Hoesen shakes up Quakes
Dutch striker, with 10 MLS goals, has become the main scoring option as Wondolowski waits for history
SAN JOSE >> Chris Wondolowski is still the face of the Earthquakes. But for the first time this decade, he no is longer the team’s primary scoring option.
As the Earthquakes head into today’s California Clasico against the Los Angeles Galaxy at Stanford Stadium, it’s Danny Hoesen whose 10 goals is tied for third in Major League Soccer. The 35-year-old Wondolowski, who entered the season 11 behind Landon Donovan for most goals in league history, has netted four.
Seeing the offense flow through a different player might be a shock to Earthquakes supporters, who haven’t seen a
player other than Wondolowski lead the team in goals since Ryan Johnson in 2009. No Quake besides Wondolowski even had scored more than six goals since 2012.
Still, Hoesen’s emergence hasn’t been a surprise to Wondolowski, who predicted in the preseason that the Dutch striker would win the Golden Boot, which goes to the MLS’ top goal scorer.
“I expected him to have a big year, and he’s fulfilled that so far,” Wondolowski said. “Exciting, lethal finisher, great pace, great strike, techni-
cal ability is unreal. It’s fun to play with him.”
Hoesen’s breakout season started over the winter. Facing a three-month offseason for the first time (breaks are usually half that long in Europe, where Hoesen played before coming to San Jose in 2017), he took the first month off and then spent the next two months with a personal trainer.
“I knew this was going to be an important year for me,” said Hoesen, who signed with Fulham in England at 18 and spent time with Dutch power Ajax. “I’m 27, I want to still make some steps in my career. I think if you start fit during preseason, you can focus on the quality instead of becoming fit. Now it feels very easy to play 90 minutes and stay focused for 90 minutes.”
Hoesen was also motivated by the words of Dutch attacking great Robin van Persie, who said he created goal-scoring opportunities at the end of games by being in better shape than opposing defenses.
“I believe in that,” Hoesen said. “If you can keep running and running and you’re fitter than your defender, then his concentration level might go down and yours is still the same.”
Hoesen’s fitness level has been apparent in games. He’s always
active, stretching the field and making himself easy for teammates to connect with. Hoesen and Bradley Wright-Phillips of the New York Red Bulls are the only players in MLS with 10 goals and four assists.
Still, Hoesen’s emergence has coincided with diminishing production from Wondolowski, who has scored at least 11 goals in every season since becoming a regular starter in 2010. Wondolowski even came off the bench for four games as first-year coach Mikael Stahre experimented with a oneforward lineup to revitalize the Earthquakes (2-9-5), who are in last place in the 12-team Western Conference after making the playoffs last season.
While Earthquakes general manager Jesse Fioranelli has said that Wondolowski will break the MLS goal-scoring record of 145 in San Jose, the timeline for when that could happen is now expanding.
“I know where I am, I know where it is. But I’m still seven away, so not going to do it on Saturday,” Wondolowski said.
Hoesen said that becoming the team’s top-scoring threat hasn’t affected the relationship with his forward partner. It has been the same since when he first arrived in San Jose.
“Normally when guys have done these things in the league, sometimes they get very arrogant, or acting like a star, but the first day I met Wondo he was very humble and helpful,” Hoesen said.
Stahre has also gone to a more direct style in recent weeks to accommodate two strikers, which could help Wondolowski’s productivity.
The change in tactics has helped generate offense. The team was shut out in its previous meeting with the Galaxy (6-7-2), a 1-0 loss in Los Angeles on May 25, but has scored six goals in its last three games.
Nevertheless, that hasn’t helped break a seven-game winless streak. San Jose hopes to get a bump from its trip to Stanford for a game that has drawn more than 50,000 fans every season since the Earthquakes began hosting Los Angeles there in 2012. San Jose is 4-1-1 in six games against the Galaxy at Stanford, including last year’s 2-1 win on a goal in the 93rd minute by Shea Salinas.
This will be the Earthquakes’ first game against Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who has seven goals in 11 games. Ibrahimovic expected to be the Galaxy’s No. 1 striker from the moment he joined the club earlier this season.
The transition from Wondolowski to Hoesen as San Jose’s offensive focal point has been more unexpected, but Stahre put a positive spin on it.
“Wondo’s still really important for us,” Stahre said. “He’s still the captain of the team. He still brings maximum execution to everything. I see it more that we have two dangerous strikers instead of one.”