San Jose Earthquakes: Seismic issues leading to MLS-worst defensive marks – scout report

To call this a tough season for the San Jose Earthquakes is an understatement.

With 22 points from 20 games, they are second from the bottom in the MLS Western Conference and their playoff hopes are quickly fading.

Scoring goals hasnt been the problem. With 33 goals on the season, theyre tied for fifth in MLS. With the abundance of goals, its obvious the other side of the ledger is the issue.

This tactical analysis takes a deep dive into the San Jose Earthquakes’ seismic issues that are leading to opposition goals. We will first look at the data supporting the topic, and then move into the top factors in their goals against record. Be prepared for a surprise conclusion to the scout report.

Out-of-possession data

To get a sense of San Joses poor defensive record, we can start with the most obvious of statistics, goals conceded. Pairing that with xGA in the graph below, San Jose leads the pack in goals against, tied with DC United with 41, and xGA, with a mark of 37. The top right quadrant marks the worst-performing clubs in terms of real and expected goals. Toronto is close, but San Joses grasp of the lead in each category has them positioned as the worst defensive team in MLS.

With such poor defensive statistics, especially relating to goals, you would assume that San Jose is a disorganised group that struggles with its defensive duels. Surprisingly, the final part of that thought does not hold. In both defensive duels p90 minutes and defensive duels success rate, they are at approximately the league median in the category.

In terms of their PPDA (pa