The San Jose Earthquakes have long been known as a team that has built their First Team roster through methods other than their own youth system. Saturday night may prove that the winds of the organization are changing—and the team is immediately benefitting from it.
The team’s right flank on Saturday, which gave the Montreal Impact fits all game, was composed of midfielder Tommy Thompson and fullback Nick Lima. Thompson, 21, and Lima, 22, are the first two products of the promising Quakes Academy.
As a matter of fact, only the New England Revolution (Scott Caldwell – 90, Diego Fagundez – 90) got more minutes from their Homegrown Players on Opening Day than the Quakes’ 159 (Lima – 90; Thompson – 69).