SAN JOSE, Calif. – If ever there was a time for San Jose Earthquakes coach Chris Leitch to deliver a stirring, rousing, emphatic, emotional, goosebump-inducing pre-game speech, Saturday night would have been it. The Quakes already knew they had to record a victory against the Houston Dynamo to keep their playoff hopes healthy, and the urgency only increased when FC Dallas drew earlier in the day, giving San Jose the option to leapfrog both Texas teams in the Western Conference standings.
Yet Leitch didn’t end up unleashing his inner Herb Brooks. The Quakes took care of their own motivational needs – and then took care of the Dynamo, 1-0, launching themselves from seventh to fifth place with only five games remaining on their schedule.
“I didn’t have to say a whole lot,” Leitch said. “I could feel it when the boys came in today – it was going to be less about [formations and specific player tactics]. For me, it was going to be what I saw today shine, which is the spirit of this team. No matter who the coach is or what the formation we put them out in, this group is determined and dead-set on their goals, and that’s what I’m probably most excited about seeing.”
In response to the absence of suspended central midfielders Darwin Ceren and Anibal Godoy, Leitch didn’t play it safe, running out a lineup with four attackers who have primarily played as forwards throughout their career surrounding the fulcrum of string-pulling rookie midfielder Jackson Yueill. It payed off with a 33rd-minute goal from Danny Hoesen – one of those forwards forced into a role on the wings – which the Quakes made stand up for just their third shutout in 12 league matches since Leitch took over in June.
“Tonight’s win kind of embodies this team and what we are trying to accomplish,” said Quakes captain Chris Wondolowski, who became the club’s all-time appearances leader with his 251st league game for San Jose. “We preached that it was a playoff-esque game and we grinded it out like one.”
The victory left San Jose (11-12-6) on 39 points with 15 still on offer. Three teams sit on 38, including Houston and Dallas sides that each have a game in hand on the Quakes – which means San Jose can’t afford to rest, but instead must find a way to rectify what has been a fairly wretched string of road performances during Leitch’s run. San Jose are 1-6 away from Avaya Stadium under Leitch, with an aggregate scoreline of 23-6. Getting three points out of next weekend’s trip to D.C. would go a long way towards solidifying San Jose’s first playoff spot since 2012.
“We’ll look to figure out a way to turn our fortunes around on the road,” Leitch said. “It’s kind of the elephant in the room. We know we’ve got to fix it. These away games can’t be throw-away games. We’ve got to grind out some kind of result.”
