SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Earthquakes have put together a group of talented international players this off-season, and tonight’s result shows new General Manager Jesse Fioranelli’s moves could well pay off.
Costa Rican forward Marco Urena and German defender Florian Jungwirth started and made an immediate impact for the Quakes, while Dutch forward Danny Hoesen and Albanian midfielder Jahmir Hyka entered the game late. All four newcomers helped San Jose earn a focused 1-0 victory over the Montreal Impact in the season opener.
“I like the roster we have put together,” said head coach Dominic Kinnear. “You can’t necessarily base it off one game, but it does show us the potential.”
The Earthquakes employed a high press throughout the game to disrupt Montreal’s possession, and it paid off. The benefits of the younger, fitter squad were very apparent to team captain Chris Wondolowski, who applauded their effort on both sides of the ball.
“We have done a great job of infusing our team with some youth and some life,” said Wondolowski, “and these are some talented guys that understand the game and believe in our system and how we play.”
Tommy Thompson, himself only 21 years old but already starting his fourth MLS season, is still waiting to see San Jose find success. His experience this preseason with the new faces in camp has given him more hope than ever before.
“This is the most excited I have been about an Earthquake team since I’ve been here,” said Thompson. “We’ve done a great job with our new signings, and they’ve fit in well. I am excited for what is to come this season.”
Jungwirth, a two-year starter in the German Bundesliga, said his first MLS game was a lot tougher than he expected, especially the fast and physical play shown by the Impact. He praised the work of the coaching staff in making it easy for himself and the other new Earthquakes to acclimate themselves into the team.
“We’ve spoken a lot during the preseason because we know how important it is to work well together,” said Jungwirth. “Everyone from the first day has been a big part of that.”
