The San Jose Earthquakes improved by seven wins from 2014 to 2015 in large part because of their defensive prowess. The club allowed 39 total goals last season, tied for third fewest in Major League Soccer with 18-win FC Dallas and the MLS Cup champion Portland Timbers, proving just how vital a strong backline is to overall success.
San Jose allowed 1.15 goals per game in 2015, the fifth lowest average in club history and the lowest since 2010 (1.10). The team’s 12 shutouts ranked fourth in MLS and their shutout streak spanning 448 minutes from August 8 to September 5 was the longest in the league that season.