Almeyda fired by Earthquakes after winless MLS start

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — San Jose's Matias Almeyda was fired Monday in Major League Soccer's first coaching change since the season's start after the Earthquakes went winless in their first seven matches.

Alex Covelo will become interim coach after serving as head coach for Earthquakes II in MLS Next Pro. His first game will be against Bay Cities in the U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday.

Former forward Chris Wondolowski was appointed interim assistant coach along with Steve Ralston and Luciano Fusco.

Almeyda was hired in October 2018 and led San Jose to 31 wins, 42 loses and 25 draws during the MLS regular season, including four losses and three draws this year.

“We have not gotten the results that we or he wanted,” manager partner John Fisher said in a statement. “There is still a lot of soccer to be played this season and we believe that we have a roster that can compete for the playoffs.”

Covelo was hired as director of methodology in April 2017 and served as an assistant under interim coach Chris Leitch for half of the 2017 season and under Ralston at the end of 2018.

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