After opening the season with two wins in three games, the Quakes have their first bye weekend of the season, with several of their players reporting for international duty. Forward Chris Wondolowski and goalkeeper David Bingham will join the U.S. National Team, Simon Dawkins will join Jamaica and Anibal Godoy and Alberto Quintero will represent Panama, all taking part in a pair of World Cup Qualifying matches. In addition, midfielder Fatai Alashe was called up to the U.S. U-23s for a two-leg Olympic Qualifying Playoff vs. Colombia. The Earthquakes return to action at Avaya Stadium on Saturday, April 2 against D.C. United, presented by Gyft. As part of the 20th Anniversary celebration of the league’s inaugural match between San Jose and D.C. at Spartan Stadium in 1996, 10,000 fans will receive throwback Clash jersey t-shirts.
Last week, San Jose suffered their first loss of the season to the rival LA Galaxy on Saturday night at the StubHub Center. The Quakes played down a man for more than half the match, ultimately falling 3-1. Wondolowski continued his hot start to the season, tallying his third goal in as many games, assisted by defender Marvell Wynne.
EARTHQUAKES IN THE COMMUNITY
Player Appearance
Who: Earthquakes defender Andres Imperiale
What: Signing autographs and taking photos with fans
Where: FoodMaxx – 3002 Story Rd., San Jose, CA
When: Monday, March 21 from 5-6:30 p.m.
Get Earthquakes Fit, presented by Sutter Health
Who: Earthquakes mascot Q
What: Launching Get Earthquakes Fit, presented by Sutter Health, program at Blackford Elementary
Where: Blackford Elementary – 1970 Willow St., San Jose, CA
When: Thursday, March 24 at 1:15 p.m.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
Shutouts Shut Out
The Quakes now haven’t been shut out in any of their previous 16 matches dating back to last season, marking the longest active streak in Major League Soccer.
Wondo Three-peat
For the third straight game, Chris Wondolowski found the back of the net. He joins Orlando City SC’s Cyle Larin as the only two players in Major League Soccer to score in each of their club’s first three games of the 2016 season. Wondolowski is the first member of the Earthquakes/Clash to score in the first three matches of a season since Eric Wynalda in 1998. Wondolowski is currently tied for the league lead in goals with three and his goal against the Galaxy marked his 112th career strike, which is two shy of Ante Razov for fourth on the league’s all-time leaderboard.
Quality over Quantity
Wondolowski has scored on 42.9% of his total shots this season, highest among all players in MLS with at least seven shots to his credit.
Assist Man
Defender Marvell Wynne tallied his first assist of the season and the 21st of his career on Saturday night at LA. His last assist also came against the Galaxy on July 17, 2015.
Serve it up
The Quakes have recorded five assists on their goals in 2016, tied for fourth most in MLS.
MLS Debut
San Jose defender Andres Imperiale made his MLS debut against the Galaxy on Saturday night, starting and playing 90 minutes in the absence of Clarence Goodson.
Season Debuts
Forward Innocent (13 minutes) and midfielder Matias Perez Garcia (19 minutes) each came on as second-half substitutes on Saturday, making their season debuts for the Earthquakes.
Contact Sport
Quakes midfielder Anibal Godoy and forward Quincy Amarikwa are two of the league’s eight most fouled players so far this season, drawing 10 and nine fouls, respectively. Overall, the Quakes have drawn 46 fouls, tied for third most in the league.
Wondolowski and Bingham Called to U.S. National Team for World Cup Qualifiers
San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski and goalkeeper David Bingham have been named to the final United States Men’s National Team roster for a pair of World Cup Qualifying matches against Guatemala. The first contest takes place at Estadio Mateo Flores in Guatemala City, Guatemala on Friday, March 25 (7 p.m. PT/beIN Sport, NBC Universo), followed by the second match on Tuesday, March 29 at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, Ohio (4 p.m. PT/ESPN2, UniMas). The U.S. and Guatemala are attempting to advance to Round Five of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup and are currently in Group C along with Trinidad and Tobago and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. The top two teams from each group advance from Round Four.
Earthquakes Midfielder Fatai Alashe Called to U.S. U-23 National Team for Olympic Playoff Against Colombia
San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Fatai Alashe has been called to the United States under-23 National Team for a two-leg Olympic Qualifying Playoff against Colombia. The home-and-away series will determine which of the two countries advances to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. The United States U-23s reached the playoff by defeating Canada in the third-place game during the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship last October. The U.S. hits the road for the first match on Friday, March 25 in Barranquilla, Colombia (1:30 p.m. PT), before hosting the home leg on Tuesday, March 29 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas (6:30 p.m. PT/ESPN2).
Three Earthquakes Midfielders Called to International Duty
Three San Jose Earthquakes midfielders – Simon Dawkins, Anibal Godoy and Alberto Quintero – have been called to their respective national teams for World Cup Qualifying matches. Dawkins, 28, joins the Jamaica National Team for their two matches against Costa Rica. The contests will be held at Independence Park in Kingston, Jamaica on Friday, March 25 (5 p.m. PT) and Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica on Tuesday, March 29 (7 p.m. PT). Godoy, 26, and Quintero, 28, will represent Panama in a home-and-away series with Haiti. The first match takes place at Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Friday, March 25 (4 p.m. PT) with the subsequent match at Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City on Tuesday, March 29 (6:30 p.m. PT).
Tickets for USA vs. Italy Rugby Match at Avaya Stadium On Sale Now
Tickets for the rugby match between the United States and Italy at Avaya Stadium on Saturday, June 18 are now available for purchase. The start time for the match will be announced at a later date. Italy, which takes part in the Six Nations Tournament each year against England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales and France, represents the United States’ only Tier One contest in 2016. Tickets for the fixture are available at Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000. Individual ticket prices start at $18 with special rates available for groups of 20 or more. Group tickets can be purchased by calling the Earthquakes Front Office at 408-556-7700.
ACADEMY UPDATE
The Quakes U-17 Academy is currently competing in the Generation adidas Cup in Frisco, Texas. Drawn into Group C alongside Columbus Crew SC, Universidad de Chile and Villarreal, San Jose is currently 1-1-0 with a crucial third game on deck.
After blanking Crew SC 3-0 on Friday, the Quakes couldn’t hold an early lead over Universidad de Chile on Sunday, falling 3-1. San Jose takes on Villarreal on Tuesday in their final group stage match, which will be streamed live.
