SAN JOSE, Calif. – Sam Cronin is listed as a midfielder on the San Jose Earthquakes roster. But that’s just one possible job title. You could describe him as a traffic cop or a janitor.
Maybe you should just give him a new nickname: The Foundation.
After all, even with the success the Quakes have had in generating plentiful scoring chances from their new 4-3-3 formation, none of it would be possible without Cronin backstopping everything.
“Sam’s a guy that he may not jump out at you every game, but he does everything well,” Quakes right back Chris Leitch told MLSsoccer.com. “I don’t think he has a weakness about him.”
When the Quakes scooped up Cronin from Toronto for allocation money in June, there were questions that lingered around the former No. 3 overall pick from the 2009 MLS SuperDraft.
Had Cronin slumped after a solid if unspectacular rookie season? Was he injured? Why had he fallen so far out of then TFC coach Preki’s rotation?
Nine months later, it seems as though the problem may have been more due to the general dysfunction at Toronto than to anything Cronin did. The 24-year-old came in and immediately solidified the Quakes’ midfield to the point where United States coach Bob Bradley called him in for the national team camp in January.
[inline_node:318639]A slight injury, however, knocked Cronin out of contention for his third American cap.
“Coming over here [to San Jose] midway through the season really jump-started my year and excited me again,” Cronin told MLSsoccer.com. “The coaching staff has given me every opportunity to be successful. They’ve entrusted a lot in me from the first day, so I’m really grateful for that. I feel like I’m starting to come into my own a little bit in the role I have here.”
Said Leitch: “He breaks up plays, his positioning’s spot-on all the time, his passing’s crisp and normally he picks out the right option when faced with multiple options. He’s comfortable on the ball, always wants it, always shows. Those are attributes of a deeper-line middie that you like to see and like to have on your team. Sam’s filled all those roles magnificently.”
With the Quakes looking to attack teams more quickly and utilize superior ball control this season, Cronin’s smooth distribution has become all the more critical. It seems as though he’s one of a select few players who seem to be inked permanently into coach Frank Yallop’s lineup, alongside forward Chris Wondolowski, winger Bobby Convey and goalkeeper Jon Busch.
Not that you’d ever get Cronin to cop to it.
“I feel comfortable with the team we have and the role that Frank asks me, but obviously I witnessed in Toronto that your job is never safe,” Cronin said. “You’ve got to always show up every day and prove you’re the best player in that spot.”
Cronin should take heart in the kind of comparisons he’s drawing from his boss’ boss, general manager John Doyle.
“We kind of comment that it’s like [MLS veteran] Richard Mulrooney in there – somebody who gets it, has good vision and can move with a great engine,” said Doyle, invoking the name of a fan favorite who notched a combined 16 assists for the Quakes’ 2001 and ’03 title-winning teams. “For me, I think it’s a big compliment to say he’s like Richard Mulrooney. And who’s to say he can’t do better?”
Geoff Lepper covers the Earthquakes for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached at sanjosequakes@gmail.com. On Twitter: @sjquakes
