The fact that the San Jose Earthquakes rose from the depths of the Major League Soccer standings in 2018 to within a game of the playoffs in 2019 is well documented. This is made even more noteworthy given only 20% of field-player minutes were given to newcomers this past season.
Obviously, the additions of key players like Cristian Espinoza and Judson – both of which are returning on permanent transfers – made an impact on the club, but much of the rise can be attributed to holdover players taking a big step forward in 2019.
Jackson Yueill, still only 22, went from talented-but-unproven prospect to bona fide starter.