Last Game
Earthquakes 2, Columbus Crew SC 0; May 16, 2015; Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California
The Earthquakes returned to San Jose for their first home game since April 11 and defeated Columbus Crew SC, 2-0, under the bright lights of Avaya Stadium. With the win, San Jose extended their unbeaten streak to four games, a 2-0-2 record over that time span. In the seventh minute, Quakes defender Marvell Wynne nearly gave the home team an early lead. After receiving a pass from midfielder Fatai Alashe, Wynne proceeded to dribble nearly the length of the pitch down the right side, before cutting back onto his left foot and ripping a shot destined for the back of the net. However, Columbus' keeper Steve Clark was up to task and made a diving save to his right. San Jose created another chance in the 26th minute. Midfielder Matias Perez Garcia attacked Columbus' penalty area with speed and drilled a left-footed shot on target. When the ball wasn't played cleanly by Clark, Wondolowski rushed to put away the rebound, but was narrowly beaten to the ball by Crew SC defender Michael Parkhurst, who cleared the ball out of play. Columbus created a chance of their own in the 32nd minute. After playing a one-two in the Quakes 18-yard box, Crew SC midfielder Federico Higuain had a strike on net, but San Jose keeper David Bingham did well to parry the ball away, which was eventually cleared for a corner kick. Columbus went down a man in the 33rd minute, after midfielder Mohammed Saeid was sent off with two yellow cards. The Quakes broke the deadlock in the 55th minute on the head of forward Chris Wondolowski. Earthquakes defender Jordan Stewart drove a cross from the left wing across the front of goal, where Wondolowski's lunging header redirected the ball past keeper Steve Clark. It marked his team-leading sixth goal of the season and 99th of his MLS career. San Jose doubled their advantage just five minutes later. Midfielders Shea Salinas and Perez Garcia played a give-and-go in Columbus' penalty area and Salinas used some nifty footwork to maneuver through traffic before blasting a strike into the back of the net. It marked his first goal of the season and first since July 23, 2014 against Chicago. The Earthquakes defense worked hard for the remainder of the match to keep the clean sheet and the team has now allowed one-or-fewer goals in four consecutive matches.
Scoring Summary:
SJ - Chris Wondolowski (Jordan Stewart, Perez Garcia) 55; SJ - Shea Salinas (Perez Garcia) 60.
Misconduct Summary:
CLB - Mohammed Saeid (caution) 14; CLB - Mohammed Saeid (ejection) 33; SJ - Clarence Goodson (caution) 40; SJ - Matias Perez Garcia (caution) 45+2; CLB - Kevan George (caution) 90+1.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES:
David Bingham, Marvell Wynne, Victor Bernardez, Clarence Goodson, Jordan Stewart, Fatai Alashe, Sanna Nyassi (Cordell Cato 78), Matias Perez Garcia (Khari Stephenson 81), Chris Wondolowski, Shea Salinas, Adam Jahn (JJ Koval 90).
SHOTS:
15;
SHOTS ON GOAL:
8;
SAVES:
5;
FOULS:
9;
CORNER KICKS:
8;
OFFSIDES:
0.
COLUMBUS CREW SC:
Steve Clark, Michael Parkhurst, Hector Jiminez, Waylon Francis, Emanuel Pogatetz, Justin Meram (Kevan George 61), Mohammed Saeid, Tony Tchani, Ethan Finlay (Kristinn Steindorsson 78), Federico Higuain, Kei Kamara (Aaron Schoenfeld 83).
SHOTS:
8;
SHOTS ON GOAL:
5;
SAVES:
6;
FOULS:
12;
CORNER KICKS:
5;
OFFSIDES:
0.
OPPONENT INFO
Earthquakes vs. Orlando City SC
MLS Regular Season:
0-0-0
Home:
0-0-0 (0 GF, 0 GA)
Away:
0-0-0 (0 GF, 0 GA)
Playoffs:
0-0-0; US Open Cup: 0-0-0; US Open Cup Play-In: 0-0-0
All-Time Scoring:
San Jose – 0, Orlando City SC – 0
Earthquakes – Orlando City SC Connections
Earthquakes defender Leandro Barrera and Orlando midfielder Eric Avila both played together for Chivas USA in 2014 … Orlando’s Luke Boden, Seb Hines, Martin Paterson and Lewis Neal, as well as Quakes defender Jordan Stewart, were all born in England … San Jose forward Mark Sherrod was acquired via trade from Orlando City SC in exchange for San Jose’s natural second round selection in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft … Sherrod and Orlando midfielder Tony Cascio played together for the Houston Dynamo in 2014 … Earthquakes midfielder Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi and Orlando defender Aurelien Collin were both born in France … Earthquakes midfielder Tommy Thompson and Orlando defender Conor Donovan both played together on the U-20 U.S. Men’s National Team … Quakes forward Chris Wondolowski and Orlando City goalkeeper Tally Hall played together on the Houston Dynamo in 2009 … San Jose midfielder Cordell Cato and Orlando City midfielder Kevin Molino are both from Trinidad and Tobago … Earthquakes defender Marvell Wynne and Orlando City SC forward Danny Mwanga played together with the Colorado Rapids in 2014 … Wynne (2004-05) and Orlando midfielder Amobi Okugo (2009) and keeper Earl Edwards Jr. (2010-14) all attended UCLA … Okugo is a native of Hayward, Calif. … Quakes forward Mike Fucito and Orlando City SC goalkeeper Donovan Rickets both played for the Montreal Impact and Portland Timbers during the 2012 season.
EARTHQUAKES IN THE COMMUNITY
Get Earthquakes Fit
Who:
Earthquakes midfielder Shea Salinas
What:
Congratulating the students on completing the Get Earthquakes Fit program
Where:
Aptitude Elementary in San Jose, CA
When:
Tuesday, May 19 at 1:45 p.m.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
On the Brink of History
Earthquakes forward and captain Chris Wondolowski tallied his 99th career MLS goal on Saturday, and now sits one score away from cementing his name in league history as just the ninth player to ever reach 100 career goals. Wondolowski has scored a goal in three of the team’s last four matches.
Hitting His Stride
Quakes midfielder Matias Perez Garcia registered an assist on each of the team’s two goals against Columbus on Saturday. Perez Garcia has now tallied three assists in the last three games and has four assists overall this season. It marked his first career MLS game with multiple assists.
Quakes Push Unbeaten Streak to Four
The San Jose Earthquakes are riding a four-game unbeaten streak heading into this weekend’s match with Orlando City SC and has not lost a match since April 17 at New York Red Bulls.. The team is 2-0-2 in their last four matches and 3-1-2 in their last six.
Back to Levi’s® Stadium
Last August, the Earthquakes played in the inaugural game at Levi’s® Stadium, the home of the San Francisco 49ers, and defeated Seattle Sounders FC, 1-0. Sunday’s match marks the first time the Earthquakes will play at the Santa Clara venue since that day. It also marks the first of two home games for San Jose not being played at Avaya Stadium, with the team hosting the LA Galaxy at Stanford Stadium on Saturday, June 27, in the annual California Clasico.
Two MLS Team of the Week Selections
Following the team’s 2-0 victory over Columbus, two members of the Earthquakes were named to the MLS Team of the Week for Week 11 – midfielder Shea Salinas and defender Jordan Stewart. Salinas scored his first goal of the season and created numerous additional chances, while Stewart tallied his first assist of the season and helped keep a clean sheet for San Jose’s defense.
Stingy Defense
The San Jose Earthquakes have held their opponents to one or fewer goals in eight of their 11 matches this season, including each of their last four.
Quakes Among MLS Leaders
Currently, several Earthquakes rank near or at the top of numerous statistical categories. Among them are:
•
Matias Perez Garcia – 48 corner kicks (Second in MLS)
•
David Bingham – 38 saves (second in MLS)
•
Chris Wondolowski – 6 goals (Tied for second in MLS)
Kinnear Can Keep a Lead
Teams under head coach Dominic Kinnear are 121-10-43 when scoring first, a .819 winning percentage. As head coach of the Earthquakes, Kinnear has only lost one game when his team scored first, a 25-1-8 record overall.
Halftime Success
Since the beginning of the 2000 season, the Quakes are 107-3-23 when leading at the half, including a 3-0-2 mark so far in 2015. They were 6-0-2 in 2014, 6-0-3 in 2013 and an impressive 12-0-1 in 2012, with the only draw coming against Portland on Oct. 27 at JELD-WEN Field. In 2011, the club was 4-2-2, 7-0-2 in 2010, 4-0-3 in 2009, 6-1-0 in 2008, 7-0-3 in 2005, 7-0-1 in 2004 and 8-0-1 in 2003. Despite holding a 1-0 halftime lead on May 10, 2008, vs. Columbus, the Quakes were edged by the final score of 3-2. That game marked the team’s first loss since 1999 when holding a halftime advantage.
Making the First One Count
The Earthquakes are 105-12-31 since 2001 when scoring the first goal. The club is 3-0-1 so far in 2015, after going 5-1-4 in 2014. They were 11-1-3 when scoring first in 2013. In 2012, San Jose was 14-2-2, their two losses coming at Vancouver (2-1) on May 5 and at Montreal (3-1) on Aug. 18. The club was 7-4-5 in 2011, 12-0-2 in 2010, 6-1-5 in 2009 and 8-1-3 in 2008. Prior to 2010, San Jose also went undefeated in 2001 (13-0-2), 2003 (11-0-1) and 2005 (14-0-5) when scoring first. The Earthquakes were 12-2-0 in 2002 when finding the back of the net first, only giving up leads two times in losing 2-1 at the LA Galaxy on July 4, and falling at Kansas City by the same score on July 27. In 2004, the Quakes went 8-1-1 when scoring first, the best mark in MLS. The Quakes surrendered a 1-0 advantage and dropped a 2-1 decision at the LA Galaxy on July 4, 2004, losing for just the first time since July 27, 2002, when striking first. The Quakes are also impressive in the playoffs when scoring first, posting an 8-0-1 record all-time.
Earthquakes to Host Viewing Parties at Avaya Stadium
The San Jose Earthquakes announced that they will host admission-free viewing parties at Avaya Stadium for fans to watch the team’s next two road matches – Saturday, May 30, against Toronto FC at 2 p.m. PT, and Saturday, June 20, against Seattle Sounders FC, at 1 p.m. PT. Both of the games will be broadcast live on Comcast SportsNet and gates open one hour prior to kickoff. Fans will be able to watch the matches on the large video board facing Coleman Ave. and will have numerous dining options available for purchase, including two food trucks, a concession stand and the bar. In addition, there will be activities located in the two-acre 7UP Epicenter.
Avaya Stadium to Co-Host 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens
World Rugby announced that the United States has won the bid for the 2018 Rugby World Cup Sevens. World Rugby accepted a bid put forth by USA Rugby, with the tournament being co-hosted at Avaya Stadium. “Avaya Stadium continues to attract world-class events,” said Earthquakes President Dave Kaval. “We’re extremely proud to be able co-host such a prestigious tournament and to help put the City of San Jose on the world’s stage.”
Avaya Stadium to host World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup
USA Rugby and the San Jose Earthquakes announced that Avaya Stadium will play host to a World Rugby Pacific Nations Cup double-header on Saturday, July 18. The Pacific Nations Cup – a World Rugby tournament designed to expose Pacific Rim teams and players to a greater number of international test matches – features Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, and USA. Avaya Stadium will host two PNC matches July 18, Canada vs. Japan and the USA Men’s Eagles vs. Samoa. Tickets for the matches held at Avaya Stadium will be released mid-March. Notifications on ticket release dates and pre-sale access to tickets for the U.S.-based 2015 PNC matches will be provided to those on the USA Rugby Ticket Pre-Sale List, for which fans can sign up here: www.usarugby.org/tickets.
ACADEMY NOTES
The Earthquakes under-14 Academy team reeled off two more victories, beating EBU Bay Oaks 4-0 on Saturday and the De Anza Force 3-0 on Sunday. The young Quakes squad has won 12 of its past 14 games. Oscar Govea scored two goals against the Oaks, and Nathan Arnott and JJ Foe Nuphaus each had one goal. Andonis Diaz and Marco Jacquez had goals against De Anza. Center back Kenny Amaral was solid all weekend, and left back Anthony Paoli had a strong game on Saturday.
The Earthquakes’ under-16 and under-18 teams did not play last week. The teams will both face the San Diego Surf on Saturday and Nomads SC on Sunday at Mustang Soccer Complex in Danville. The U18 games will be at 11 a.m., followed by the U16s at 1:30 p.m.
