Raw emotion.
Those would be the perfect two words to describe Earthquakes defender Jordan Stewartafter picking out Chris Wondolowski out in the box for Saturday’s opening goal against Seattle.
Once the ball hit the net, Stewart, whose face lit up in excitement, charged toward Wondo to celebrate a historic tally for the captain and a much needed goal in the club’s chase of an MLS Cup playoff spot.
His facial expression has since become a hit on social media, but for Stewart, it’s that kind of raw emotion that he hopes fuels the Quakes to a late-season push into the postseason.
“It’s just one of those moments,” Stewart said with a big smile. “For me, I got an assist and managed to get forward more and most importantly I got involved for the team. We’re at a critical stage now where we need to win games. I also had the header before that where I cleared the ball off the line so it was just a built up emotion where I could help the team and help Wondo score the goal.”
WATCH: Another look at @ChrisWondo's historic first-half tally during last night's match against @SoundersFC. pic.twitter.com/qAtDT8iXXg
— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) September 11, 2016
Both teams threatened in the first 15 minutes of the match, but it was Stewart’s weighted ball ahead of Wondolowski’s collapsing run that put the home side ahead early.
“Victor [Bernardez] got on the ball and I know when he’s playing on the right side he can hit that diagonal ball to my top foot. I just made the run and he hit the ball. When I got the ball, I looked up and saw Wondo there and I knew I had to hit it first time so I managed to get good contact on it and as you know Wondo does the rest.”
The Quakes still sit atop of Seattle in the standings with two games in hand heading into Saturday’s match against the Colorado Rapids. With seven matches left in the season, every game warrants a result, something Stewart hopes to echo as a leader in the locker room.
“We still feel good. The morale and the team spirit is still upbeat but at the same time we know we have seven games left that we know we need to win,” Stewart said. “We have two games in hand but that only matters if we win them.
“Everyone knows we need to win as many games as possible. As soon as that whistle goes, we need to give 100% until the end. For me personally, I thrive off that pressure because at the end of the day, you’re in your own boat and you can only row to where you want to be.”
