San Jose Earthquakes - Sporting Kansas City (Saturday, 2/21) pre/in/postgame thread [R]

Yes, thanks! I forgot the three ties. And we did improve under Covelo, which I hate to admit.

We've been such a pile of shit for so long it all runs together.

'24 was a really, truly, abominable season. Also '18. There are some other candidates in there, which is pathetic because it shows just how truly awful and horrible the team is.

Go Quakesfans!!

 

I fully expect us to lose this one by 2-3 goals and for the season to get steadily worse from there.

 

Really? The Sporks were the very worstest team in our conference last season. You think they are going to beat us? They'll be playing a new system, under a new coach, with a lot of new players. They ditched twelve (12!) guys, brought in eight (8), and I bet that's not a complete list. (That is, I think they have probably brought in more than eight guys.)

So, I think we have a chance to beat them, mostly because we're playing at home.

IF we lose by 2 to 3 goals, well, it's going to be a very, very long season.

Go Quakesfans!!

 

This offseason tells me it’s best to start with lowest possible expectations.

 

I'll drink (heavily) to that!

 

As an SKC fan, can i just say that it's nice to see that we are not alone in having a hard time believing we're heading into the season with our current roster. We were bad last year, and we're worse this year/ We have exactly enough players to fill a gameday roster (well, plus 2, but 4 keepers so 16 field players). It looks as if we're starting a 17 year old CB, two mids as outside backs and we have spent barely a penny of our big pile of GAM. Our new CSO promised double digit new signings in January, which have turned into 2, both classic MLS depth types.
If we win by two goals, let me be the first to offer condolences.

 

Our marketing teams should join forces on the new youth movement in MLS catching fire in KC and SJ.

 

Wow, what gives? SKC has been, traditionally, at least a medium spending team with usually a pretty good roster. Has the team provided any explanation for what they’re doing? The closest thing to a rationale we’ve received is “addition be subtraction”.

 

Yeah, I think you must be right. Has nothing to do with cheap. I half expect the players from a halftime U-10 game to just stay on the field at some point this year.

 

I think, officially, the club has decided it hates it's fans. I mean, nine players making more than the $105,000 senior minimum (and several just barely) does not indicate a lot of interest in building a roster for 2026.
We've got a brand new $15 billionaire owner and a pile of league bucks.
No idea what's going on. Just enough of a sicko to be excited for the season. hope that lasts in March.

 

Ah OK, new owner. That would explain it I guess. Not sure what he’s doing but at least it explains why things are different.

 

4 Days Until Kickoff!
Get your air-sickness bags ready!
The team recommends that you lay in a stock of Emetrol and Absinthe!

Enjoy the season! Solid inebriation is probably best!

Go Quakesfans!!

 

Hey at least Timo Werner will be there, right??

 

Hey we were promised "maybe one or two more" signings after Werner and got zero, which makes promising double digit signings and delivering two look good maybe?

 

Wow SKC are dead last in the preseason power rankings... impressive!

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/power-rankings-where-does-your-team-start-the-2026-mls-season

21 San Jose Earthquakes

The Quakes started the offseason by not retaining DP winger Cristian Espinoza.

But, hey, at least they’ve seemingly made up for it by winning the race to bring in longtime German star Timo Werner to MLS. Werner has the pedigree to be a Best XI-caliber attacker in MLS and, at the very least, will continue to be a high-level contributor defensively.

But is that enough to make up for the loss of Espinoza, Josef Martínez and DP striker Chicho Arango? Well… that’s a big ask.

30 Sporting Kansas City

Your guess at what this team will actually look like is as good as any here.

In their first year without Peter Vermes in charge of basically everything, their roster isn't yet complete. New sporting director David Lee (formerly of NYCFC) and new head coach Raphael Wicky (formerly of Chicago) have a ton of work to do.

Anyway, it would be extremely MLS for none of this to matter and for this team to make the playoffs.

 

Watching on the bench, the stand or Apple TV?

 

Fortunately they do have AppleTV in Germany
Timo will catch 5-10 minutes of the game every time his newborn baby wakes him up late at night

 

It’s good we’re playing an equally shitty team for the first of the season. Actually, the first quarter of the 26 season seems relatively easy. It is very possible that we’ll start out looking halfway decent and totally fall apart in the last half. Most Earthquakes thing ever…

 

With Timo arriving, and maybe anothe player or two, I think we just need to tread water for the first 5-10 games. Bruce is building a (low) foundation with the players we have. If that foundation is not too shaky, we could turn out to be a decent team.

 

Over the course of a 34 game season? What strain are you smoking?

 

Dude, you’re high, or maybe forgot your meds? We lost all of last season’s offense, our one (1) replacement hasn’t shown up yet, and we’re expecting last year’s second stringers to hold it together on defense. We are six players short of a full squad.

We need at least three new players plus Timo, right away or we’re going to get stomped. This could be our worst season ever.

I recommend lots of drugs, and at least two other healthy hobbies for this season.

Go Quakesfans!!

 

I agree with much of what people are saying, we need reinforcements.

On the plus side, big growth from both Judd and Bouda last year, Lereaux is the real deal, and growth from Munie and Floriani on defense.

Maybe Benji stays healthy for most of the year and Daniel can stay healthy.

Then Timo gets here and game ready.

If we can get a couple of decent MLS cast offs and spring for another player who's better than good, we have a shot at the playoffs.