San Jose Earthquakes Set for Two Against Chicago Fire
The San Jose Earthquakes take on the Chicago Fire twice this week, once in a U.S. Open Cup Play-in match and once in league play. The Quakes first host the Fire on Tuesday, May 24 at Buck Shaw Stadium in the U.S. Open Cup Qualifier. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live via Internet at sjearthquakes.com/usocradio. San Jose will then pay visit to Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill. to face Chicago again on Saturday, May 28 for a 5:30 p.m. PT kick-off. That match will be broadcast live on Comcast SportsNet California and on the radio at KZSF 1370 (Spanish) and KDOW 1220 (English).
Earthquakes vs. Chicago Fire All-Time
MLS Regular Season: 7-12-9
Home: 5-5-4
Away: 2-7-5
Shootout (1996-99): 1-0
Overtime (2000-05): 0-0-3
Playoffs: 1-0-0; U.S. Open Cup: 0-1-0
All-Time Scoring: San Jose – 33, Chicago – 44
Earthquakes Schedule for the Week of 5/23/11
Tuesday, May 24 – 7:30 p.m. – San Jose Earthquakes vs. Chicago Fire, Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.
Wednesday, May 25 – 10:15 a.m. – Practice at Nutrilite Training Facility
Thursday, May 26 – Travel to Chicago
Friday, May 27 – Training in Chicago
Saturday, May 28 – 5:30 p.m. PT – San Jose Earthquakes at Chicago Fire, Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Ill.
Sunday, May 29 – Off
Injury/Discipline/International Duty Report
Out: Simon Dawkins (R/L – bilateral fasciotomy), Andre Luiz (L – knee injury); Doubtful: Tim Ward (R – hamstring strain); Questionable: Scott Sealy (L – hamstring strain).
Last Game
Earthquakes 2, New England Revolution 1; May 21, 2011; Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
The San Jose Earthquakes stretched their unbeaten streak to three games with a 2-1 win over the New England Revolution at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Quakes came to life in the second half with goals from Ellis McLoughlin and Bobby Convey. McLoughlin headed home his first career goal following a perfect cross from Chris Wondolowski in the 71st minute to open the scoring. Convey then curled home an incredible free kick to give San Jose a two-goal cushion. Revs midfielder Chris Tierney scored a free kick of his own in the 86th minute to cut the score to 2-1, but the Quakes held on to win their second straight game at home.
Last Game vs. Chicago
Fire 3, Earthquakes 0; Sept. 29, 2010; Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.
The San Jose Earthquakes fell 3-0 at home to the Chicago Fire at Buck Shaw Stadium on the night Ronald Cerritos was inducted into the team Hall of Fame. The Fire got goals from Steven Kinney in the 39th minute off a corner kick, Freddie Ljunberg in the 72nd minute and Patrick Nyarko in second half stoppage time to cruise to a win over the Quakes.
Misc. Notes
Live Radio Webcast on SJEarthquakes.com for US Open Cup Qualifier against Chicago Fire
The Earthquakes will host a live radio webcast for their U.S. Open Cup qualifying match against the Chicago Fire on Tuesday, May 24 at Buck Shaw Stadium. The radio webcast will be available at sjearthquakes.com/usocradio, which will allow fans who can’t make it to Buck Shaw Stadium the chance to follow all the action with Charles Wollin on the play-by-play alongside club ambassador Kelly Gray. The Earthquakes are aiming to qualify for the U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 for the first time since 2005 and would do so with a win next week.
Quakes to Host Chicago Fire in U.S. Open Cup Qualifier on Tuesday, May 24
After defeating the Portland Timbers on May 3 at JELD-WEN Field 1-0 on an overtime goal by Ike Opara, the San Jose Earthquakes now host the Chicago Fire on Tuesday, May 24 at Buck Shaw Stadium in another Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Play-in game. The match will kick off at 7:30 p.m. PT. With a win against the Fire, the Quakes would advance to the Round of 16 of the main draw of the U.S. Open Cup. Season ticket holders should use their Bonus Game “A” ticket for the match. Tickets for the game go on sale to the general public Thursday, May 12 at 10 a.m. PT at SJEarthquakes.com and by calling (800) 225-2277. Prices for individual seats range from $20 to $50.
Wondolowski Named to U.S. National Team for CONCACAF Gold Cup
San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski was named to the United States National Team roster for the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup. U.S. head coach Bob Bradley released the full roster for the tournament Monday morning. Wondolowski will join the U.S. for training camp on Sunday, May 29. The United States plays Spain in a friendly match prior to the start of the Gold Cup on Saturday, June 4 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Following that friendly, the U.S. will begin play in Group C on Tuesday, June 7 with a match against Canada at Ford Field in Detroit. The Americans then face Panama on June 11 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., before concluding group play on June 14 against Guadeloupe at Livestrong Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kan. The quarterfinals begin on June 18 with the semifinal matches scheduled for June 22. The Gold Cup final will be played Saturday, June 25 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Wondolowski has been called up once before to represent his country. He spent the month of January earlier this year in Southern California at a training camp at The Home Depot Center. He started and played 60 minutes for the U.S. against Chile at The Home Depot Center on Jan. 22 to earn his first cap.
Johnson Named to Jamaican National Team for CONCACAF Gold Cup
The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that Ryan Johnson has been named to the roster for the Jamaican National Team for the upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament to be held in the United States. Johnson has joined the Jamaican team for a training camp in Brazil that will run from May 23-June 2. Jamaica has been drawn into Group B along with Grenada, Guatemala, and Honduras. Jamaica will open up their 2011 Gold Cup campaign against Grenada on Monday, June 6 at the Home Depot Center. The ‘Reggae Boyz’ will take on Guatemala on June 10 at FIU Stadium in Miami, before closing up group stage play against Honduras on June 13 at Red Bull Arena. Jamaica qualified for the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup in both 2003 and 2005. Their best finish was third place in the 1993 tournament. Johnson has currently amassed 12 appearances for the Jamaican national team, scoring three goals, with his debut for the team coming in a friendly against the United States in 2006. All three of Johnson’s international goals came in 2010 against Argentina, Costa Rica, and Guadeloupe. He also helped Jamaica win the 2010 Digicel Cup in December.
McLoughlin Scores First Career MLS Goal
Ellis McLoughlin made an almost immediate impact after entering Saturday’s match against the New England Revolution in the 67th minute for Ryan Johnson at left mid. The Seattle native made a well-timed run to the far post and polished off a perfectly placed cross by teammate Chris Wondolowski to give San Jose a 1-0 lead in the 71st minute in just his third appearance with the Earthquakes. McLoughlin signed with San Jose on March 17, 2011 after spending two seasons playing for the Hertha BSC reserves.
Convey Tallies for First Time in 2011 on Spectacular Free Kick
Bobby Convey put himself on the score sheet in spectacular fashion against the New England Revolution on Saturday after bending a free kick into the far corner in the 81st minute. The goal stood up as the game winner, his first in three seasons with the Earthquakes. It was also Convey’s first goal of 2011 and third career regular-season strike in San Jose. Last season, the former Reading FC standout was named MLS Comeback Player of the Year after recording a team-high 10 assists.
McLoughlin and Convey Nominated for MLS Goal of the Week
Both McLoughlin and Convey have been nominated for MLS Goal of the Week this week for their efforts against the New England Revolution this past Saturday. Also nominated in this week's poll are Carlos Ruiz and Michael Farfan of the Philadelphia Union and Dane Richards of the New York Red Bulls. To vote, visit http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/05/23/vote-att-goal-week-wk-10 or text “GOAL” to 22442. Voting runs from 12 p.m. ET on Mondays until 11:59 pm PT time on Thursdays.
Earthquakes Extend Unbeaten Streak to Three Games
San Jose’s 2-1 win against visiting New England on Saturday extended the club’s unbeaten streak to three, the longest stretch since avoiding a loss in four straight from Sept. 5 to Sept. 25 in 2010. The Earthquakes drew 1-1 with Vancouver Whitecaps FC on May 11, defeated the Columbus Crew 3-0 on May 14 and knocked off the Revolution on Saturday.
San Jose’s Defense Getting Stingy
After allowing eight goals in four games during an 0-2-2 stretch from April 2 to April 23, the Earthquakes have locked down in the back with just three goals conceded in their last four matches. Dating back to April 30, San Jose has allowed no more than one goal during a game. The club is 2-1-1 over its last four matches, including a 1-0 120th-minute win against the Portland Timbers in a U.S. Open Cup qualifier.
Flashback: Opara Scores First Career Goal vs. Chicago Fire on April 10, 2010
Ike Opara scored his first career goal, a game winner in the 81st minute, against the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park on April 10, 2010. Opara made a timely run into the area and met a Bobby Convey cross in stride, heading home a powerful shot to give San Jose a 2-1 lead. The Earthquakes were in search of a rebound performance after dropping their season opener 3-0 to Real Salt Lake at Buck Shaw Stadium and found inspiration from their rookie center back. The win helped the Quakes gain momentum for a 5-2-1 start to the 2010 season.
Quakes to Host West Bromwich Albion of English Premier League on July 12
The San Jose Earthquakes announced last week that the club will host West Bromwich Albion from the English Premier League (EPL) on Tuesday, July 12 at Buck Shaw Stadium at 7:30 p.m. PT. Individual tickets are on sale at SJEarthquakes.com and by calling (800) 225-2277. Season ticket holders should use their Bonus Game “B” ticket for the match. Prices for individual seats range from $20 to $50. West Brom is laden with internationals from around the globe Scott Carson (England), Marek Čech (Slovakia), Somen Tchoyi (Cameroon), Pablo Ibáñez (Spain), James Morrison (Scotland), Steven Reid (Republic of Ireland), Abdoulaye Méïté (Ivory Coast), Gabriel Tamaş (Romania), , Gonzalo Jara (Chile) and Dean Kiely (Republic of Ireland). Ibáñez was a starter for Spain alongside Carlos Puyol at center back during the 2006 World Cup.
Wondolowski Moves into Fourth Place All Time on the Quakes’ Scoring Charts
San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski continues to inch up the franchise’s all-time scoring charts. Wondo scored two goals two weeks ago, one against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Wednesday, May 11 and another against the Columbus Crew on Saturday, May 14, giving him a total of 26 with the Quakes. Those goals moved Wondolowski past Brian Ching for No. 4 on the club’s all-time scoring chart. Up next for the Danville, Calif. native is Dwayne De Rosario, who scored 27 for the team from 2001-2005. The career leader for the Quakes is Ronald Cerritos, who notched 61 from 1997-2001 and in 2005.
Busch Among MLS Career Leaders List for Shutouts
Jon Busch is No. 8 on the MLS career shutouts list with 55 after his clean sheet this past weekend against Columbus. The Earthquakes’ starting goalkeeper has recorded nine clean sheets in San Jose. He earned 21 shutouts during three seasons (2007-09) with the Chicago Fire and had 25 in five seasons with the Columbus Crew (2002-06).
History of the Quakes-Chicago Fire Rivalry
The Earthquakes and the Chicago Fire have had a memorable rivalry since the Fire came into MLS in 1998.The most memorable game of the rivalry came in 2003, when Chicago and San Jose met for the MLS Cup at The Home Depot Center on Nov. 23. The Quakes defeated the Fire 4-2 in Frank Yallop’s final game as the head coach before returning two seasons ago. Landon Donovan scored two goals, while Ronnie Ekelund and Richard Mulrooney each netted a goal to lead the Quakes to the victory. That game was the only playoff meeting between two of the league’s most successful clubs … The two teams have played each once in U.S. Open Cup Play, during Chicago’s inaugural season in 1998. The quarterfinal tie went into penalty kicks after goals from Lubos Kubik for Chicago and Jeff Baicher for San Jose saw the score knotted at one-all after regulation and overtime. The Fire prevailed in the PK shootout, 4-3, on their way to winning the title ... Jason Hernandez made his MLS debut on Oct. 5, 2005, playing for New York against the Fire at Soldier Field in Chicago.
Earthquakes All-Time Leaders vs. Chicago Fire
Forward Scott Sealy has five goals and two assists in 10 career appearances … Midfielder Bobby Convey has one goal and two assists 13 career appearances … Forward Chris Wondolowski has two goals in six career appearances … Goalkeeper Jon Busch has five wins, four ties and three shutouts in 13 career appearances.
Chicago Fire All-Time Leaders vs. Earthquakes
Forward Patrick Nyarko has two goals and two assists in four appearances … Midfielder Marco Pappa has two goals and one assist in four career appearances … Midfielder Logan Pause has two assists in ten career games ... Goalkeeper Jon Conway has one win, one tie and one shutout in two games ... Goalkeeper Sean Johnson earned a shutout win in his only career appearance against San Jose.
Earthquakes – Chicago Fire Connections
Ryan Johnson spent time with the Chicago Fire before coming to San Jose. After being drafted by Real Salt Lake in 2006, he was traded to Chicago midway through that season. He played three games for them in 2006 … Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch played with the Fire from 2007-09, where he won MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2008 … Quakes defender Tim Ward played for the Chicago Fire from 2009-2010 before being traded to San Jose midway through the season… Chicago goalkeeper Job Conway played for the Earthquakes from 2000-2005 ... Conway also played with Quakes defender Chris Leitch at the New York Red Bulls in 2007-08 and with midfielder Sam Cronin at Toronto FC for part of the 2010 season ... He also had a stint with the San Francisco Seals, appearing in 4 matches in 2000 ... Quakes defender Bobby Burling played with Fire defender Yamith Cuesta at Chivas USA for the second half of the 2009 season ... Chicago midfielder Daniel Paladini also played with Burling at Chivas USA in 2008 ... San Jose forward briefly crossed paths with Chicago forward Dominic Oduro at Houton Dynamo in 2009 ... Quakes defender Ike Opara and midfielder Sam Cronin played with Fire midfielder Corben Bone at Wake Forest, where they won a national championship together … San Jose midfielder Brad Ring grew up in the Chicago area and played his youth and high school soccer there … Fire midfielder Logan Pause played with current Quakes defender Chris Leitch at the University of North Carolina and with Bobby Convey on the U-23 United States national team during Olympic qualifying in 2004 ... Chicago defender Jalil Anibaba also attended UNC ... Fire forward Davis Paul played with Quakes goalkeeper David Bingham at UC Berkeley from 2008-2010 ... Quakes forward Matt Luzunaris and Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson played together at the University of Central Florida in 2007.
Earthquakes-LA Galaxy Match Time for June 25 Changed to 3:30 p.m. PT
The San Jose Earthquakes have announced that the game time for their June 25 match against the LA Galaxy at Buck Shaw Stadium has been changed to 3:30 p.m. PT on FOX Soccer. Additionally, individual tickets for that game are now on sale. In 2010, Chris Wondolowski stunned a league-leading LA Galaxy squad with a fourth minute goal that would stand up for a 1-0 win. The Earthquakes drew a record crowd of 10,799 at Buck Shaw Stadium for the day game on Aug. 21. San Jose is 3-3-2 against LA Galaxy since returning to MLS in 2008 and holds a 9-7 scoring advantage over that stretch.
Earthquakes, Alaska Airlines Partner for Giveaway on June 4
The San Jose Earthquakes and Alaska Airlines will partner up for a giveaway on June 4 when the Quakes host the Houston Dynamo at Buck Shaw Stadium. The first 5,000 fans will receive a free Hawaiian shirt bag tag. One fan in attendance will also have the chance to win a trip to Hawaii or Mexico courtesy of Alaska Airlines during a halftime kick-to-win contest.
July 2 Match vs. New York Red Bulls to be Played at Stanford Stadium
The San Jose Earthquakes have moved their Saturday, July 2 match against international stars Thierry Henry and Rafa Márquez and the New York Red Bulls to Stanford Stadium in Stanford, Calif. The game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. PT and air live on ESPN2. Following the match, the Earthquakes will treat fans to the best fireworks show on the Peninsula for the Fourth of July weekend. Fans can stay in their seats or move onto the field for the best view to watch the fireworks. The Epicenter Fan Zone will be moved from Buck Shaw Stadium to Stanford for the match. Fans will be able to enjoy foosball, corn hole, face painting and poster making prior to kickoff. Gourmet food trucks will also be on site.
Quakes Weekly Podcast Available on iTunes
The Earthquakes’ weekly podcast is available for free download on iTunes. Hosts Kelly Gray, Robert Jonas and Joe Nuxoll regularly feature soccer personalities from the club and around the nation. Last week, San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch and ESPN/Philadelphia Union color commentator Taylor Twellman joined in the discussion. Subscribe to get the latest in Quakes news each week.
Quakes Launch Weekly E-Newsletter
The San Jose Earthquakes launched a weekly newsletter a few weeks ago, giving fans the chance to receive emails straight from the Front Office regarding team-related news, player appearances, giveaways and more. To sign up for the Quakes Update, visit sjearthquakes.com/quakesupdate.
San Jose Earthquakes on Twitter
@SJEarthquakes – Official account of the San Jose Earthquakes
@ChrisWondo – 2010 MLS Budweiser Golden Boot Winner Chris Wondolowski
@AnthonyAmpai – Rookie from NCAA Champion Akron University Anthony Ampaipitakwong
@bobbyburling – Veteran central defender and sports trivia guru Bobby Burling
@BradRing87 – Third-year central midfielder Brad Ring
@JHernandez21 – Veteran center back and social maven Jason Hernandez
@awebs13 – Witty goalkeeper Andrew Weber
@MattLuzu32 – First-year striker Matt Luzunaris
San Jose’s Record in May
The Quakes are 27-27-11 all-time in May in MLS play.
