SAN JOSE — The Earthquakes fired Dominic Kinnear and named former defender Chris Leitch as his replacement in a stunning development as the team continues to clean house in an attempt to join Major League Soccer’s elite.
The sacking came Sunday, a day after the fifth-place Quakes defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1. Although the team has boosted the roster this year with solid foreign signings it has failed to show enough improvement to secure Kinnear’s job. San Jose has a minus-three goal differential after scoring only 18 times in 17 games.
Part of the reason has been injuries that have decimated the roster, including an ankle strain to star defender Florian Jungwirth that came in a U.