Post-match: San Jose Earthquakes - Los Angeles Galaxy (Saturday, 3/2) postgame thread [R]

Results are on Luchi and the players heads NO one else.

The company owner isnt the reason you suck at your job.

 

For someone who can name all our players going back to 1996, you don't seem to understand how this works.

 

Only players of significance we lost were Monteiro - and many people, myself not necessarily included, feel that's addition by subtraction, Mensah - and he was unavailable half the time and Wilson may be better, and Trauco - again, Costa will probably be better - at least he can run. We now also have a legitimate 2nd CF and Pellegrino should be an upgrade over Cade's 1-goal production. So I think we're a little better, even w/o a CAM yet, but we haven't necessarily shown it yet.

 

let me show you again...

Players cut over the offseason:

Mensah ($1,165,000)
Nathan ($741,000)
Monteiro ($1,294,000)
Cade ($690,000)
Hoppe ($725,000)
Akinola ($772,000)
Trauco ($550,000)
Judson ($250,000)
Agren ($85,000)
Tingy ($67,000)
Cilley ($67,000)
*Walls ($153,000)
*Ochoa ($140,000)

* listed as "unavailable"

totaling $6.7 million in player salary reductions / plus Quakes brought in $4 million for Cade

Players added over the offseason:

Biegański (G) ($200,000)
Yarbrough (G) ($200,000)
Costa (LB) ($500,000)
Wilson (CB) ($650,000)
Morales (M) (was earning $662,000 w/ NYFC last year, 33yo now, maybe $550,000)
Pellegrino (LW) ($270,000)
Judd (F) (was earning $62,000 at LAG last year so maybe $200,000)

so, maybe $2.5 million added back. Quakes player budget went from roughly $13 million last year (one of the lowest in the league) to well under $10 million for this year (sure to be the lowest in the league, as of today).

Big deals happening around the league, Quakes spent the offseason trimming the budget.

That's why it's ridiculous to blame coaches (8 coaches, same result) or players for what's going on here.

 

I don't care about the money. I'm looking at the players and their capabilities.

 

capable players cost money, same holds true across the entire soccer universe.

 

Luchi knew for over a month that Pellegrino's coming to us with a certain playing style....why doesn't he have a game plan ready then?
Season is just beginning but it's pretty wild that we're playing the same way, pure crosses from Espinoza only because no one else seems to be able to whip in a good cross, specially it seems our new LB.
Pellegrino for now is dead space on the LW area.

 

I’m looking at the *capability* of our current squad Vs. last year. You do play the game with money. It’s not poker.

 

Poor Benji, can't catch a break. Scores more than anyone in preseason, scores teams only goal in Dallas last week, gets benched for his effort. Instead, Pellegrino comes in, does nothing all game long.

Second time getting screwed over for him. He was playing better than Cade when he got benched the last time.

 

I am willing to give Pellegrino (and our other new signings) more time to show their worth. Afterall, they have only been with the team a matter of weeks.

 

these players will do their best, I'm sure of that. I predicted a 3-1 loss for this one, it was always looking like a blowout. Galaxy went out and had themselves a big off season. made some record DP moves. Brought in some serious talent to help Puig. They're not content to play in the shadow of LAFC.

Quakes had themselves a very small offseason. We're not ready.

It would be terribly unfair to blame Quakes coaches and players for Fisher and Leitch's failure.

 

I see on your other team that Manchester United striker Rasmus Hojlund went scoreless his first 14 Premier League games this season. Certainly you will give Pellegrino more time than the 92 minutes he has clocked so far for the Quakes?

 

"I do believe in our group to respond."

Luchi Gonzalez gives his assessment of the #CaliClasico. pic.twitter.com/54WkXrtfSj

— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) March 3, 2024

 

this isn’t about Pellegrino for me. He obviously needs more time. This is about Benji. He should’ve started last night. And if he wasn’t able to keep his scoring streak going, sub on Pellegrino at ‘60. Starting LW should’ve been Benji’s job to lose, he had done enough to earn it imo.

 

What we really need is a Puig type player - someone with a high work rate who can just quickly slice down the middle of the field and distribute the ball. I'd settle for even "Walmart Puig". Jack is trying but is not at that level even to be "Walmart Puig". Vela is not that type of player either - that's why I'm not super high on that prospective signing.

 

Hate to say it (because he plays for the Scum), but if we were playing pick up in the school yard and I get first pick of any MLS player, I’m grabbing Puig. Someone else can snag Messi.

 

Is Skahan even trying?

Anyone who suggested Skahan get a shot is on thin ice in terms of credibility...

"I'm losing my touch"
"Did you ever have a touch to lose man?"

 

Walmart Puig was Monteiro for us but the majority on here wanted him gone. He is not Puig for sure but had tremendous workrate and always made himself available for the ball and hustled defensively to win back possession. His biggest problem was the final third which we are still seeing today to an even greater degree.

 

Apparently Leitch is on it now, sequestered away and unable to attend Quakes functions because he has several very high profile players he’s in advanced level negotiations with…it’s going to be amazing. Next level signings are on the way! Season just got started so y’all need to exercise a little patience.

 

He was better than where we are now. Unbelievable that we would let him go and not have a replacement ready to go by now.

 

And he looks like, what? 14? He has another 20 good years in him!

 

We just need to be honest with ourselves when it comes to the roster. Daniel, Rodrigues, Yueill, Gruezo, and Espinoza are truly MLS-level starting 11 players in this league (maybe add Akapo there too). And, other than Daniel and Espinoza, most are lower-level types too. The rest are just depth-level pieces at best and they get exposed when we face quality opposition so I really cannot blame the players too much as they are expected to overachieve in many ways for this team to have any success.

 

I think we do miss him to some extent but Monteiro to Puig is apples to oranges. Puig is very direct - makes more incisive passes and can shoot pretty well from distance. Monteiro was industrious and always made himself available for the ball but he tended to slow down our attack and kind of chip away at the edges vs. play direct through the middle.

 

100%

You have to have the players to compete.

Quakes fans have this weird thing going on where we know the roster isn’t good enough and yet we like to blame our coaches and players anyway…

…it’s a real head scratcher.