SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Khari Stephenson’s propensity to unleash hopeful shots from long distance prompted San Jose Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop to make a pronouncement Friday at practice:
“You’re going to have the goal of the season, a 35-yard bomb,” Yallop said, according to Stephenson’s retelling of the tale.
It only took Stephenson a little more than 24 hours to make Yallop look like Rasputin. The midfielder blasted a 35-yard shot in the 52nd minute that overpowered leaping Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller for the final goal in a 2-2 tie with visiting Seattle Sounders on Saturday.
WATCH: FULL MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
“I’m always taking shots from that distance in training,” said Stephenson, who came on at halftime. “Sometimes they’re good shots, sometimes they’re not. But you have to try. I took the chance, and it worked out for me today.”
The Quakes didn’t get a win because they gave up a cheap goal early to Brad Evans, then watched Steve Zakuani float a perfect cross for O’Brian White to head home just before halftime.
But offensively, Yallop couldn’t have asked for much more from his team, which also forced Keller to make one-on-one stops against Chris Wondolowski (in the ninth minute) and Joey Gjertsen (during first-half stoppage time).
And now, Yallop is on the spot when it comes to what lineup he’ll use against Toronto FC next weekend.
[inline_node:332777]Does he pair Dawkins, the 23-year-old newcomer on loan from Tottenham Hotspur who cut a tightly-angled shot for his first MLS goal in the 32nd minute, with Chris Wondolowski in central midfield?
Does he bring back Stephenson, the 30-year-old who lost his spot to Dawkins only because he missed San Jose’s 2-0 win against Dallas last weekend while playing for the Jamaican national team?
Or does he keep Wondolowski wide right, where the 2010 Golden Boot winner played during the second half Saturday, and have both Dawkins and Stephenson start at Joey Gjertsen’s expense?
“Maybe both [Dawkins and Stephenson],” Yallop said. “Someone other than Wondo scored. Thank God for that.”
The decision will be made easier by Stephenson’s willingness to take a seat on the bench without complaint, if that’s the direction Yallop chooses. Instead of wasting and pouting, Stephenson made the most of his time on the field.
“He understands why I kept the same team as against Dallas, which is my choice as a coach,” Yallop said of Stephenson. “He accepted it, and it showed in his performance, that he wasn’t trying to teach me a lesson, or teach the team a lesson. He just came on to help the team and I thought he played great.”
Yallop contemplated sending in Stephenson on a straight positional swap with Gjertsen, who played solidly on the right wing but didn’t get much on his one-on-one attack against Keller just before halftime.
“We talked about Khari going wide, but I said start in the middle and see how it goes,” Yallop said. “And then Khari gets into it and scores a goal and it’s like, ‘Well, that worked.’ And Wondo has scored goals in any position. He got a hat trick in Toronto [last year] from wide right.”
WATCH: Stephenson's 30-yard rocket
Whatever happens in the future, Stephenson said he’ll try to frame it in the best possible light.
“What experience has taught me is there’s no need to be negative about any situation,” Stephenson said. “You take the positive from each situation. I was away with the national team, the [Quakes] won, got three points, and all I can do is be a team player: Support the players in training, support them on the field when they’re playing in front of me, and give my part if I’m called in. I think today, everyone did well.”
Geoff Lepper covers the Earthquakes for MLSsoccer.com. He can be reached at sanjosequakes@gmail.com. On Twitter: @sjquakes
