Following an exciting win on Opening Day vs. Montreal, the Quakes outdid themselves Saturday night, prevailing 3-2 vs. Vancouver after digging an early 2-0 hole.
The victory was unlikely for San Jose, who hadn’t come back to win from a two-goal deficit since the 2013 Cali Clasico at Stanford Stadium. But this isn’t the Quakes team of yesteryear. This group of players has something special to them, and the 18,000 fans in attendance got to witness that firsthand.
Let’s take a look at a few statistical notes that pop off the screen after Saturday night’s performance:
Nick Lima:
Lima scored his first professional goal, equalizing the match in the 54th minute with an excellent first-timed strike. It took the early MLS Rookie of the Year frontrunner just 144 minutes into his career to get on the score sheet.
Anibal Godoy:
Godoy almost assuredly will have a Goal of the Week contender for the second consecutive match, sending the game-winner into the back of the net from well outside the 18-yard box. However, Godoy did much more than score a goal. He also completed a staggering 93% of his 115 passes, per Opta statistics.
Chris Wondolowski:
Wondo not only tallied his first goal of the season, but also recorded an assist for the second consecutive match. One main objective this offseason was to boost the amount of goal-scoring threats for the team this season, and Wondolowski’s sudden rise in assists may prove that it was a success.
Jahmir Hyka:
Hyka entered the match at halftime and immediately impacted the game with his darting runs and quick dribbles. He finished with a pair of assists, his first two in MLS, including the game-winner. Do not be surprised if he leads the team in that category at season’s end.
Victor Bernardez:
Muma is a mainstay for the team’s stingy defense, but he was able to get forward and contribute offensively as well. Bernardez’s well-placed assist to Wondolowski’s goal in the first half set the team up for the comeback. It was just his second assist since September 2015.
Overall, the team’s passing and movement is clearly improved from last year. In 2016, the Quakes had 29 assists on 32 goals (.90). So far two games into 2017, San Jose has five total assists on four goals (1.25), with none unassisted.
The Quakes also fired off 21 shots on Saturday night, their most in a single game since the Clasico at Stanford last June.
