shot at their first playoff win at PayPal Park.
