Sharp Chris Wondolowski scored in the fourth consecutive game, but the Earthquakes couldn’t capitalize on their possession in a 3-1 loss to Toronto FC on a soggy Saturday at BMO Field.
However, memories of the defeat, which ended the Quakes’ five-game unbeaten streak, will fade quickly with a strong performance against FC Dallas on Sunday in the Western Conference at Avaya Stadium.
Against the Reds, the Quakes trailed 2-1 in the 33rd minute and 3-1 in the 71st, and thus were forced to chase the game in a hostile environment against a dangerous foe -- no easy feat.
Reds’ dynamo Sebastian Giovinco, a 5-foot-4 former Juventus star, feasts on such scenarios, and he created a bevy of scoring chances and finished with two assists.
The Earthquakes did some good things at BMO Field. They had pretty good possession, created some pressure, but came up wanting in front of the Toronto FC goal.
"I thought our team had a lot of possession, but we weren't doing a whole lot with it and Toronto was catching us on the break,” Quakes coach Dominic Kinnear said.
Wondolowski said the team did well at times, but needs to do a better job of keeping the ball and being more dangerous in the attacking third.
The Quakes tend to respond quickly after an opponent scores. That was the case again. One minute after ex-Quake Justin Morrow scored on a diving header off a cross from Giovinco to give TFC a 1-0 lead, Wondolowski hit a header off a cross from Shea Salinas, forcing a handball by Ashtone Morgan in the box.
Wondolowski pocketed the PK in the corner to his left, giving him eight goals for the season and 101 in his career. He is in second place in MLS scoring this season, two goals behind Columbus’ Kei Kamara, and tied with Taylor Twellman for No. 7 all time.
“He gets himself chances in front of the goal, and there is no better chance than a penalty," Kinnear said of Wondolowski.
In the 16th minute, David Bingham, who ranks third in the league with 45 saves, made a beauty to deny Giovinco, after the Italian darted past midfielder Khari Stephenson on a quick buildup and found himself one-on-one against the keeper. His hard shot from eight yards out appeared headed for the upper part of the goal, but Bingham deflected it high with his fingertips.
In big a chance for the Quakes late in the first half, Wondolowski headed the ball back to a pushed-up Victor Bernardez in the Toronto box, but his shot was blocked by Morrow.
Overall, Toronto FC did just enough to keep the Quakes from adding to their account. But the Quakes helped out the host team by lacking their usual quality service.
“Toronto defended well, they sat deep, and they let us play around them but not really play through them,” Kinnear said. “I thought with our service we had an opportunity to cross a few balls in, and they defended well putting pressure on the ball, but I thought we were a bit off on that.
"Service from out wide and second balls are something that we feed on, but that wasn't the case (this time).”
Forward Adam Jahn, who had a game-long battle with Toronto FC defender Damien Perquis, seemed to chalk up the result to it just being one of those days.
"Yeah, sometimes it just eludes you,” Jahn said. “We kept knocking on the door. They were giving us a lot of time to play out wide, and the crosses in were pretty good. We got some knocks towards goal, but sometimes it just doesn't fall your way.”
