The day before his 29th birthday, Florian Jungwirth strutted off the field after a long training session with the San Jose Earthquakes, looking as if he was ready to immediately turn right around and do it again. He was having fun again, back with his teammates after a busy off-season, knowing that the club’s prospects for 2018 were strong.
The Bundesliga veteran, about to embark on his sophomore season in MLS, flashed his trademark smile before acknowledging that there were some big changes around the team: first and foremost, the hiring of a new head coach, Sweden’s Mikael Stahre, who brings in a new attitude and approach to the squad’s preparation, as well as a bevy of new and relatively untested young players.