On Saturday, the San Jose Earthquakes started midfielder/forward Tommy Thompson and midfielder Matias Perez Garcia (“MPG”) in the absence of Simon Dawkins and Anibal Godoy. The result was a performance in which the Quakes dominated the attack and raised some questions for Quakes fans: who should be starting at midfield, and what formation should the Quakes be running?
Earthquakes Midfield Dilemmas
Prior to Saturday’s match, the Earthquakes seemed to have their starting midfield rotation set with midfielders Simon Dawkins, Alberto Quintero, Anibal Godoy, and Fatai Alashe in a flat 4-4-2. However, Saturday’s match required a change in lineup and formation due to a Dawkins suspension and Godoy injury. Enter Thompson and MPG. The Quakes shifted to a 4-4-2 diamond with Fatai as the lone defensive mid, MPG on the right, Quintero on the left, and Thompson in the middle.
The result? A 1-1 draw despite a dominating offensive performance. The Quakes out-shot their opponent for the first time all season (15-12), created a season high eight chances, had 432 passes, and 57% possession. Tommy played like a man possessed for the entire 90, creating a scoring chance, putting up two shots with one on goal, and intercepting the ball twice. MPG also made his statement for the starting XI: all the shots the Earthquakes managed came from the right hand side of the pitch, his side. He and Thompson brought the attack that was missing the first three games. Dilemma #1: should Thompson and/or MPG be in the starting XI?
A second, smaller dilemma: should Shea Salinas be starting over Alberto Quintero? The Quakes managed no shots on Quintero’s side of the pitch. In fact, Quintero managed just 47 touches in 70 minutes of play. Salinas had the dime on Jahn’s goal, and had 31 touches in just 20 minutes of play. Statistically, Salinas was much more involved in the match and may have been the missing puzzle piece to setting up the final goal. Quintero may be on the hot-seat for his starting position.
A final dilemma may also be brewing: what to do with Simon Dawkins? Dawkins’s absence was largely unnoticed despite the 1-1 draw. If the Quakes continue to underperform on offense with Dawkins on the pitch as they did the first three matches, Dawkins may join fellow Designed Player Innocent on the bench as the season progresses.
Earthquakes fans should expect San Jose to keep running a single-pivot formation with Godoy out for the next several weeks, and possibly see Quintero taken out of the lineup in favor of Salinas or Simon Dawkins. Everything else is up in the air, and only time will tell what Head Coach Dom Kinnear will do to address these new midfield dilemmas.
Main Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images
