Ahead of Saturday night's Sporting KC match against the San Jose Earthquakes (9:30pm kickoff on 38 the Spot), we spoke with CenterLineSoccer.com's Robert Jonas to get his thoughts on the match.
SportingKC.com: The Earthquakes are in 9th place in the Western Conference, but only six points out of playoff position. What is the mindset of the club right now?
Robert Jonas: In one word, frustration. Like all teams in MLS, the San Jose Earthquakes have had to deal with injuries, suspensions, and international call-ups, but these disruptions have time and again halted any momentum the team was able to generate on the field. And for a team that uses a disciplined defense as the catalyst to generate offense, the varied back line formations the Quakes have been forced to use all season have made it difficult to get on the scoreboard. Sure, the defense is one of the best in the league, as players stayed committed to the cause, but playing deeper has resulted in an offense that has scored the least number of goals in MLS. The team is not resigned to missing the postseason for the fourth straight season, but the players' success on only one side of the ball is certainly wearing on their confidence that they can earn the wins they will need to make the playoffs.
SportingKC.com: Quincy Amarikwa had 6 goals and 4 assists in 17 games with the Quakes last year, but only 3 goals and 3 assists in 22 games this year. To what do you attribute his drop in production?
Robert Jonas: Amarikwa has been the lead forward for much of the season, dong the dirty work of corralling deep passes and occupying central defenders. His attacking partner Chris Wondolowski has been the benefactor of that effort, netting 10 times this season -- his seventh season in a row with double-digit goals -- leaving Amarikwa's name out of the boxscore. Last season, with the team more competent playing out of the back and into the attacking third, Amarikwa benefited in many more quality scoring chances; sometimes these chances turned into assists when teammates were able to join him in the play as opposed to trailing too far behind. Amarikwa's attitude and effort is as strong as it was in 2015; his drop in numbers relates directly to the overall struggles the team has had in maintaining offensive possession.
SportingKC.com: The Quakes struggled on the scoring front with only two goals in the past five games. What changes, if any, do you expect Kinnear to make to spark the attack?
Robert Jonas: Kinnear has repeatedly lamented the lack of scoring, and he understands that the team's 13 draws -- second only to the LA Galaxy in the Western Conference -- have contributed mightily to the team's current ninth place standing. The emphasis on defensive cohesion has kept opponents off the scoreboard, like in last weekend's scoreless draw at the Colorado Rapids, so he will need to loosen the reigns a bit to take chances in possession. When the Quakes use a higher press, something Sporting KC does to great effect, they create turnovers and quick counterattacks. However, it doesn't look to be in the cards that Kinnear play a formation that stands toe-to-toe with SKC, and the strategy will likely resort to a more reactive defensive set. Exploiting speed on the wings and setting up set pieces is about the best the Quakes can expect against SKC in their effort to earn a victory Saturday night.
SportingKC.com: Which matchup on Saturday are you most looking forward to watching?
Robert Jonas: The key to the Quakes success on defense has been to limit the play of the opponent's central midfielders, so the matchup of Darwin Ceren and Benny Feilhaber is one that is key to both teams' fortunes. Ceren has been a huge pick-up for the Quakes since coming over in a trade with Orlando City SC. He has slotted in nicely for Kinnear and formed an effective partnership with second year midfielder Fatai Alashe. If he is able to keep Feilhaber in his sights and keep Sporting KC from maneuvering through the midfield, Ceren will be in the perfect position to spring the Quakes' wingers into the attack. It's not always glamorous work, but it has to get done.
SportingKC.com: Without giving a score prediction, what do you expect to see from the two teams on Saturday at Avaya?
Robert Jonas: The Quakes must win to realistically have a chance at reaching the postseason, even though they do have games in hand on the teams ahead of them in the playoff hunt, but Kinnear is not a coach to throw caution to the wind in an effort to score goals. San Jose has scored only 2 goals in 5 games leading up to Saturday's contest. They will remain disciplined early, but if they are not ahead late, that will certainly change. Another draw wouldn't kill off the Quakes' playoff dreams, but they'll adjust in whatever way they can to generate more in attack when the game is on the line. Again, these Quakes are frustrated, not finished.
