Whoever is handling the immigration paperwork for the San Jose Earthquakes and Major League Soccer must know all of the right people. Because less than a week after his signing was announced, Hernán López was suddenly cleared to make his debut against LAFC at Levi’s Stadium.
The 23 year old Argentine, acquired from Godoy Cruz for a club-record $6 million fee, came on for Jack Skahan after half time with the Quakes holding on not only to a 1-0 lead, but to a season defined by blown leads and crushing blowouts. His quality was immediately noticeable.
Thirty seconds into his debut, he earned his team a free kick on the edge of the box. On several occasions, whenever the ball found one of his orange boots, López, who is only 5’6, showed an impressive ability to keep it in tight spaces—allowing the attack to get closer and closer to the net more often than it did before his arrival.
Fifteen minutes after he came on, the Quakes were up 3-0, courtesy of wonder goals from Amahl Pellegrino and an Olympico corner from Cristian Espinoza, eventually tagged as an own goal by Denis Bouanga.
López said all week, he didn’t know if he was going to be cleared to play; so when his name was added to the team sheet the day of, he admitted he was a little nervous. The original plan was only to have him give a speech to fans at halftime.
“I think I took it in stride,” he said through a translator after the game. “Offense is my calling card, but I want to be a complete player and be additive to both sides. We had to dig in defensively for stretches, and that’s what I did.”
In this very place last season, Luchi Gonzalez’s team used a win over LAFC to stamp their arrival as a new force to be reckoned with. Just a year later, against the same opponent, they’re hoping this win will mark an end to a disastrous start, which saw them win only one out of their first 10 games.
“Tonight was a great step in helping us gain momentum and going in the right direction,” Gonzalez said. “What I saw from the group was a connection across 90 minutes. Every game will have its ups and downs, but no matter what, I saw guys fighting for each other and recovering in defensive transitions.”
Throughout their losing run, it wasn’t clear if a creative number 10 was actually what this team was missing, since their record was more so a result of leaking the most goals in the league. Nevertheless, it was the spot in the lineup that Gonzalez and General Manager Chris Leitch insisted all year long was their top priority to fill before the transfer window closed.
As Pep Guardiola might say, one way to fix a spotty defense is to simply have the ball more often.
For nearly 60 games across two seasons, the reliable Jamiro Monteiro starred in that role and performed admirably. But when push came to shove, the team were never true contenders in the league. In López, a descendant of the late Diego Maradona, the Quakes hope they have someone who can finally supply the sort of sparkle they’ve been missing for over a decade.
They’re looking across the league at players like Thiago Almada (Atlanta United), Sebastián Driussi (Austin FC), Luciano Acosta (FC Cincinnati), and of course, Lionel Messi (Inter Miami) play at MVP levels and push their teams up the standings.
Pellegrino, who was also brought on this season to freshen up the attack but has mostly struggled, said his lack of a preseason with the team hampered him. Unlike López, his visa documents took longer to clear, and as a result, he had to go back to Norway for a week before the season. López, who was playing in the Argentine top-flight actively up until the point of transferring to San Jose, probably won’t need the same amount of time to get up to speed, Pellegrino said.
“Football, I mean soccer (sorry), is a game of momentum,” he said after the game in which he rounded French legend Hugo Lloris for a goal. “When you have confidence, things start to come easier. And when you win, it helps you believe in the things you’re working on in training.”
While the Quakes are still stuck to the bottom of the table—in one week, they managed to pick up their first point on the road against Nashville, unveiled their new star, and then put together a comprehensive performance at home in front of 43,000 fans. Three things might not make up a trend, but three points are undeniable.
Up Next: U.S. Open Cup game against the Oakland Roots at PayPal Park on Tuesday. Then back to back road games at Colorado Rapids and Portland Timbers before returning home to host Orlando City.
Notebook Dump:
- Make sure to check out Major League Soccer’s new Club Roster Profiles, which outlines every team and players’ contract status. López, who will occupy San Jose’s final designated player slot, is signed through 2026, with options for the two following years. Leitch confirmed that Godoy Cruz will retain a sell-on percentage should the player move on.
- Who were the Earthquakes’ record signings before López? Carlos Gruezo, Cristian Espinoza and Magnus Eriksson. Each signed for less than half the fee San Jose paid Godoy Cruz.
- Unlike years past, 49ers officials were conspicuously absent from the festivities. It should be noted this is the first season 49ers Enterprises has taken over the reins at Leeds United, which on the same day lost out on automatic promotion by dropping a result to Southampton. They will play their manager, Daniel Farke’s, former club Norwich in the playoffs.
About the Author: Kevin V. Nguyen is a business and sports journalist. He has covered soccer for The Guardian, The Sacramento Bee, and The San Francisco Standard. Follow him on X/Twitter @KevinNguyen_89
