In one of the most offensive-friendly soccer leagues in the world, the Quakes are going the other direction and grinding out wins on the the strength of their defense. The Quakes are 2-0-0 for the first time in franchise history and it's primarily due to their defensive effort.
San Jose started the year by shutting out Colorado. Then in last week's match with Portland, it took the Timbers over 80 minutes to register their first shot on goal in a 2-1 Quakes win.
The back four has done an excellent job blocking shots this season, and goalkeeper David Bingham has responded well when called into action. The strong defensive play has been complemented by an offense that's done enough to get wins.
While Quincy Amarikwa's goal understandably got all the attention Sunday, Chris Wondolowski casually scored his second goal of the season (the 111th goal of his career).
Wondo probably won't keep his goal-per-game pace throughout the season, but he's showing once again why he's considered one of the league's all-time great finishers.
Despite their perfect record, however, the Quakes offense has been far from perfect this season. Only three teams have fewer shots on goal than the Quakes through two games, and those three teams have a combined record of 1-5.
San Jose has done an excellent job of capitalizing on few opportunities, but it's hard to win consistently when you're only getting three or four shots on goal per game.
Through two weeks, San Jose looks like one of MLS's best defensive teams. In a league where good defense is increasingly hard to find, that's going to give them an edge all year. The question for the Quakes now is whether they'll continue to score enough to take advantage of it.
BEHIND THE STANDINGS
It's hard to overstate just how shocking Houston's 5-0 thrashing of FC Dallas was. The Dynamo thoroughly dominated last season's Western Conference champions, scoring four times in the first 28 minutes. This week, they hit the road to take on a New York Red Bulls squad that has struggled mightily in the early going. Vancouver and Seattle both had high expectations coming into the season, but they'll both be looking to avoid their third loss in three games and stay out of last place when they square off this weekend.
GOAL OF THE WEEK
San Jose's Quincy Amarikwa long-distance lob. No words necessary, just watch...
SAVE OF THE WEEK
Toronto's Clint Irwin denies NYC FC's Mix Diskerud's header, then David Villa loses his mind after his teammate doesn't pass him the ball.
GAMES TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND
The Quakes head south for a matchup with the Galaxy on Saturday night. LA scored four goals in a season-opening home win, but was shut out on the road against Colorado last week. Combined both teams have given up three goals in four games, so it will likely be another low-scoring affair for San Jose. The last game of Week 3 should be a good one, as the only other Western Conference team with two wins, Sporting KC, hosts an entertaining Toronto FC squad.
