Where did we leave off last year? There was no last year. The Quakes are an expansion team.
Arrivals: GK Joe Cannon (Los Angeles), DF Nick Garcia (Kansas City), D/M Ramiro Corrales (Brann, Norway), MF Ivan Guerrero (Chicago), MF Ronnie O’Brien (Toronto FC)
Departures: None
Assessing the front office moves: General Manager John Doyle and head coach Frank Yallop focused on defense in their offseason acquisitions. It’s a smart move considering how much pressure expansion teams generally face at the back. Acquiring Cannon, a keeper used to the firing line, and Ramiro Corrales, a defender who will play in a holding role in midfield, made tons of sense. Swapping the first overall pick for Garcia looks like a good piece of business. The Expansion Draft last November yielded some talent. Trading for O’Brien bolsters the offense but does not cover up the fact that there are no established strikers in the squad. It’s a significant black mark that the team hasn’t managed to find one decent option to play up top given the lead time the team had to acquire one.
The squad: Yallop will send his team out in a 4-4-2 formation. Cannon remains one of the top three or four goalkeepers in the league and will need to be with the barrage he’ll face this season. Ryan Cochrane and Garcia will play centrally; it’s a decent paring that lacks pace and one wonders if Garcia is consistent enough to cover up Cochrane’s mistakes like Eddie Robinson did in Houston last season. James Riley and Jason Hernandez will man the fullback slots. Riley is best on the right, but is expected to play on the left. Corrales has featured in midfield during the preseason and could provide another holding option in midfield alongside Ned Grabavoy, who may see most of the playmaking duties. Guerrero’s runs down the left wing could give some width. O’Brien should fare better on the natural grass at Buck Shaw Stadium than he did on the BMO Field turf. A healthy and in-form O’Brien represents the team’s best attacking option. Kei Kamara and Gavin Glinton are the strikers by default, though rookie Shea Salinas has been coming on as of late.
Key player: Ronnie O’Brien
Most likely to drop out of the starting XI: Gavin Glinton
Off the bench: In case Cannon gets injured, Preston Burpo provides a great option off the pine. Aside from that, it’s slim pickings. Joe Vide showed well with New York last season and may earn a run in the team at some point. John Cunliffe is still an interesting prospect and is likely to play a role in the attack once ingrained into the team. Salinas is an untested rookie. There are no discernible attacking options in reserve, although the club may officially sign one or two before opening day, including former Chivas USA striker Matt Taylor and former ‘Quake Jamil Walker.
Outlook: The road is long and bumpy for the Quakes this season. The makeshift stadium at Santa Clara University will see a makeshift side for most of the season. Like Toronto FC last season, many losses will plague the side. There’s talent in the back and some in midfield, but the paucity of attacking options staggers. Some strikers will certainly arrive, but it’ll be far too late. The playoffs are at least a year away. Realistically, this side is two years away from competing for a playoff spot as presently comprised. But the league’s back in San Jose, so it’s not all bad news for Quakes fans.
