The San Jose Earthquakes are in first place in the Western Conference, and for the first time in franchise history have begun the season with two straight wins. Yet there are key members of the Earthquakes roster that have been missing-in-action, players into which the team has invested serious designated player money.

Missing: Quakes Designated Players

Forward Innocent, the Quakes million-dollar designated player, is fully match-fit but has not seen any playing time this season. Attacking Midfielder Matias Perez Garcia, a second designated player, also has yet to see any action. Two of three designated players are being benched by Head Coach Dom Kinnear.

In the two games this season, the Quakes have been outshot 34-15, out-crossed 48-24, out-cornered 14-7, and out-chanced 20-11. Clearly there is something lacking in the attack and conventional wisdom would suggest playing attacking designated players to create more favorable stats; after all, that’s why they get paid the big bucks. However, there may be a method to Dom’s madness.

Innocent went down last year due to a torn meniscus and missed most of the season. In the seven games Innocent did play, the Quakes scored seven goals, for a 1.00 goals/game average. In the games in which Innocent did not play, the Quakes scored 34 goals in 27 games, for a 1.26 goals/game average. This year the Quakes have three goals in two games, for a 1.50 goals/game average. Statistically, the Quakes score more often without Innocent, and that’s the stat that matters most.

The same might be true of Matias Perez Garcia. When MPG started, the Earthquakes were 10-10-5, for a 1.4 points/game average. When MPG did not start, the Earthquakes were 3-3-3, for an IMPROVED 1.6 points/game ratio. MPG also had seven assists, two goals, and two red cards in his 27 appearances (two appearances were off the bench). For the money, MPG is not producing the numbers that other non-designated players on the roster seem to be able to produce.

Attacking midfielder Simon Dawkins is the third designated player on the Earthquakes roster. Dawkins has yet to take shot and has created just three chances in his two games this season. Dawkins was signed specifically to aid the Quakes attack, but the attack seems to be lacking when compared to the competition the Quakes have faced thus far.

These signings tinge the reputation of Earthquakes General Manager John Doyle, who signed the team’s first designated player bust in 2010, midfielder/forward Geovanni. If Dawkins’s numbers don’t improve, Quakes fans may see an Earthquakes squad with three designated players riding the pine in 2016, and a new General Manager in 2017.