Head coach Dominic Kinnear has confirmed that the San Jose Earthquakes are in the transfer market this summer in search of relief from another summer slump.

The Quakes are winless in their last eight matches dating to May and lost their first match at Avaya Stadium since last September in Friday’s deflating 1-0 defeat to FC Dallas. Heading into the second half of the season, they cannot continue to lose points in such a wasteful manner as they have in recent weeks.

This is not a situation they’re unfamiliar with, however; due to a combination of injury woes and international absences they’ve endured summer slumps for the past two seasons. In 2014, they never managed to recover and finished last place in the Western Conference, while last year, the introduction of Anibal Godoy, Quincy Amarikwa, and Marc Pelosi in midseason helped rejuvenate the team and give them the momentum for a late playoff push that nearly succeeded.

Yet it’s unclear where that spark is supposed to come from this time around and Kinnear may soon turn to the transfer market like last season.

“We are open and hoping to add to the roster to make our team better,” he told reporters after their 1-0 defeat to Dallas.

“Right now our roster is pretty crowded so we may have to move something out to move something in. We talk about this daily, it’s not just because the window is open.”

Specifically, he’d like more depth at the back given the recent injury crisis among Quakes defenders. Previously solid centerbacks Victor Bernardez and Clarence Goodson have both suffered from numerous injuries this year and with a combined age of sixty-eight, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that they will be able to find and sustain their formidable partnership of old.

Fullbacks Andres Imperiale, Kip Colvey, and Kofi Sarkodie are also sidelined and Marvell Wynne and Bernardez both had to be substituted against Dallas due to injury, leaving thirty-four-year-old full-back Jordan Stewart holding the fort in the middle alongside Cordell Cato and Shaun Francis.

“I didn’t think our [injury] crisis would hit our fourth or fifth centerback at this point but it’s just been a funky year in that position,” said Kinnear.

“I told a reporter last week that he could have come joined us if he was healthy. I guess I kind of jinxed us.

“We didn’t expect to be [in the market] for a defender…we thought our centerbacks would be a strength of ours going into the year but now it’s thin because of injuries.

“A healthy centerback would be good.”

Just as pressing is the lack of goals for the Quakes, who have netted just four times in their last eight games in all competitions. Undoubtedly, Kinnear will also be looking options up front as well.

Said the Scotland-born manager: “It’s tough to address exactly we’re going to do as we head into this transfer window after such a difficult loss, but we’re looking for everything.”

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