Part 1: The state of the Quakes, offseason plans
With the offseason in full swing, sjearthquakes.com sat down with Quakes interim general manager Chris Leitch about the club’s vision for the busy months ahead.
sjearthquakes.com: After a frustrating season, what do you think prevented the club from reaching the playoffs?
Chris Leitch: “For me, MLS is a league based on parity so you have a lot of teams that are separated by not a big difference. If you look at us, obviously, from a goals-against perspective, we were pretty strong there, but also when you look at our goals scored, it was a weakness. Had we scored some more goals with the chances that we created, I think we would have won more games and obviously it would be nice to create even more chances than what we did.”
SJEQ: The coaching staff and various leaders on the team have repeatedly said they feel the Quakes have a good core group of players. Would you agree and what do you like most about the current roster?
Leitch: “We have a good core group of players, with a very young and promising goalkeeper in David Bingham at the back of our team, and at the front, one of the most prolific goal scorers over the past seven years in Major League Soccer. Simon Dawkins has provided success in the past with us. Him coming back this year in his second stint, obviously he is a very good player. Sprinkle in there a couple of international guys that are proven and a few young up-and-comers and there is your core of guys that we are looking to grow around so we can ensure that we have success moving into next year.”
SJEQ: What would you assess as the biggest needs for the club heading in the 2017 season?
Leitch: “We always need goals. We always need attacking players so that is a pretty big target. Obviously we’re getting a bit older along the back line so we need to address that issue. We are not leaving one stone unturned as far as looking at each part of the field and how we are going to address those issues.”
Part 2: International scouting
SJEQ
:
How important is it to find and sign international players?
Leitch
: “You always have to look into the international market. I think in this league, if you look at the rosters, you will see a lot of domestic players for sure. They make up the bulk of your rosters because you cannot have more internationals than you have available international spots. At the same time, you do look to the international market to provide what your team will need and depending on the part of the world you are looking at, you are going to find a particular player. We do place a good emphasis on international scouting and this year won’t be any different.”
SJEQ
:
What other countries will you and the coaches be spending time in?
Leitch
: “We are leaving here, in fact some staff have already left, and will be gone for the better part of the next two to three weeks. We are going to a couple countries within the UK. We are going to go to one, probably two countries in Scandinavia and we are going to Germany. We are going to go to South America and Central America. We are canvassing the known markets around the world and focusing on places where successful players have traditionally come from.”
SJEQ:
Are there select individuals you’ll be taking a closer look at while in these countries?
Leitch
: “100 percent. We have very distinct profiles of players that we are looking for and looking at. We’ve been looking for those specific profiles and have identified a few targets. More often than not, nine out of 10 times, we are looking at specific targets and not just taking a broad perspective into these trips. We have several appointments to talk to players in various locations. After studying players on film, now we are going to get a live viewing in and in a lot cases, if we are down the road discussing contracts, we will sit down with the individual and get to know them, who they are and how much they know about the league. Get to know what kind of people they are and the humanistic qualities that they possess, which I think is really hard to see watching the guy on tape. We are doing as much as we can to get as much knowledge and information about the players that we are trying to sign.”
SJEQ
:
Will the team have any apprehension about increased player spending?
Leitch
: “I do not think there is apprehension there at all. In fact, I would say the opposite where we are spending even more money from year over. The emphasis has to be increased as far as the due diligence in the work that goes into vetting these players before pen gets put to paper. This is why we are going to see known quantities, that know who we are looking for and we are double, triple checking that we know these people, these players as much as possible. You are not going to know 100 percent. There is always going to be a level of risk involved in there. You can take a very good player in one league, but that does not necessarily ensure success in our league. This is why we think from having an idea of the profile of the player we are looking for first, and then as we watch film, we are going to match that with the profile that we think we need on this team and in this league.”
SJEQ:
Does Avaya Stadium make it easier to attract foreign talent?
Leitch:
“I think it’s definitely different now. In the past, it was more common to shy away from discussing the team’s stadium, but now, it’s a point of conversation. With star players, really any players, it’s great to be able to say, ‘We have a committed ownership group that spent $100 million of their own money to build this beautiful stadium and you’re going to be playing in front of a fan base in San Jose that’s very passionate about their team.’ We can sell the fact that we have a city with a great standard of living, tremendous weather, and oh by the way, a terrific stadium with passionate fans.”
Part 3: Drafts, scouting within MLS & youth development
SJEQ
:
How will the team prepare for the MLS SuperDraft? Are there plans to scout the NCAA Tournament and/or Player Combine?
Leitch
: “We’ve been scouting since the start of the college season and we have a pretty extensive process in that. The staff does a very good job of watching games and making sure that we’re talking with our contacts within the college world because we know that every year, that’s an important part of it. In addition to our normal scouting, we will host a combine where we take a closer look at the local college players as well as other players we have on our radar. The Player Combine provides another extensive opportunity to watch the prospects that you’ve seen and know about from around the country.
“We also try and do a good job of taking these top players and putting them on our PDL team [Burlingame Dragons FC] over the summer to get more time with them and truly see what they’re like both on and off the field, training habits, etc. Our PDL team helps in that area, especially with the local talent.”
SJEQ: Do you place any additional emphasis on acquiring players that have had experience success within MLS?
Leitch
: “100 percent. Known quantities are extremely valuable. As I mentioned before, there will always be the chance that a foreign player will have trouble transitioning to MLS. So with guys that have had success in this league, you get a clearer picture of all the variables attached to that player. Can he handle the style of play in MLS? Can he deal with the rigors of the league, like travel? It just depends if the player, who is currently on another team within the league, matches what you’re looking for.”
SJEQ
:
Last offseason, FC Dallas selected Urruti in the Re-Entry Draft and he finished the year with nine goals and four assists in 30 games. Is there value to be found through this mechanism?
Leitch
: “Yeah, there’s a lot of value to be found through all of the player acquisition mechanisms, whether it’s the Re-Entry Draft, Waiver Draft or free agency. When you look at the totality of all the mechanisms within MLS, there is a multitude of ways to acquire talent and we will do our due diligence to get the most out of each of them.”
SJEQ
:
The Quakes have put a lot more emphasis on their youth system recently. When do you think the club will start reaping the benefits of its investment?
Leitch
: “Well that’s the thing with the youth system – it takes some patience. That can be frustrating at times because, at least on a First Team level, you want results and are expected to deliver them immediately. In youth development, it’s a bit different. You have to have more patience and understand that you’re developing them for tomorrow and not just today. I can already see those benefits right now, maybe not tangibly on the field at Avaya, but we have a number of prospects within our youth system and currently in college that we feel will make a strong impact with the First Team at some point. If you took a snapshot of our youth system right now, I’m impressed by the amount of players that have risen above their peers. You’re looking at national team players, college national champions, leading goal-scorers in the country within the development academy, foreign national team players – two of them. I’m excited by the amount of players that have excelled and are heads and shoulders above others in their age range.”
