The San Jose Earthquakes television and radio broadcast teams have been tasked with reviewing the club’s match vs. Sporting Kansas City and looking forward to tomorrow's contest by answering a series of questions without prior collaboration. Let’s take a look at what each of them had to say.
Who was your man of the match in last Sunday’s win over Sporting KC and why?
Chris Dangerfield (CSN – color):
“Victor Bernardez. Massive all day, key goal-saving block on shot that was 6 yards out in first half. Dealt with all the first half pressure and, along with Imperiale and Bingham, organized the back four and kept the Quakes in the game until they scored.”
Danielle Slaton (CSN - sideline):
“David Bingham. He had some quality saves and kept the Quakes in it, especially in the first half when the game was tied and the team wasn't at its sharpest.”
Anthony Passarelli (CSN – play-by-play):
“I'll go with David Bingham here. The early saves, especially the leaping one off the Dom Dwyer header in the first half, kept the match 0-0 and enabled the Quakes to make the Wondo PK the go-ahead goal and ultimately the game-winner. He was fantastic early.”
Ted Ramey (KLIV – play-by-play): “
You’ve got to go with Bingham. Stellar as usual, providing head spinning, highlight reel saves.”
Joe Cannon (KLIV – play-by-play):
“David Bingham. Big save on Dom Dwyer's header to keep the game even in the first half.”
Which Union players will San Jose need to be wary of this weekend in Philadelphia?
Dangerfield:
“CJ Sapong. Playing better than ever, in fact so well pundits are calling for him to be called into the USMNT squad. He is a powerful goal scorer who is very confident at this time, which is a dangerous combination for any opponent the Union plays.”
Slaton: “
Chris Pontius. I haven't seen him play with Philly yet, but he's a vet to MLS, playing with D.C. United for seven seasons. He's scoring goals and wins the ball in midfield so the Quakes midfielders will need to be active and move the ball quickly.”
Passarelli:
“I'll go with striker and former MLS Rookie of the Year (2011) C.J. Sapong. He had nine goals last year, his first since coming to Philly via trade with SKC. He scored last week vs. NYCFC, his fourth of the year and has improved his strike efficiency this year. Chris Pontius is also showing the ability to find the net from the wing.”
Ramey:
“You’ve got to keep an eye on Sapong, no doubt, he is always dangerous. But I will be keeping a special eye on Pontius. He will appear out of nowhere, makes great runs at the net, and seems to score what I would call "timely" goals.”
Cannon: “
CJ Sapong and Andre Blake. Both young players with bright futures. Union seem to have found a different mindset this year and that is the main thing for this team. Blake was the no.1 pick and the Union are finally cashing in on the trades they made to get Blake in the draft. Sapong has gone from Kei Kamara's partner to a lone strike force with the Union.”
What is the biggest challenge in playing a match across the country?
Dangerfield:
“That should not be a problem as it’s a big part of playing in MLS and the players and staff are used to dealing with it. Only the new players that have not dealt with that scenario need to be monitored. It’s not ideal, but all teams face these trips during a MLS season.”
Slaton:
“The wear and tear that travel takes on your body. For the average person it may not seem too bad, but a full day of travel (sitting for long stretches, dehydration, airport food) is tough when trying to perform at your physical peak.”
Passarelli:
“Probably a better question for Danger, Danielle, and Joe but I would imagine they'll treat it like any other road match. It's a 4 p.m. ET/ 1 p.m. PT start in Philadelphia so I would think the only difference would be preparing for a West Coast day match vs. a night match.”
Ramey:
“The biggest challenge is adapting the body to the time change. These guys are all on biorhythms and circadian rhythms, all thrown off by three hours, and they have to quickly adjust to the time change, combined with travel and jet lag. ”
Cannon: “
Long waits in the airport and trying to maintain your West Coast schedule on the road. Most teams adjust meals accordingly but it's hard to get into a rhythm with only being in a new time zone for a day or two before the game. Sometimes it could just be your roommate snoring.”
