The 2005 San Jose Earthquakes are deserving of the 9th spot on this list. They won the Supporters Shield that year, though they failed to advance very far in the playoffs. Sadly, it was the last season before the team went on “hiatus” (i.e. to Houston), so their stellar play was overshadowed.
With a record of 18-4-10, the ’05 Quakes had five more points than their nearest competitor during the regular season. Their stingy defense allowed less than a goal a game. Even more amazingly, they never lost a single game at home. It seemed they wanted to go out with a bang, and they did.
Goalie Pat Onstad had a fantastic year and led the league with 12 shutouts. Skilled midfielder Dwayne De Rosario notched an MLS-leading 13 assists and had five game winning goals. Meanwhile, guys like Eddie Robinson and Ricardo Clark provided tough defense.
The 2005 Quakes make this list at #9 most of all though because they epitomized the “team first” mentality so many big clubs lack today. No player was a “superstar”. In fact, no one netted more than ten goals. They played with consistency and chemistry, so they belong on this list.
