San Jose Earthquakes are suddenly one of the best SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES A classic franchise has remade itself into one of the best in American soccer

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When the San Jose Earthquakes get their new 18,000-seat stadium in the not too distant future, maybe there should be a statue of Chris Wondolowski outside.

So says Quakes general manager John Doyle, in a half-joking manner, to the Quakes' stellar scorer from Danville.

Wondolowski laughs at the suggestion. "That's gotta be some years out," he said. "Get a title first, get in the Hall of Fame. I still have a lot of work to do."

A master of clever positioning and the crisp finish, Wondolowski leads Major League Soccer's Golden Boot scoring race with 11 goals. That should surprise nobody; he has pumped 45 goals since the start of the 2010 season.

What has surprised some is that, after finishing seventh in the Western Conference last year, the Quakes (7-2-1) are tied for second place with 22 points, one behind Real Salt Lake. Going into Sunday's 4 p.m. home game against Chivas USA, they lead the league in goals with 21 and assists with 24.

The seeds for this success were planted in the last 10 games of last season, when the Quakes deployed many of their young players, like defenders Justin Morrow, 24, and Steven Beitashour, 25, and midfielders Rafael Baca, 22, and Simon Dawkins, 24.

"Those guys made some huge strides," Doyle said.

After the season, coach Frank Yallop, Doyle and club president Dave Kaval huddled in Half Moon Bay and made up their wish list. They needed a big central defender. They needed more speed, especially on the flanks. They needed to bring back forward Steven Lenhart, and they needed to extend the contracts of Wondolowski and goalkeeper Jon Busch.

It took a while, but mission accomplished. Honduran defender Victor Bernardez was brought in to shore up the back. Speedy midfielders Martin Chavez and (in a return engagement) Shea Salinas came in trades.

The San Jose Earthquakes celebrate a goal by Simon Dawkins against Real Salt Lake during the second half of a MLS soccer game in San Jose, Saturday, April 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) The San Jose Earthquakes celebrate a goal by Simon Dawkins against Real Salt Lake during the second half of a MLS soccer game in San Jose, Saturday, April 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, Associated Press Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close San Jose Earthquakes are suddenly one of the best 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

The key contract deals were done, and the club added midfielder Tressor Moreno, 33, a Colombian national team member who had a 13-year career in Latin America.

"He sees the game differently than a lot of players," Yallop said. "That's what a lot of playmakers do: They don't play the easy (passes)."

While Wondolowski is getting better opportunities than ever and taking advantage of them, Lenhart has scored four goals and no doubt leads MLS in getting under the skin of defenders. He may look like Big Bird with his curly blond locks - he surfs off Santa Cruz at least once a week - but he's a scrapper on the field.

"I'm just trying to work hard and play hard," Lenhart said. "If people don't like the way I play, I move on with it."

An appreciative Wondolowski said, "You don't want to battle him for 90 minutes. He's a physical specimen. He's strong and he's fast."

Lenhart missed most of last season on an extended leave following the death of his father. His return and the addition of the other players aren't the only reasons for the team's remarkable turnaround, the players say.

"People are hungry to improve on last season because it left a bitter taste," midfielder Sam Cronin said. "The way we're able to keep the ball a little better this season forces teams to defend a little bit deep on us."

Wondolowski likes the team's mindfulness. "We're not having mental lapses for 5 to 10 minutes during games," he said. "We got punished for those last year. This year we're playing full games - doing the little things, tackling, finishing our chances when we have them."

The players credit Yallop - only the sixth MLS coach to reach 100 wins - with keeping the team on an even keel through the bad times. He points out there's a fine line between winning and losing in this league. The Los Angeles Galaxy are Exhibit A, winning the MLS Cup last year and struggling at 3-5-1 this year.

The Quakes and their double rooting brigades - the chanting Ultras and the drum-beating Casbah - couldn't be more delighted.