The CRAZIEST Season In MLS History

yeah there's gonna be some people not happy with what I say right here the San Jose Earthquakes are the Cleveland Browns of MLS please don't click off yet just humor me let me explain the Cleveland Browns are a football team who were extremely successful in the early days of the NFL as in the pre-super bowl era winning multiple championships then when they couldn't get their own new stadium for themselves they relocated the city they relocated to Baltimore then ended up winning multiple Super Bowls Cleveland would eventually get their team back just a few seasons later but the new Cleveland Browns have been significantly less successful as the old Cleveland Browns having rarely made the playoffs and never making the Super Bowl and the San Jose Earthquakes well the earthquakes are a soccer team who were extremely successful in the early days of MLS winning multiple championships then when they couldn't get their own new stadium for themselves they relocated the city they relocated to Houston then ended up winning multiple MLS cups San Jose would eventually get their team back just a few seasons later but the new San Jose Earthquakes have been significantly less successful as the old San Jose Earthquakes having rarely made the playoffs and never making MLS Cup sorry San Jose fans maybe I should be apologizing to bronze fans I don't know who is the more embarrassing comparison here but now here's the thing because the one thing that San Jose does have that Cleveland does not is 2012. the single craziest most electric most random one hit wonder season in MLS history just look at this chart of the total points for each season for the new earthquakes doesn't one of them just kinda stand out yeah that's 2012. 66 points in 34 matches that's 1.94 points a game and 26 more points and the average points per game of their entire history what the hell heading into that season the San Jose Earthquakes were just the Quakes no one outside the Bay Area really thought much of them sure they snuck into the playoffs in 2010 and because of a wonky playoff format because of an upset in the conference semis they somehow ended up making it to the Eastern Conference Final but a lot of people including myself wrote that off as a fluky run given the earthquakes crashed down to earth in 2011 by missing the Playoffs by 11 points expect a stations were not exactly Sky High for the Quakes in 2012. sure they had Wanda who the last two seasons was excellent with 18 goals and 16 goals respectively in 2010 and 2011. but who was the second option Stephen Lenhart who scored a whole five goals in 2011. okay there was also Alan Gordon I guess who the Quakes acquired Midway through 2011. his career high before arriving was also five goals first sign that 2012 was going to be different it was their Opening match the new earthquakes had developed a pretty bad habit of losing that first match getting the season started off on the wrong foot but a Wando strike and a shutout gave the Quakes their first dub of the Season early on Speaking of Chris monolowski hey spoiler alert he's gonna be kind of a big deal this season he scored a lot especially early on I mean he just came out of the gates already on fire 11 goals in the first 10 games of the Season yeah I know nowadays we're kind of desensitized to those kind of numbers after Joseph Martinez and Zlatan and Carlos Vela came to MLS but in 2012 this was kind of unheard of and right away people started whispering and asking if Roy lasseter's Mark of 27 goals would finally be broken in those first 10 games of the season the San Jose Earthquakes held a record of seven wins one draw and two losses okay pretty good but come on that's not what earns them the title of most electric team in MLS history their record throughout the season and the amount of goals they scored that's not what made this the craziest season in MLS history it wasn't the number of wins it was how they won and even how they tied April 21st versus RSL goals in the 93rd and 94th Minute to Win April 28th at Philly goal in the 93rd Minute to Win May 13th against Chivas USA goal in the 88th Minute to Save a draw May 19th against the Columbus Crew goal in the 90th Minute to Save a draw the amount of times this team scored at the death was unrealistic like if you didn't have video proof and someone just told you what was happening you wouldn't believe them if someone pitched this idea for a movie script even Hollywood Executives would be like uh hey guys we gotta start toning this down like No One's Gonna believe this Air Bud dog playing soccer yeah whatever but this uh come on guys let's have a little realism here just four days after their draw against the Columbus Crew on May 23rd the Quakes visited la for the first Cali classical of the year the Galaxy were in their Heyday They just won MLS Cup the year before and the new earthquakes despite their impressive record at this point we're still seen as the little guys in this rivalry after going down 2-0 in the 73rd minute things not looking good for San Jose the Quakes then turned a switch and came roaring back Stephen Lenhart in the 76 minute Kari Stevenson in the 82nd and Alan Gordon completing the comeback with a dramatic 94th minute winner Alan Gordon for the third game in a row with a late goal with the whole team celebrating in the locker room Stephen Lenhart told the reporters Goonies Never Say Die a phrase that would become the rallying cry for this earthquake Squad of course it was a reference to the 1985 film the Goonies directed by Richard Donner don't say that never say that Goonies Never Say Die a classic tale of a group of young Misfits called The Goonies who discover an ancient map and set out on an adventure to find the legendary Pirates long-lost treasure Stephen what the [ __ ] does this have anything to do with San Jose yeah there's no doubt they could have been inspired by any cheesy cliche 80s movie and somehow they landed on The Goonies I don't know maybe it had something to do with the line about being Misfits and feeling like they're not loves like the Galaxy are but even that seems like kind of a stretch to me hate it though I mean there are definitely Lamer nicknames out there like Tim Duncan his nickname was the big fundamental I mean what the hell is that well okay I'm getting sidetracked here anyways you can't talk about the 2012 earthquakes without bringing up the bash Bros yeah Wando may have led the way but Alan Gordon and Stephen Lenhart were both huge as well I know I was just talking crap about them a minute ago but like bowls and a china shop these two wrecked havoc in the box and were absolutely Fearless both Lenny and Gordo fit the definition of the type of player you love to have on your team but hate to go against they fit that description perfectly if you were a fan of pretty soccer oh this wasn't it now you would think that this team which let's be honest hasn't had the most success since coming back to mls in 2008 you would think that this team that has had so many exciting moments last second goals you would think that people would fall in love with them like they would adopt them as their second team to root for but that's not what happened because I swear everyone outside of San Jose hated this team it's like they were mad that the earthquakes just kept winning and I don't know if it's because they played their games at little buckshaw Stadium which you know not exactly a soccer cathedral in this country or maybe it's because they were mad that it was Stephen Lenhart and Alan Gordon who you know don't exactly play the most attractive soccer whatever it was whatever the reason why people hated the earthquakes they didn't care in fact they embraced this identity as the Oddball of the league oh my God every time it seemed like the earthquakes were coming back down to earth they would then rattle off three straight victories and get themselves back on top of the shield standings oh yeah and those late goals I was talking about yeah they kept coming the San Jose Earthquake scored a whopping legal eating 72 goals in the regular season 13 more goals than the second highest scoring team of those 72 goals 18 of them came after the 80th minute yeah a quarter of all their goals came after the 80th minute even in the U.S open cup and in the mid-season friendlies San Jose played the role of cardiac kids look at that what a coincidence the Cleveland Browns also had that nickname too of those 18 goals scored after the 80th minute 10 of them were after the 90th minute let me repeat that 10 goals after the 90th minute hell even my Chicago Fire couldn't stop The Goonies look at this 98th minute are you kidding me I know that's like normal nowadays but back in 2012 five minutes of extra time was considered a lot six was an eternity and this was eight I should mention at that game they gave out a bunch of blonde afro wigs to the crowd for Lenhart Knight and once he scored he put on his own wig okay I wish it wasn't against the fire but even I gotta admit that's kind of funny but not nearly as funny as what happened a month prior June 30th against the Galaxy another feisty Affair coming down to the end Sam Cronin is clearly an agonizing real pain here but miraculously is healed when David Beckham punts the ball and hits some direct shot scuffle breaks out at the end of the game and oh my God the mascot is right in the middle of it holding up the sports center is next sign you just know that mascot knew exactly what he was doing all of those late goals at the death paid off as the earthquakes won the supporters Shield their first trophy since returning to the Bay Area it really was a Dream Season considering most predicted the earthquakes to be missing the Playoffs before the year started The Big Three up top all had career highs in 2012 with Lenhart notching 10 goals Gordon 13 goals and Chris wanolowski with 27 goals at the time 27 goals was tied for the most ever in an MLs season the fact that three different players all cracked 10 goals was pretty amazing as well heading into the playoffs the earthquakes were nine games unbeaten and taking on the LA Galaxy in the conference semis although La had won the cup the year before and clearly had more star power San Jose had to feel good about this matchup as they dominated the Galaxy during the season in the first leg in LA okay do I even need to tell you what happens here another late goal and this time it wasn't even one of the three big guns up top it was Victor bernardes I mean at this point it's fate right like every game it's something and now they're taking a 1-0 lead into little ass buckshaw Stadium a place they haven't lost all season long taking on their Rivals the team that they have dominated all season long in a season where nothing has gone wrong like the quakes right he's probably Kane is bringing it right now oh and then sir well a shot his uncle what the lowski and he's blazing La Robbie Kane Brown The Keeper Two now the Killer Instinct of Robbie Keane and the Galaxy are in the driver's seat space can he exploit it he drives a little low it's 3-0 [Music] in one half of soccer the earthquake's Cinderella season came to a screeching halt the hero from the last leg Victor bernardes was injured in just the 12th minute and the Galaxy took full advantage Alan Gordon would pull one back in the 82nd and for a brief moment it looked like the earthquakes were gonna pull off yet another miracle but it wasn't meant to be the Quakes lost the game and the series and were eliminated from the MLS Cup playoffs I'd like to come up with something original to say here but I don't think I can say it any better than what was said on the match recap on mlssoccer.com quote The Goonies finally died at the hands of the very same team whom they earned their nickname it was a special season with the most painful ending possible not only to be eliminated by your rival but to then see them lift the cup a couple weeks later in the end I know it's a hypothetical we'll never know for sure but if the earthquakes managed to get past La in the conference semis I think they win it all and now you ask what did this team do for an encore in 2013 they missed the playoffs and that's why the 2012 San Jose Earthquakes are the biggest one-hit wonder season in MLS I mean when your three top goal scorers all have career highs in one season by definition they're gonna score less goals the next year and quite honestly the magic just ran out they used it all in one season and eventually everyone figured out hey let's not let them score at the last second this season in 2012 a fast start helped them win the supporter shield and then in 2013 a very very slow start with just two wins in the first 10 was the reason they missed the playoffs despite having near identical numbers defensively with goals against the earthquakes only managed a total of 35 goals for less than half of the goals they scored in 2012. to say they still didn't have their moments in the second match of the Season against New York the earthquake scored twice past the 80th minute to come out on top there's also the Cali Classico at Stanford Stadium where they scored in the 92nd and 93rd minutes to pull off the most dramatic of victories the earthquake showed glimpses in the following years of that goonie magic but realistically nothing was ever going to match 2012. you know because of the early playoff exit I think a lot of people overlooked this team and think that they're overrated which is such a shame because this group of guys defied so much and when you think of the craziness of MLS the 2012 earthquakes are Peak MLS like they were the most insane of the insane and even though it was brief as in one season this team was the most exhilarating team to watch in MLS

Channel: DannyTRadio

Views: 7,461

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Id: rF69CscdDWQ

Length: 16min 54sec (1014 seconds)

Published: Tue Apr 04 2023