The San Jose Earthquakes were in a rut. Owners of four straight losses to start the season, the team looked destined to repeat 2018’s Wooden Spoon-worthy campaign despite the hiring of a revered new coach in Matias Almeyda. The most recent result had been a 5-0 demolishing at the hands of LAFC. Now, the 2018 MLS Cup finalist Portland Timbers were coming to town.



Moments before the game on the team’s local broadcast, sideline reporter Danielle Slaton asked the Quakes’ Tommy Thompson an innocuous question about how the team hoped to start strong. Thompson responded with an impassioned speech.



“I don’t care what happened last game, I don’t care what happened the game before that, today we’re going to be different,” Thompson said, looking directly into the camera. “I believe in this team, I believe in this coach, I believe in this organization. We’re gonna fix this.”



It was a bold statement from...