By all accounts, 2018 represents a fresh start for the San Jose Earthquakes and no one needs it more than Tommy Thompson. The Homegrown midfielder could have a watershed year ahead as he seeks to impress new coach Mikael Stahre and build on a promising preseason.
The twenty-two-year-old took a major leap forward in 2017, featuring in thirty-two of the team’s thirty-four regular season games and starting in their sole playoff match against the Vancouver Whitecaps, yet lacks much to show for his progress. Thompson is notably goal-shy, with just a single goal and four assists in over 3,500 regular-season minutes for the Quakes, stats that will need to improve for him to gain traction under San Jose’s new managerial regime.
Stahre has rejuvenated San Jose’s front-line in preseason, with a 4-2 victory over the LA Galaxy offering a promising glimpse of his high-pressing system. Although Thompson was limited to a substitute role against the Galaxy, he made his case with two second-half strikes to give the Earthquakes a definitive lead.
Speaking to Quakes Talk ahead of San Jose’s regular-season opener against Minnesota United on Saturday night, Thompson said he hoped to carry his momentum into the MLS season. “I got the two goals against the LA Galaxy, which I was really happy about,” he said. “[Those were] the first goals I ever scored against them so that was fun. I’ve got a lot of momentum going forward right now and I think that comes from the trust that the coaching staff has put in me. They believe in what I can do and that’s something that’s new to me and makes me happy on the field. I think I play the best when I’m happy so I’m excited.”
As San Jose’s third-longest-tenured player, Thompson knows what he needs to do take the next step forward. “This is my fifth year in the league and I’m only twenty-two-years-old so I know how the locker room operates and know how the guys respond to different situations,” he said. “It puts me at ease and I’m excited to do everything I can to contribute the team’s success this year.”
Although Thompson’s fans have been disappointed with his goal-production, the Bay Area native has primarily focused on improvements to his defensive game. “I think I’m a much more well-rounded player,” he said. “We used to play a more defensive [game] so in order to get in the lineup, you had to be very sound defensively. I learned a lot from that because that was never something I focused on growing up, I was always a forward and always just wanted to attack. I think I’m much more well-rounded now and I’m ready to go.”
The midfielder’s mettle will be put to the test by Stahre’s high-pressing system, which demands defensive diligence from the wide-men. However, the system also offers Thompson the opportunity to showcase his creativity in rapid counter-attacks. “When you win the ball higher up the field it’s a great opportunity for a transition and that’s one of the areas where I thrive,” he said.
Stahre, for one, is confident in Thompson’s abilities but issued a challenge for the former US youth international player to consistently perform. “He’s a young player but he’s been around now for a couple of years so it’s time for him to take a step forward and to perform week after week,” the forty-two-year-old told Quakes Talk. “That’s the most important thing for him, to be good every single weekend.”
The challenge starts Saturday against Minnesota and Thompson is likely to feature off the bench. Either Thompson rewards San Jose for their patience and becomes an integral component this year, or another managerial reign could pass him by.
PHOTO: ISI
