A pair of new-look teams with questions to answer will meet Saturday when the New York Red Bulls visit the San Jose Earthquakes to begin their 2022 regular season.
The Red Bulls advanced to the playoffs last season as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference in head coach Gerhard Struber’s first full season. It was New York’s 12th consecutive playoff appearance.
The Earthquakes finished 10th in the Western Conference last season, missing the playoffs for the seventh time in the last nine seasons.
The Earthquakes also will begin a new era after all-time MLS goal-scoring leader Chris Wondolowski retired. Cade Cowell is expected to take on a more prominent role after the 18-year-old forward signed a contract extension through 2025.
The Earthquakes need to work on their goal differential after allowing 54 last season, while scoring 46. New arrivals include midfielder Jan Gregus, defender Francisco Calvo and midfielder Jamiro Monteiro. But defender Nathan (knee) might not be available for the opener.
“We brought in some really, really good guys, guys with personality, who have been in MLS, who’ve been in a lot of locker rooms,” said midfielder Jackson Yueill, entering his sixth season with the club. “Being here for a while and seeing how San Jose works, I think this is one of the stronger teams that we have.”
The Red Bulls enter the season with a roster that has an average age of 22.0 years old. Caden Clark, 18, is now property of RB Leipzig in Germany but was loaned back to New York for the start of the season. Veteran captain Aaron Long is returning from an Achilles tear that limited the defender to five games in 2021.
Even without Long for most of the season, the Red Bulls allowed just 33 goals scored, tied for the least among all MLS teams. The defense delivered 13 shutouts.
Midfielder Sean Davis departed in free agency to Nashville SC, but attacking midfielders Luquinhas and Lewis Morgan have been added.
“We are very, very young without many experienced players,” Struber said. “This is the situation. I have to manage that. I have a big trust in my players that we progress in the next few weeks, but this needs time.”
The teams have not met since March 2019, with the Red Bulls winning three consecutive in the matchup and outscoring the Earthquakes by a combined 12-3.
–Field Level Media