The San Jose Earthquakes have been a dominant defensive club in 2016, allowing 30 goals in 27 games to date, third fewest in Major League Soccer. Even more impressive, the club has done so without having the luxury of trotting out the same starting back-line every week, or even most weeks.
In fact, due to injuries, suspensions or simply coach’s decision, the Quakes have used 13 different back-line combinations already this season and have maintained great defensive success regardless. Head coach Dominic Kinnear has shuffled the lineup out of necessity, in order to spread around minutes or to exploit a matchup as he sees fit. Including last Saturday, the Quakes have allowed more than one goal just seven times in 27 games, with six of those coming on the road. The team has allowed multiple goals only one more time (7) than they have kept a shutout (6).
San Jose has displayed its versatility, with Victor Bernardez (26), Marvell Wynne (24), Shaun Francis (16), Kofi Sarkodie (10), Jordan Stewart (9), Cordell Cato (9), Andres Imperiale (8), Kip Colvey (3) and Fatai Alashe (1) all making starts on defense. Of that group, three are in their first season with the club (Sarkodie, Imperiale, Colvey), two are in their first season in MLS (Imperiale, Colvey) and one is in his first season as a professional (Colvey).
Different defensive combinations
Francis, Bernardez, Wynne, Sarkodie – 7
Stewart, Bernardez, Wynne, Cato – 6
Francis, Imperiale, Bernardez, Wynne – 4
Francis, Goodson, Bernardez, Wynne – 1
Colvey, Goodson, Bernardez, Wynne – 1
Colvey, Imperiale, Bernardez, Wynne – 1
Colvey, Imperiale, Bernardez, Sarkodie – 1
Stewart, Bernardez, Wynne, Sarkodie – 1
Francis, Alashe, Wynne, Sarkodie – 1
Francis, Bernardez, Wynne, Cato – 1
Francis, Stewart, Bernardez, Cato – 1
Francis, Imperiale, Bernardez, Cato – 1
Stewart, Imperiale, Bernardez, Wynne – 1
