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San Jose Earthquakes 2022 Season Preview

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Armchair Analyst's Breakdown

  • Strength: A roster of relatively proven MLS guys that makes sense, on paper, in a bog-standard, straightforward 4-2-3-1.
  • Weakness: Almeyda’s spent preseason lining his team up in a 3-4-3 with Jackson Yueill at center back, so…

Key Departures

  • Chris Wondolowski: MLS’s all-time leading goalscorer finally hung up his boots following 2021. Chris Wondolowski retired just before his 39th birthday, getting to look back on a legendary career in which he scored 171 goals in 413 regular-season appearances. He is still with the club, though, moving into the front office under new GM Chris Leitch.
  • Oswaldo Alanis: Mexican center back Oswaldo Alanis returned to Chivas, as the Quakes declined to make his loan a permanent deal after 39 MLS appearances. San Jose signed Brazilian defender Nathan last year and Francisco Calvo this offseason, giving Almeyda plenty of options in that part of the field.

Key Acquisitions

  • Jamiro Monteiro: Their latest addition, San Jose traded for Jamiro Monteiro from the Philadeplhia Union. Monteiro was a DP in Philly and remains as such with San Jose, though there’s flexibility in the future to potentially buy him down. The Cape Verde international had nine goals and 21 assists in 75 regular-season appearances (70 starts) with the Union.
  • Jan Gregus: Another former DP changing teams and heading to San Jose, Jan Gregus was selected in the Re-Entry Draft and signed to a new contract after his Minnesota United contract option was declined. The Slovakian international won’t be a DP for San Jose. Gregus had two goals and 18 assists across 63 regular-season games (57 starts) in Minnesota.
  • Francisco Calvo: Another intra-league addition for Leitch, former Chicago Fire captain and Costa Rica international Francisco Calvo was signed in free agency. He gives Matias Almeyda another option in central defense after a partnership of Tanner Beason and Nathan found success last year.
  • Full roster

Projected Starting XI

San Jose Eathquakes - projected XI 2022

Predictions

  • Charles Boehm: 11th in West
  • Tom Bogert: 13th in West
  • Matt Doyle: 13th in West
  • David Gass: 14th in West
  • Sam Jones: 13th in West
  • Joe Lowery: 13th in West
  • Greg Seltzer: 7th in West
  • Andrew Wiebe: 13th in West