Joseph Lowery
Where we left off last year
2024 season: 21 points, 14th in the Western Conference, 29th in MLS
I’ll let a little stat do most of the talking here: in 2024, the San Jose Earthquakes allowed 78 goals, which was more than any other team in MLS history. Okay, Joe, that’s bad, you, the educated MLS fan, find yourself saying out loud to no one in particular. But the MLS season used to be shorter than 34 games! Was San Jose really the worst defensive team ever? Looking at goals allowed per game instead of a flat total, the Quakes were the second worst defensive team in MLS history (2.29 goals allowed per game), only ahead of the 2001 Tampa Bay Mutiny (2.52 goals allowed per game).
The year was brutal. The backline didn’t play well. They had the worst goalkeeping in the league. The attacking signings didn’t hit. Luchi Gonzalez lost his job. And the Quakes won(?) the Wooden Spoon.
The good news? 2025 is shaping up to look very different.
