San Jose Earthquakes 2024 MLS Season Preview: Amahl Pellegrino is key

Two days before the San Jose Earthquakes are scheduled to start their 2024 MLS season on the road against FC Dallas, Quakes general manager Chris Leach was asked if there would be another big acquisition.

His club still has a player slot, meaning it can add a player whose total compensation exceeds the salary cap set by MLS, and the Quakes need the No. 10 spot.

“There's always another addition,” Leach said by phone Thursday. “Everyone is always saying, 'There's another player coming', or 'Two players coming', or they don't say anything at all. Depends on who you ask.”

If there are no more additions, the Quakes, owned by A's owner John Fisher, expect to open the year with a similar payroll as they did last year, when their $14 million payroll ranked 18th out of 29 teams.

The roster is largely the same as it was last season, when the Earthquakes finished 10-14-10 while earning the ninth and final playoff spot.

But there was one change that, if successful, could ultimately change the way the Earthquakes view the offensive end.

Cade Coyle, a 20-year-old United States youth national team player long viewed as a budding star, was sold to Chivas for a $4 million transfer fee, plus additional compensation tied to Coyle's future.

In San Jose, Coyle showed only flashes of brilliance operating primarily as a number 11 on the left wing. He was not selected to start the only play-off match against Sporting KC (although he impressed after being substituted in the second half). He finished his career in the American League by scoring 10 goals in 104 games over four years.

To replace him, the Quakes spent less money (about $270,000) to get a more consistent scorer: Amal Pellegrino, the 33-year-old from Norway who scored a ridiculous 75 goals in two seasons playing at Eliteserien, Norway's top club. The league is considered somewhat similar to MLS.

“Pellegrino was a late developer,” Leach said. “He wasn't shining 25 years ago. He came later than most players, which is good. We have our own legend in Chris Wondolowski, who came a little later in his development.

Wondolowski wasn't a starter until he was 27 years old. He then scored double-digit goals in 10 consecutive seasons.

The Earthquakes see great value in their new left winger, Pellegrino, who is left-footed and can create and score goals from the left side. The club already has MLS star Cristian Espinosa on the right wing. He is coming off a season in which he scored 13 goals and added 13 assists.

The threat from the wings could take the pressure off Jeremy Ebobisse, the 27-year-old forward who has seen his goal production drop from 17 in 2022 to 10 in 2023 while being asked to play a more defensive role under first-year coach Lucie Gonzalez.

Everything under Gonzalez, a former assistant for the US men's national team, seemed more defensive, but also more under control, calmer and more organized.

While the Earthquakes have tightened up defensively, cutting their goals allowed from 69 in 2022 to 43 in 2023, they have also looked tougher on offense, scoring just 39 goals, second-fewest in the conference.

Ultimately, the Earthquakes were not good enough to turn close games into wins on a regular basis. That's why they lead the conference with 14 ties and are one point shy of hosting a playoff game for the first time in PayPal Park's existence.

On the plus side, the fact that Gonzalez inherited a new team and immediately guided it to a postseason run is a good sign. Their cautious playing style allowed them to stay close in matches against teams with more talent.

That's exactly what happened in the qualifiers, when they faced a strong Sporting KC side that wanted to attack. KC had the most chances, but the Earthquakes held them 0-0 throughout regulation before losing on penalties, 4-2.

Looking back, that game seems like an example of the entire season: the Earthquakes played better than the sum of their talent, but they were cautious and didn't look threatening until late in the game.

Leach agreed with that assessment. He also said that MLS teams tend to play passively while on the road in the postseason.

His hope this year is that the Earthquakes can host their first-ever playoff game at PayPal Park. If so, it will be a magical year for the stadium, which is also the new home of Bay FC, the expansion team in the National Women's Soccer League that will play its first home game on March 30.

The Earthquakes' home opener will take place on March 2 against the LA Galaxy.

Here's a sobering thought from The Athletic: All six NFL writers picked the Earthquakes to finish 11th out of 14 teams in the Western Conference. As of Thursday, DraftKings Sportsbook has the Earthquakes ranked 13th with long odds of over 2,500 to win the conference.

Will they at least be better than they were last year? A lot depends on Pellegrino's impact and the possibility of a new deal at some point this season.

On the defensive front, we expect the Quakes to be strong again, this time with the inclusion of Portuguese centre-back Bruno Wilson and Brazilian left-back Vitor Costa to protect the net in front of Brazilian goalkeeper Daniel.

Watch out for these future stars: 18-year-old Niko Tsakiris and 17-year-old Cruz Medina, a pair of Bay Area kids who are poised to breakout sometime this year.

Here is the expected formation of the club:

Goalkeeper: Daniel

Defense line: Costa, Rodriguez, Wilson, Carlos Acapo

Midfield: Jackson Yueale, Carlos Gruizo, Jack Skahan

Offensive line: Pellegrino, Ebobisse, Espinosa

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