Preview: Quakes set for clash with New England

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NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION vs SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
GILLETTE STADIUM, Foxborough, Mass.
October 8, 2011
7:30 p.m. ET (CSN-NE; watch LIVE online)

The New England Revolution and San Jose Earthquakes renew their acquaintances on Saturday evening at Gillette Stadium. Both teams were eliminated from playoff consideration over the past week, the Revolution after their 2-1 loss to Seattle Sounders FC last weekend, while the Earthquakes were ruled out by New York’s win at midweek which followed San Jose’s 1-1 home draw with Sporting Kansas City.


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REFEREE: Silviu Petrescu. SAR (bench): James Conlee; JAR (opposite): Eric Proctor; 4th: Jose Carlos Rivero. MLS Career: 36 games; FC/gm: 28.4; Y/gm: 3.9; R: 7; pens: 5


INJURY REPORT

  • NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION – OUT: FW Rajko Lekic (L ankle sprain); MF Stephen McCarthy (L shoulder surgery); MF Sainey Nyassi (R hamstring strain); GK Matt Reis (R hamstring strain); DF A.J. Soares (L ankle impingement); QUESTIONABLE: DF Kevin Alston (L hamstring irritation); DF Ryan Cochrane (R ankle irritation); FW Ryan Kinne (nasal fracture); PROBABLE: MF Monsef Zerka (L quadriceps strain)
  • SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES – OUT: MF Andre Luiz (L knee injury); DF Ike Opara (L foot injury); FW Alan Gordon (surgery); FW Steven Lenhart (family leave); DF Nana Attakora (L hamstring strain); FW Scott Sealy (R quadriceps strain)


INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: NE: Kenny Mansally (The Gambia; vs. Burkina Faso)


SUSPENDED: none


WARNINGS

  • SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: NE: Milton Caraglio … SJ: Alan Gordon
  • SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: NE: Ryan Cochrane, Shalrie Joseph, Rajko Lekic, Kenny Mansally, Stephen McCarthy, Pat Phelan … SJ: Steven Beitashour, Bobby Burling, Ramiro Corrales, Jason Hernandez, Chris Leitch, Steven Lenhart, Brad Ring, Khari Stephenson


HEAD-TO-HEAD

  • ALL-TIME (34 meetings): Revolution 11 wins (2 shootout), 43 goals … Earthquakes 18 wins (0 shootout), 63 goals … Ties 5
  • AT NEW ENGLAND (17 meetings): Revolution 6 wins (0 shootout), 20 goals … Earthquakes 9 wins (0 shootout), 27 goals … Ties 2
  • In the first meeting this season, late goals from Bobby Convey and Ellis McLoughlin gave the Earthquakes a 2- 1 victory, May 21 at Buck Shaw Stadium.
  • The Earthquakes have not won at Gillette Stadium since their return to the league. Their last win in Foxborough, in 2005, was the end of a seven-game unbeaten streak in New England for the Quakes, with six wins and a draw dating back to 2001. Since, the Revs have two of three (with one draw).
  • The Revolution’s win at Buck Shaw Stadium in 2009 was their first in northern California since 2000, when they defeated San Jose 2-1 at Spartan Stadium. The Quakes won four of the six games in between, with two draws.
  • Coaches record: Frank Yallop v NE: P16 W9 L5 D2 … Steve Nicol vs. SJ: P16 W3 L9 D4


LAST MEETING (MLS)

  • 5/21: SJ 2, NE 1 (McLoughlin 71, Convey 83 – Tierney 86)
  • In the 71st minute – just four minutes after coming on for Ryan Johnson – a completely unmarked Ellis McLoughlin met a Chris Wondolowski cross with a stooping header that beat Matt Reis inside the far post to give San Jose the lead.
  • The Quakes doubled their lead in the 83rd minute when Bobby Convey curled in a free kick over an outstretched Reis and just inside the upper left corner of the goal.
  • Just three minutes later, the Revs pulled a goal back when Chris Tierney lashed a low free kick past the wall and beyond the reach of San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch.
  • SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-4-2): Jon Busch - Chris Leitch, Ike Opara, Jason Hernandez, Bobby Convey - Joey Gjertsen (Anthony Ampaipitakwong 64), Brad Ring, Khari Stephenson, Ryan Johnson (Ellis McLoughlin 67) - Chris Wondolowski, Steven Lenhart.
  • NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-2-3-1): Matt Reis - Kevin Alston, Ryan Cochrane (Zack Schilawski 83), A.J. Soares, Darrius Barnes - Shalrie Joseph, Stephen McCarthy - Zak Boggs (Sainey Nyassi 66), Benny Feilhaber, Chris Tierney - Rajko Lekic.


NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

The New England Revolution saw their losing skid reach three games, falling 2-1 at home to Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday evening at Gillette Stadium. The Revolution have 27 points from 31 matches, in ninth place in the Eastern Conference.


LAST MATCH

  • The Revolution opened the scoring in the 35th minute. 16-year-old Diego Fagundez shed his marker in the goal area and headed home Benny Feilhaber's corner kick to notch his second goal of the campaign.
  • But Sounders FC were level barely a minute later. Fredy Montero seized upon Ryan Cochrane's poor pass to race onto the loose ball and thump home inside the far post.
  • Three minutes after the break, Seattle were in the lead. New England failed to deal with a long hoof up field by Keller and the subsequent service into the penalty area. Nate Jaqua chested the deflected ball for the open Montero to poke home from the heart of the area for the eventual winner.
  • Revolution head coach Steve Nicol made four changes to the team that fell 3-2 to the Chicago Fire at Toyota Park. A.J. Soares and Ryan Cochrane came into central defense in place of Franco Coria and Darrius Barnes, Monsef Zerka returned to the lineup for Kenny Mansally, and Diego Fagundez started up top in place of Zack Schilawski.
  • NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (4-1-3-2): Matt Reis - Kevin Alston, A.J. Soares, Ryan Cochrane (Darrius Barnes 68), Chris Tierney - Shalrie Joseph - Ryan Guy, Benny Feilhaber, Monsef Zerka (Pat Phelan 68) - Milton Caraglio, Diego Fagundez.


TEAM NEWS

  • With the loss to Seattle, the Revolution were eliminated from MLS Cup Playoffs contention for a second consecutive season.
  • “As professionals, you’re constantly evaluating your performance and performance of the team, and it just hasn’t been good enough. There’s really no two ways about that,” said defender Chris Tierney. “We’re bottom of the league and there’s no way of getting around that. At this point were fighting for jobs and trying to make sure every individual is doing what they have to do to prove that they deserve a job in this league.”
  • With three games remaining, the Revolution are trying to add to their total of five victories – current the lowest single-season total in club history. The Revolution recorded seven wins in 27 games in 2001.
  • “We have to go about it the same way we did (vs. Seattle). I don’t think anybody could have any complaints the way we went about our business. We tried to get after it right from the start,” said Revolution head coach Steve Nicol. “But, as has happened too many times when we’ve actually had chances and pressure and put ourselves on the front foot, we’ve managed to make a mistake that’s cost us dearly.”
  • The Revolution also have two games remaining at Gillette Stadium – with four home wins this season, they are tied with San Jose, D.C. United and Vancouver for fewest home victories this season.
  • “We definitely want to go out in front of the home fans and put on a good performance,” said Darrius Barnes. “It’s been a tough season and they’ve stuck with us through thick and thin. Hopefully they’ll continue to stick with us and come out and support us for these next two games, and we’ll try to turn it around next year, for sure.”
  • Diego Fagundez became the youngest player to start a game in Revolution club history, younger than Fabio Zuniga (18 years, 295 days) when he made his first start more than 11 years ago, April 1, 2000.
  • Fagundez was already the youngest player in club history to play in a match and score a goal. Listed as 5-foot- 8, his second professional goal came on a header.
  • “People don’t see him in there, I guess,” said Benny Feilhaber. “You know, that little red Mohawk, nobody sees it. So good for him for finding that spot. I just put a ball in and to be honest, I didn’t even see who scored when he scored,” admitted Feilhaber. “But it’s great for him. He’s a kid who works hard in training, keeps his head down, doesn’t let the veterans get to him or anything like that. He’s a good kid.”
  • With the two substitutions in the second half, the Revolution moved from a 4-4-2 scheme to a 3-5-2 formation, with Darrius Barnes in between A.J. Soares and Kevin Alston on the back line. The Revolution could be short on the back line for the visit by the Earthquakes, with Soares listed as out on the club’s injury report, and Alston and Ryan Cochrane listed as questionable.


SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

The San Jose Earthquakes played to a third consecutive draw, this time reaching the result with Sporting Kansas City on Saturday evening at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Quakes have 32 points from 31 games on the season, sitting in eighth place in the Western Conference.


LAST MATCH

  • The game's goals came 50 seconds apart deep into the match. In the 85th minute, Steven Beitashour sent in a long cross from well out on the right and Chris Wondolowski ran onto it at the far post, burying a left-footed volley.
  • But almost from the kickoff, Sporting responded. C.J. Sapong sent a through ball in behind a pulled-up Quakes defense and Teal Bunbury ran onto it, hammering a low shot past San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch.
  • Earthquakes boss Frank Yallop made two changes to the team that got a 1-1 result with the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Jason Hernandez came in at center back for Nana Attakora, and Sam Cronin returned to the midfield in place of Jacob Peterson.
  • SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-3-1-2): Jon Busch - Steven Beitashour, Jason Hernandez, Bobby Burling, Justin Morrow - Rafael Baca (Joey Gjertsen 66), Sam Cronin, Ramiro Corrales - Khari Stephenson (Maxwell Griffin 72) - Chris Wondolowski, Simon Dawkins


TEAM NEWS

  • With New York’s win on Tuesday night against the LA Galaxy, the Earthquakes were officially eliminated from playoff contention this season.
  • “It was very disappointing. We played hard for 85 or so minutes and unfortunately we just turned off mentally. We got our goal, and then to give up the lead like that is frustrating. It’s just a mental thing; we are being too complacent,” said goalkeeper Jon Busch. “That sums up or season in less than a minute. It was just another example of how our season has gone. We’ve got to learn how to win.”
  • Chris Wondolowski scored for a second consecutive match and a fourth time in the last six games. Now with 12 goals on the season, he’s tied for third place in the MLS Budweiser Golden Boot standings after winning the honor last season.
  • Wondolowski also moved past Landon Donovan into second-place on the club’s all-time goalscoring list with 33 goals. Ronald Cerritos is the club’s all-time leader with 61, from 1998-2002 and 2005.
  • The Earthquakes have tied three games in a row, all by a 1-1 scoreline. They have 14 draws on the season, which matches the most in any previous season in MLS history; the New York Red Bulls and Chicago Fire currently lead the league with 16 draws this season.
  • “We have to see games out. Tonight is another example of that,” said Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop. “What it comes down to though is we need to score more goals. A defensive mistake cost us tonight, but we need to put the game away earlier. I can’t fault the guys for their effort. They put a lot of work in tonight, but we just cannot get the wins when we need them.”
  • The Quakes have one game remaining at Buck Shaw Stadium this season – the season finale against FC Dallas. With four home wins, they are tied for the fewest in the league, along with New England, D.C. United and Vancouver.
  • “We’ve played well for the last 10 games, I think, but we are just not getting the results,” said midfielder Simon Dawkins. “What you saw today was the story of our season; a down following a high. The key moving forward is to build on those positives, which I think we’ve been doing over the last 10 matches.”
  • The Earthquakes have scored the opening goal on 13 occasions this season but come away with only five wins (also drawing eight times). The eight times they have not come away with a win after opening the scoring is tied for third in MLS along with Colorado, behind New England (11) and New York (nine).
  • “Whatever you want to call it, it’s about finishing games off. And unfortunately, we didn’t again (against KC),” said Busch. “That’s something we have to learn. It’s happened too many times this year. We have to be better finishing off games with a lead, because right now, we’re not very good at it.”