So much soccer! Catch up time

PayPal Park watering the field mid-match with the sun just right, Photo: Josh

Time for a solo catch-up episode with Josh

Every time I got prepared to put together one of our episodes, there was another match! Our Quakes have been busy this Spring. But the squad gets a 12-day break and we get to catch our breath on all the excitement. I know we’ve both had a lot going on since April as well, and now it’s Summer break - time for the simpler things, which does not include our 2025 MLS season.

We’ll do a quick start of where we are, then can play through some highlights of how we got here. Our Black & Blue are 6-7-5, sitting in 8th place in the Western Conference, with 23 points. The next three teams - Austin, Seattle, and LAFC - sit at 26 points, and third & fourth place - Portland and Minnesota - are at 30. Second in the League, first in the West, at 35 Goals, and 5th in Goals against, but still a respectable Goal Differential.

Since and including the April 12th match against LAFC, our San Jose squad has played in 13 matches between MLS and US Open Cup. That’s a lot for one summary. Maybe let’s shine the spotlight on some highlights, players, and stats that catch our eye? 

I’ll start with the US Open Cup - the Quakes are still in it! This year, they finally shook off the elimination beast and outplayed the mighty Sacramento team and Portland. First time into Quarterfinals since 2017 and first time making it past Portland since 2005! It seems Coach Bruce is treating the US Open Cup as a more serious effort, worth playing primary players and making a real go of it. They resume tournament play July 8th against El Verde of Austin at home in San Jose.

Especially in the month of May, there have been two different stories of the Year 2 Quakes Preston Judd and Amahl Pellegrino. Judd came up from LA, Pellegrino from Norway, both recruited as scoring powerhouses, and last season they were pretty quiet. What we’ve seen recently is Judd performing as the Super Sub extraordinaire, and Pellegrino unable to close the deal in match play. I have to believe he’s doing great on the practice field, or he wouldn’t get so much playing time, but Pellegrino has one goal from early in the season, and only 1 shot on target. Judd has had three goals, usually quick goals fresh off the bench, including a 6-minute brace against Houston to ignite the San Jose offense.

And then many San Jose fans get what they’ve been wishing for - hashtag Fisher out will become a reality. Many news agencies reported this week that John Fisher is selling his controlling shares of the San Jose team to focus more of his billionaire wealth on getting the Athletics established in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, you can’t expect to see Investments On Both Coasts on the list of bidders.

Next on the agenda is Dallas, who might be finding their footing in the middle of the Western Conference with the Quakes. And it’s looking more and more like I will be attending my first Clasico at Stanford - the mega-Clasico. Especially during this banger of a season (at least in San Jose terms), this is shaping up to be probably the biggest US soccer match in The Bay this year.