New York City FC entertain the San Jose Earthquakes on Friday night.
For this edition of 'The Away End' presented by Berkeley College & Rennert International, we spoke to Alex Morgan, Editor for the Quakes Epicenter, a website covering the San Jose Earthquakes.
Hi Alex, thanks for speaking with us. How long have you been covering the San Jose Earthquakes?
I started covering the Quakes in 2015—this is my tenth season on the beat!
What has been your highlight in that time?
There have been no shortage of weird and wild moments covering the Quakes but my highlight was when Chris Wondolowski broke the Major League Soccer goalscoring record in 2019. He had been hunting the record for years and it was surreal when he actually got there. He proceeded to bag three more goals that day just to let the league know who was on top!
What were your thoughts on the 2023 season?
The Quakes just about met expectations in 2023 by securing a playoff berth on decision day. It was Luchi Gonzalez’s first season as head coach of the Quakes and he resolved the defensive issues that had sunk them in 2022. At the end of the season, it felt like the Quakes had a solid foundation and could become a genuine contender with the right offseason additions.
What are your hopes for the 2024 season?
2024 has not panned out the way that the Quakes had hoped. They lost eight out of their first nine games, allowing 24 goals in the process. All the defensive progress they made in 2023 went out the window and their offense struggled to make up for it. Their offseason signings simply weren’t ambitious enough to keep up with the rest of the league.
That outlook changed when they dropped a club-record transfer fee for Hernán López on deadline day. The midfielder is Diego Maradona’s great-nephew and plays a little like it, too. He’s got their attack back in gear, getting more service up top to Norwegian signing Amahl Pellegrino and MLS stalwart Jeremy Ebobissee.
With some more consistency at the back in their last few games, there’s still a slimmer of hope that the Quakes can clinch a playoff berth. If they do not secure a few big wins in June, those dreams will rapidly fade. After a devastating Open Cup loss to USL rivals Sacramento Republic, that would leave the Quakes in a dire situation.
What do you think will be the deciding factor in Friday's game?
I think this game will be decided by what happens in the second half. The Quakes have been absolutely dreadful at holding onto leads, giving up winning positions six times this season. They’ve allowed more goals in the second half—21—than NYCFC have allowed total this year.
If New York City FC make the right tactical changes at halftime and have strong substitutions, they should be able to clinch it in the second half regardless of what happens in the first half.
And for any fans that might be in San Jose for a game in the near future are there any spots you'd suggest they check out?
San Pedro Square Market is a lively spot in downtown San Jose that’s a great place to get food drinks, and watch live music. The Quakes often hold jersey reveals and other club celebrations there.
If you want to catch a player for some autographs, Santana Row is probably the place to hang out. Opposing teams often stay there and some Quakes players also live nearby.
