QOBC Vol. 2 No. 19 - Nov 16, 2022
Photo: @sjearthquakes on Instagram
Josh: Congrats to the team from LA on an amazing season and bringing the MLS Cup back to the Western Conference! I know Philadelphia had been a thorn in the Revs’ side all season, but they almost did it.
Matt: I surprised myself by rooting for Philadelphia. It started as an East Coast vs. West Coast thing, then evolved into rooting against fans who throw stuff onto the field. I wasn’t too personally invested in the outcome, but the overtime period had plenty to enjoy, including the roller coaster of a late minute go-ahead goal stymied by a last second equalizer, and former Union GK John McCarthy subbing in for an ejected Crépeau – who broke his leg committing the foul – to win the shootout.
Josh: It was heralded as one of the best MLS Cup finals in history - and highest viewer count! Let’s hope this trend continues and more people come to enjoy the great games in MLS. Back out here in The Bay, it is barely 60 degrees in the afternoon, and 40s in the evening. It is too cold for soccer. But it’s not too cold for the suits & the business people to make their moves.
Matt: It hit 70 degrees on Saturday in The Bay State, and this morning was 27. I’m still getting used to the time change, but this weather whiplash is doing me in. Maybe I need some suits?
Josh: We got some sneak previews about how the contract negotiations were going via players’ social media. Eric Remedi, George Asomani, and, extra-sadly, Matt Bersano all shared their farewells on their private accounts. I’m hopeful for Bersano’s future - any other thoughts on the players’ leaks of their future plans?
Matt: Remedi is definitely a fan favorite at his former stops - his feed is full of requests from fans to return to Atlanta United and Banfield. I’m confident Asomani will land on his feet. He has a solid reputation as a player and person. I haven’t personally heard anything from Matt Bersano, but he would be a strong fit for a few clubs that need stability between the sticks. Selfishly, Rhode Island FC, a new club in the USL, is two hops, skips, and jumps from me and has some openings on their roster…
Josh: And then on the 14th the Quakes officially announced they were also not exercising options or renewing contracts on Tommy Thompson, Gil Fuentes, Jan Gregus, Siad Haji, and Judson. BUT there are conversations ongoing with “select players.” Any predictions?
Matt: My guess is possible restructuring conversations with Thompson and Gregus (who was brought in with TAM), but I would be surprised if both are back. I think this is another round of adjustments that will bring us Quakes 3.0 AMA (after Matias Almeyda), which will continue last offseason’s clearing of slots and salaries. BTW, props to Paul Marie for applying his way onto the 2023 squad. I bet the bar was pretty high!
Josh: I agree - and I’m glad to see him returning for 2023. Watching the players’ socials, Tommy has been traveling and supporting his family’s soccer activities - maybe he’s talking shop with clubs while he’s in the Midwest? It would be weird to see Tommy in anything other than Blue & Black, but with three more Homegrowns signed last year, maybe the budget math means negotiations time. Otherwise, 21 Roster spots are occupied as we head into Free Agency, then Re-Entry, and in December: SuperDraft.
Matt: There are a lot of open slots at this point, but I’m sure the Quakes FO would love for some of their investments in the 408 Homegrowns (Tsakiris, Walls, Ochoa and Richmond) to pay off in the 2023 campaign. There were some exciting flashes of potential last season, the most recent being Tsakiris, but all I can do right now is wait and see what pops up on my Mastadon feed.
Josh: With the future of social media, government, and news in flux… good thing we’ve got the World Cup to celebrate and enjoy over the next couple of weeks. We can enjoy some top tier soccer with lots of MLS players in the mix. I guess this time we should say: Vamos USMNT!