On Sunday, the Quakes returned to San Jose following back-to-back road games against New England and Houston in a span of four days. Their stay at home will be short-lived, however, as the team is currently preparing to hit the airport again for another away game, this time against MLS newcomer Minnesota United FC.
Although the results last week weren’t what the team was hoping for, it hasn’t dampened the Quakes’ spirits and the team is eager to get back on the pitch for another go at three points.
“That’s the good thing about soccer,” highlighted Earthquakes forward Danny Hoesen. “You can get out the next weekend and try to make it right again. That’s definitely what we want to do.”
Also, it’s easy to forget because of the immediate impact they’ve had on the team, but Hoesen and four other players that featured for the Quakes last week—Nick Lima, Florian Jungwirth, Marco Ureña and Jahmir Hyka—are in their debut MLS season, and no doubt, still acclimating to the rigors of the league’s road games.
That’s not an excuse, of course, as Quakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli
mentioned last week
during his first Facebook Live Q&A:
“[I’ve] been part of teams that play 57 matches in one single season of 40 weeks and that type of stress I don’t wish on any player,” he said.
“I can tell you that it is a matter of courage and how we approach this season. And so far, what I have seen is that we didn’t lack that and that’s why I’m confident that when we play away, whether it’s this game or other away games, we will want to leave a message.”
With that in mind, the Quakes kicked off the week analyzing their last performances before looking ahead to Saturday’s matchup by breaking down their opponent on tape.
“We’re just looking at some video and trying to make ourselves better as we head to the game,” said Quakes head coach Dominic Kinnear. “A little bit more about us in the beginning of the week, and as we head to Minnesota, we’ll focus on facing them.”
You can catch Saturday’s match against Minnesota United FC live on NBC Sports Bay Area Plus, KNRB 1050 and KZSF 1030. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT.
