Last season they achieved a record-breaking fifth wooden spoon. It is hardly the way to enter the decennial year. There is little to cheer about and few reasons to show support.
However, there is one pocket of the PayPal Park, located in Section 117-118, that adds vibrancy to the stadium, which has often been missing on the pitch. They are the Earthquakes’ ultras group, San Jose Ultras.
Dan Margarit was Romanian born and an ardent Steaua Bucharest ultra who moved to California and wanted to spread the European fan experience to his new side, San Jose.
Margarit, who is one of the founders of SJU, said: “After I moved to the States, I wanted to support my local team, which was San Jose Earthquakes. I started attending their games, and was planning on joining their supporter group.
“However, after I attended a few games, I realized that the fan base in general and the supporter group in particular was absolutely different than what I was used to back in my home country.
“So we decided to start our own group that could bring the passion and intensity seen in Europe or South America. We wanted to introduce the ultras style to MLS.
“While there were some supporter groups in the league at that time, none of them were an ultras group.
“I wanted my new team, the San Jose Earthquakes, to benefit from a much stronger group, to bring that intensity from Europe, where people, especially ultras, see their home club as a beloved member of their family, not only as a cheap entertainment option for their weekends.”
But in Margarit’s native Romania and other Eastern European sides, there is often a deeply rooted meaning behind the formation of an ultras group and the sport itself was a hugely popular part of people’s lives.
SJU were starting in a foreign field and trying to grow a supporting culture in a country that finds the way ultras operate alien.
So when, in 2003, a group of roughly 20 fans rocked up to the Spartan Stadium, other San Jose fans had prejudicial views of what to expect.
Margarit said: “The Quakes fans at the time had only a very limited and biased idea about the ultras movement, so some of them were definitely not happy with us coming into the picture.
“However, none of the other fans talking crap about us ever said it to our face. It's always been online talk, the cowardly way, so we cannot take that seriously. But there were also fans who liked what we were bringing in, some of them joining us.
“The most important part was that the players were very happy we were there. They were always appreciative.
“Overall, founding, leading and maintaining an ultras group in MLS has always been like swimming against the stream.
“Most fans around the league have no idea about the ultras mentality, the league has never liked us, since they have been catering towards a completely different type of fans.
“However, when you swim against the stream for 22 years you become stronger. We love hostility, we love challenges.
“The beginning is always difficult, especially bringing such a niche and unknown idea into an already niche sport. It takes time, it takes patience, it takes resilience, and it takes a lot of work, but when you believe in your idea, you will make it happen.
“Despite all the obstacles and initial hostility, we went on with our plan. Matter of fact, the hostility from some of the local fans and the club management made us work even harder. We've always been thriving in adversity.”
Some would say the challenge for most match-going Earthquake fans is mustering the strength to turn up.
In PayPal Park’s maiden season, the stadium was sold out 15 out of 17 times the Earthquakes played at home. Last season it was a sole occasion.
But much like how the ultras group responds to critics, the more dire a performance on the pitch the stronger the group seem to get.
Trailing three goals to Colorado Rapids would silent almost all MLS Stadiums besides Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (the Rapids’ home ground) and PayPal Park, with the SJU rigid to their principles and able to replicate the authentic experience that many would feel in the Steaua Bucharest crowd.
Many supporters groups get support from their clubs but the ultras don’t believe in the charity from the Earthquakes to show their true commitment.
Margarit said: “Number wise, the crowds are great. However, most of the passion is manufactured.
“When you have supporter groups that pretend to be ultras but take paid trips to Germany from their team's front office "to learn how to be ultras", or supporter groups who gladly accept, often ask their club to pay for away games or tifo, you cannot take them seriously.
“Most MLS groups are like clones. Same songs, same routines, same need for attention and virtue signalling. We take pride in our independence from the club and our uniqueness as a group.
“We are here to support the Earthquakes, not to be supported by them. We are not here for attention, or to gain any other group's admiration. That's completely irrelevant to us.”
The SJU have managed to attract eyes though and that was only natural because when many travel to PayPal Park, the football has continually been uninspiring, but in two sections behind the south goal
there is a taste of Europe that many fans have never experienced.
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