SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- For all of the difficulties that expansion teams face, one thing they're not burdened with is high expectations. Given how the San Jose Earthquakes managed to stay alive until the penultimate week of the 2008 regular season, it can be argued that they exceeded the hopes of many of their fans.
Even the most cynical of observers had to admit that a solid foundation had been laid, especially in defense. And with midfield players like Darren Huckerby and Ramiro Corrales set to return, the process of augmenting a solid starting group seemed relatively straightforward.
Yet the run-up to the 2009 campaign has been largely a case of two steps forward, one step back. Players like forward Scott Sealy, midfielder Francisco Lima and winger Ronnie O'Brien were all key contributors last year, yet for varying reasons each player was allowed to depart.
In their place has arrived a passel of attacking players, each of whom have questions surrounding them. The new crop of forwards is talented, but unproven in MLS. In midfield, Bobby Convey has been brought into orchestrate the San Jose attack, but he has spent the vast majority of his career out wide, casting doubt on just how effective he'll be in a more central role.
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SIGHTS & SOUNDS
So are the Quakes better off than they were at the end of last season? If you're San Jose manager Frank Yallop, the answer is "yes", and a quick look at the Quakes roster reveals a team with fewer holes than the one that took the field in 2008.
"I just feel like we've got a lot of talent on the field now," said Yallop. "We can score at any time. Last year I felt like we had to play really well to get a goal. Now, out of nothing we can score. ... And we've got a bit of experience where we can take the sting out of the game. I just feel more confident with the guys we have."
But are the changes enough for the Quakes to finish above seven other teams and make the playoffs? It's possible, but only if plenty of pieces fall perfectly into place, and that might appear to be asking too much of this San Jose side.
The biggest changes -- and not coincidentally, the biggest risks -- are up top. Yallop does have a group of forwards with more strength and power than a year ago, including 6-foot-4 Cam Weaver and 6-foot-3 Pablo Campos. Ryan Johnson, himself no shrinking violet at 6-foot-1, looks set to prove that last year's haul of five goals in a supersub role wasn't a fluke, while the diminutive Quincy Amarikwa possesses the kind of explosiveness that can unhinge any defense. Add in jack-of-all trades Davide Somma, and it's clear that Yallop, along with general manager John Doyle, has improved the frontline.
That said, only Johnson has logged more than 10 MLS starts. Weaver did make over 50 appearances for Norwegian second division side FK Haugesund over two seasons, but it's unclear how his respectable haul of 21 goals will translate into MLS.
That means the only available evidence comes from preseason games, and one only has to look to last year, when the Quakes went 6-1-2 against professional clubs, to realize that such matches are a poor predictor of regular season success. Still, the group's performances in training and exhibitions have been enough to convince the team's veterans that their forwards can do some damage.
"Last year, we had guys who we had to teach how to win," said captain Nick Garcia. "They didn't know what it was like to be in an environment where the demands would be on them like they were. ... Cam Weaver, he has a great mentality, and he's a hard worker where you don't have to teach him how to win. You don't have to teach him the mental side of being into practices and games."
Added goalkeeper Joe Cannon: "You can say [the forwards] are unproven, but just looking at how things are going in terms of what they look like in training, I can definitely say we're miles ahead of where we had been before."
The Quakes have undergone a bit of a makeover in midfield as well, and this could play an even bigger role in the team's fortunes. If Convey is successful in carving up opposition defenses, then the resulting domino effect will create more space for a player like Huckerby. But if Convey fails, then the tactic of opponents applying double teams to the Englishman is one that will be repeated often. Clearly, Yallop is betting on the former scenario playing out.
"[Convey] is a good footballer, and he's showed that in training," said Yallop. "I don't think the adjustment will be too bad, and the way we play, it's pretty simple stuff. Keep the ball, be simple until you get around the goal, and then use your stuff."
The departure of O'Brien could also prove troublesome in that his long-range passing from crosses and set pieces won't be easily replaced. In his place will be Arturo Alvarez, a wildcard who is more likely to cut in and have a shot at goal rather than stay wide and deliver a barrage of crosses. Given that Huckerby plays a similar style on the opposite wing, there is the chance that the forwards might not get the kind of service they need to excel. But Johnson insists that the pair's unpredictability will make up for the absence of O'Brien.
"Our wingers, they're pretty versatile," said Johnson. "They can swing the crosses in early or get down the line. But a lot of times they've been getting beyond the forwards and getting breaks on to goal. They also like to cut in, so they have a lot of different weapons they can use. It's not like they cross it every time. Sometimes they'll go at guys, sometimes they'll slip the ball through. I think they're going to be a handful when we're all flying up the field."
But perhaps a bigger concern is what they'll offer on the defensive side of the ball. Neither player is known for being overly conscientious in tracking back, and that could place an immense burden on whoever mans the holding midfielder spot, be it Ramiro Corrales or Simon Elliott, especially if they're paired in the middle with an attack-minded player like Convey.
"I think that's going to be a key for us, making sure that Darren and Arturo help cover," said Cannon.
And as solid as the backline was a year ago, it's worth noting that the group did falter late in the season, with opponents getting behind the defense with alarming frequency. The loss of James Riley in the expansion draft didn't help, nor has a troublesome ankle injury that has sidelined Ryan Cochrane for almost all of preseason. And while the team acquired a solid pro in Chris Leitch, it's important that the group not take for granted the success they had in 2008, when they ranked fourth in MLS in terms of goals allowed.
As in most cases, it will be all about finding that delicate balance between attack and defense, where the electric runs of Huckerby will be complimented by the solid defensive work of Garcia and central partner Jason Hernandez.
A favorable early schedule that sees the Quakes play four of their first five games at home should help the team avoid the horrid start that plagued their 2008 season. As a consequence, the Quakes are exuding a confidence tempered by a heavy dose of realism.
"It's a much more optimistic feeling [this year], and a much more comfortable feeling in that you know the guys you've got," said Cannon. "They're battle-tested, they've played together. But there is still room to improve."
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