{"id":173537,"date":"2025-08-25T05:23:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-25T05:23:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/173537\/"},"modified":"2025-08-25T05:23:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-25T05:23:12","slug":"san-jose-earthquakes-respond-new-york-city-fcs-new-threat-more-from-matchday-30","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/173537\/","title":{"rendered":"San Jose Earthquakes respond, New York City FC’s new threat & more from Matchday 30"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lots to talk about from Matchday 30, but we\u2019ll start with the San Jose Earthquakes<\/a> after a new signing made a big impression:<\/p>\n

Last week, the Quakes<\/a> were in hell. They\u2019d spent 80 minutes playing near-perfect soccer at home against San Diego<\/a>, having smothered one of the league\u2019s very best attacks while generating a bunch of good looks and, eventually, a goal.<\/p>\n

Up 1-0 at home? Ten minutes left in the game and three points closer to a spot in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs? They could taste it.<\/p>\n

And then they couldn\u2019t. San Jose collapsed, remember \u2013 they lost their minds, to be clear \u2013 en route to a 2-1 loss<\/a> that left head coach Bruce Arena livid.<\/p>\n

That set up a true six-pointer in Houston<\/a> (a place they hadn\u2019t won in a decade) this weekend. A point and the Quakes would be in ok shape. A loss, though? They\u2019d be tied with the Dynamo on 32 points, and the Dynamo would have a game in hand.<\/p>\n

The Quakes won 2-1<\/a>. They finished the weekend eighth in the Western Conference, four points clear of the playoff line. Chicho Arango<\/a> got just his second league goal since June to open the scoring, and Preston Judd<\/a> redeflected an Ian Harkes<\/a> blast midway through the second half for the game-winner.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn important win for us tonight,\u201d Arena said in the postgame presser. \u201cYou know, last week we really blew a game, and we\u2019ve done that on at least half a dozen occasions this year. So tonight, if anything, we learned to win ugly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was important to walk off the field with three points.\u201d<\/p>\n

They walked off the field with those three points because they consistently won the game\u2019s chaotic moments \u2013 San Jose have been a pressing team this year, but also a counterattacking team, and practitioners of chaosball throughout \u2013 and occasionally imposed some order. Even when the Dynamo were throwing numbers forward, San Jose showed a composure that\u2019s often been beyond them in crucial moments.<\/p>\n

Rookie left center back Reid Roberts<\/a> was a big part of that, as was summer signing Ronaldo Vieira<\/a>. The d-mid came on at the half to make his MLS debut, and instantly helped tilt the field:<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been great for us in training. As you saw in the game today, he just came in and had an immediate presence. I love what I\u2019m seeing from him, and I think it\u2019s something we can just keep building from. I\u2019m happy to have him with his playoff run,\u201d said center back Daniel Munie<\/a>, who had a hand in both goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou saw tonight what he\u2019s able to provide for us. He’s a ball-winner. He’s going to be able to break lines, and he\u2019s able to beat guys off the dribble, so I think he\u2019s going to be really huge for us going forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

San Jose are in complete control of their playoff destiny now, though their remaining schedule is tough. Houston\u2019s is easier, but they’re now six points back and on a six-game winless skid\u2026 there\u2019s not much of a path.<\/p>\n

New York City FC<\/a> didn\u2019t make much noise this summer, at least not the kind that gets you headlines. No big-name European import \u2013 that hasn\u2019t been their approach for a while now \u2013 and no blockbuster outgoing deal. Just a club that finally seemed to know where it needed a lift and quietly went out and got it.<\/p>\n

That lift has come in the form of Nicol\u00e1s Fern\u00e1ndez Mercau<\/a>, and it\u2019s showing up in ways the table is starting to reflect. The DP winger (he will eventually be a No. 10, I think, but Maxi Moralez<\/a> is refusing to age, so\u2026 not this year) didn\u2019t factor into the boxscore this weekend, but his insertion into the XI has unlocked something for the Pigeons.<\/p>\n

That something is \u201cverticality.\u201d Before Fern\u00e1ndez arrived, NYCFC were hitting 1.8 through-balls per game; since he\u2019s been on the field, that number has jumped to 2.2.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s significant. More significantly, they averaged just 0.95 completed through-balls per game before his arrival, and it\u2019s now 1.8.<\/p>\n

Completing 80% of your attempted through-balls is insane and unsustainable. But it\u2019s who the Pigeons have become over the past month: the ball is zipping, the attack has teeth, and the group that looked a little bit adrift back in the spring is moving off the ball with a real purpose. As FC Cincinnati<\/a> found out for themselves in a 1-0 home loss<\/a> on Saturday night:<\/p>\n

This is absolutely brilliant from Aiden O’Neill<\/a> (secondary assist) and Maxi (who got the primary assist), and obviously that acceleration and control at pace is game-breaking from Alonso Mart\u00ednez<\/a> (eight goals in his past eight games across all competitions).<\/p>\n

Again: Fern\u00e1ndez is not really involved here. But his presence in the lineup has catalyzed the team\u2019s overall attack, and his skillset has amplified not just the attackers who want to run in behind (Mart\u00ednez, Hannes Wolf<\/a>, even Agust\u00edn Ojeda<\/a>\u2019s showing some signs of life), but also Maxi\u2019s constant positioning and re-positioning in search of space.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou could see that we were controlling like we wanted to control every game and get those moments like we did today,\u201d head coach Pascal Jansen said afterward. \u201cAlonso got one in, so you win this very important game away against Cincy.\u201d<\/p>\n

NYCFC are now 4W-0L-1D in their past five, with wins at Orlando<\/a>, at home vs. Nashville<\/a> and now at Cincy.<\/p>\n

Are they among the favorites? Probably not \u2013 too much ground to cover, too many questions about whether the defense can really hold up in knockout play. But darkhorse? Absolutely. This is the kind of late-summer turn that MLS Cup runs have been built upon in years past \u2013 including last year, when their next-door neighbors did it.<\/p>\n

After a very good start to the summer, the Garys have won just once in their past four. They host the Union<\/a> next week in a game that will go a long way towards determining who hoists the Supporters\u2019 Shield on Decision Day.<\/p>\n

13. Make it four unbeaten for<\/strong> CF Montr\u00e9al<\/a>! And while the last two were sort of hold-on-for-dear-life home draws, this one was a fully deserved 3-2 win<\/a> over visiting Austin FC<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Visiting and slumping. Austin have taken just two points from their past three games, a soft stretch of schedule during which they were supposed to lock down their first postseason berth since 2022. They\u2019ve instead gone in the other direction, and are now down to ninth in the West (though, like San Jose, they\u2019ve got a four-point cushion. Plus, they\u2019ve got a game in hand over the chasing pack).<\/p>\n

“Sometimes you need to lose a game in order to take a step back to realize that if you don’t do well, you can get punished,” head coach Nico Est\u00e9vez said afterward, trying to find a silver lining. “And then everything that you work for and you gain during this time, you can lose it. And then now we’re in that situation, we have to step up.”<\/p>\n

Austin host the Quakes next week for a true six-pointer. That would, indeed, be the perfect time to step up.<\/p>\n

12. Jackson Hopkins<\/strong> scored a banger<\/strong> to give D.C. United<\/a> an early 1-0 lead over a heavily rotated Inter Miami<\/a> side. Midway through the second half, Baltasar Rodr\u00edguez<\/a> one-upped him:<\/p>\n

Good lord. It finished 1-1<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Miami, of course, host Orlando midweek \u2013 Wednesday at 8:30 pm ET<\/a>, to be precise \u2013 in the Leagues Cup<\/a> semifinals. The Herons\u2019 key players should be well-rested for that one, though it’s now an open question if Lionel Messi<\/a> (who has missed the past two games due to injury) will be available.<\/p>\n

11. Speaking of Orlando, they caught a beating<\/strong> with their heavily rotated squad at Nashville as the \u2018Yotes snapped out of what had become a prolonged slump with an emphatic 5-1 win<\/a>. Hany Mukhtar<\/a> had 2g\/2a, and Sam Surridge<\/a> reclaimed his spot atop the Golden Boot presented by Audi race with a brace, giving him 20 goals on the season.<\/p>\n

Surridge started it after three minutes when he ran onto a Hany through-ball:<\/p>\n

That gap between the Orlando lines is huge, and gives you an idea of why they were chasing (but not catching) the game all night. And obviously, letting Hany have that much space on the run has been a recipe for failure all decade against Nashville.<\/p>\n

B.J. Callaghan\u2019s side still has some hope in the Supporters\u2019 Shield race, as they\u2019re just four points back of the Union.<\/p>\n

Oscar Pareja\u2019s side no longer does, in my opinion. But they\u2019re very clearly focused on winning Wednesday’s Leagues Cup semifinal.<\/p>\n

10. Speaking of the Union, they throttled<\/strong> Chicago<\/a> 4-0<\/a> in Chester, and young Frankie Westfield<\/a> gave us our Face of the Week:<\/p>\n

Almost everything about this game played out as you\u2019d expect:<\/p>\n