2023 Schedule
Armchair Analyst's Breakdown
- Strength: The way the front line and midfield are balanced just makes sense. All six of those guys (and all the top back-ups) work well together on paper, and a few of them are the types of match-winners that can lead a team to a home playoff game or two. It could all come together under new head coach Luchi Gonzalez.
- Weakness: The defense is seriously questionable, though they’ve brought in Jonathan Mensah from Columbus after Nathan’s ACL tear in preseason. The Quakes haven’t had a lockdown group since 2005, and it’s hard to imagine this is the team that breaks the streak.
Key Departures
- Eric Remedi: Argentine defensive midfielder Eric Remedi returned to Banfield after five years in MLS (with Atlanta United and then San Jose). The 27-year-old made 54 appearances for the Quakes over two seasons.
- Jan Gregus: Slovakia international Jan Gregus remains without a club after his contract with San Jose expired this winter. The 32-year-old spent the last four years in MLS.
- Shea Salinas: Quakes legend Shea Salinas retired after the 2022 season, having made 375 career MLS appearances. The winger spent most of his career with San Jose.
Key Acquisitions
- Carlos Gruezo: San Jose’s marquee offseason signing comes via a club-record deal to acquire Carlos Gruezo from FC Augsburg. The Ecuador international defensive midfielder made 98 MLS appearances with FC Dallas before joining his former German Bundesliga team.
- Daniel: Brazilian goalkeeper Daniel was acquired from Internacional on a Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) deal, making it likely he’ll be the club’s new starter after the spot’s been held by homegrown JT Marcinkowski. He made 83 appearances with Internacional, posting 37 shutouts.
- Jonathan Mensah: After Nathan’s ACL tear, San Jose acted swiftly to land Jonathan Mensah in a trade from the Crew. The 32-year-old Ghana international has been in the league since 2017 and won MLS Cup 2020. Can he form immediate chemistry with Rodrigues and turn the Quakes’ backline around?
- Full roster
Projected Starting XI
Predictions
- Marcelo Balboa: 11th in West
- Charles Boehm: 9th in West
- Tom Bogert: 10th in West
- Matt Doyle: 8th in West
- David Gass: 11th in West
- J. Sam Jones: 11th in West
- Sacha Kljestan: 11th in West
- Kaylyn Kyle: 14th in West
- Joseph Lowery: 8th in West
- Melissa Ortiz: 10th in West
- Danielle Slaton: 9th in West
- Andrew Wiebe: 12th in West
- Bradley Wright-Phillips: 10th in West
Odds & Ends
- Head coach: Luchi Gonzalez
- Stadium: PayPal Park
- Last year: 8W-15L-11T, 35 points, 14th in West
- Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs: Did not qualify
