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Tommy Thompson will be the right-back of new San Jose Earthquakes head coach Matias Almeyda. (John Hefti / USA TODAY Sports)
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes saved a 2-2 draw with the Seattle Sounders in their final pre-season game. Chris Wondolowski scored two penalties to complete his comeback after Victor Rodriguez gave the benefit to the Cascadia club with two goals in advance. The Quakes faced a man in the last 30 minutes of the match but could not find a winner.
Pre-season games may be hard to badyze, but with the opening of the earthquake season against the Montreal Impact in less than a week and the results of the encouraging Saturday dress rehearsal, here are three thoughts on the draw. 2-2 of San Jose against Seattle.
Never too early to make a late return
Too often in 2018, earthquakes have lost points because of their inability to overcome adversity. This would be manifested by the lack of intensity often observed when opposing teams scored goals, which sometimes resulted in additional deficits.
The San Jose defense has often been the main contributor to these collapses, but the offense has not always relieved the back line pressure by generating enough advances in the games, as well as keeping the ball in possession of the ball. It was a pattern that in some ways resembled the match against the Sounders, although there are signs of improvement.
"We need to be more clinical, especially to find that last pbad, this last shot in the offensive third," said Wondolowski. "Our structure is doing very well and it continues to flourish, but whether it's the center, the shot, the first touch, it has to be a little sharper."
The Quakes had very few quality shooting attempts in the first half, with Magnus Eriksson having two of the best, even though they dominated ball possession. Seattle's first goal came late in the game and the second was subject to controversy over a missed out-of-the-game call.
"There were times, especially in the first half, when we controlled the game," said defender Nick Lima. "We just needed to go back to that. We had a rebound that followed, then we had a good call, then we tied the score. We need more of that. "
Not allowing referees to decide on their mentality in their place, this year's Quakes players can stay in control even when the game is not right and recover the level of resilience they missed in 2018.
New additions more positive than negative
Since the start of the pre-season, Earthquakes team head coach Matias Almeyda has focused on a more aggressive style of play, focused on fast ball movement and quick recovery on turnovers. It is physically demanding and the players have undergone intensive physical training.
But this also requires a higher level of teamwork, as players need to know which teammates will be available to take the next shift in possession or in the case of rotation. Given the mix of veterans and newcomers on the list, this strategy is a work in progress.
The Quakes followed the plan to start the game on Saturday, with new faces Cristian Espinoza and Judson in the middle and Marcos Lopez in defense mingling with the well-known runners of last season. Judson, in particular, has covered a lot of space as a central midfielder, stepping back in space between the two central defenders to handle ball possession. The Brazilian was clearly hungry for the ball and, like Judson, San Jose too.
The Sounders' first goal, however, was less the fault of an individual player, but rather the fact that the team had come out of his position during an incursion. Judson did everything in his power to capture Jordan Morris in the counterattack, but his pace could not keep pace with the Seattle striker. Central midfielder Anibal Godoy was late to recover and did not follow Rodriguez's goal. The striker easily beat goaltender Daniel Vega.
"The first half was good until the goal," said Almeyda. "It was a set of mistakes, but also a strength of our opponent in counterattack. We had to move the balloon more quickly from one side to the other and more accurately. "
Lopez, barely 19, made some unwise pbades from his left-back, but he was able to cover large sections of the court, almost end to end. He does not look bad in his place in Almeyda's system, but he will have to minimize his mistakes if the Quakes want to reverse some of their defensive fragility from the previous season.
"We have a lot of young players who, in this system, will be very well prepared from here a year or two," said Almeyda.
The talented Tommy Thompson
Fan favorite Tommy Thompson is portrayed as a creative offensive player. During his four seasons with earthquakes, he mainly figured as a wide midfielder. With Almeyda in charge, this will change.
"Since I came here, I use it as a right-back, so it was not new," said Almeyda. "It's a position he can replace and offend us more."
Thompson came into play against the Sounders replacing Lima, the team's right-back, and he provided a different spark in the offensive half of the field.
"You have different characteristics compared to Nick," said Almeyda. "With Tommy, we'll be able to use his speed, his dribble and his combination, which we've been pushing for since the start of the pre-season."
Lima, outgoing back and local teammate of Earthquakes, was impressed by Thompson's ability to increase his versatility in the field. Asked to evaluate his double after the Seattle match, he provided only praise.
"It does not seem like I have to teach him a lot of things," joked Lima. "He is doing very well."
Lima is certainly not in danger of losing its leading role, but Thompson could be a logical substitute for Lima if he is called to play an international role on the US national team, which is a strong possibility considering his success within the team recently. January training camp ended.
"It was exciting to see, and more guys have opportunities, it helps the team," said Lima. "The depth is there, and it will help us succeed all season with that."
Overall, Almeyda's goal is to foster competition in the training and to encourage younger and less experienced players to achieve good starting performances. Thompson is on track to achieve this goal.
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