The San Jose Earthquakes picked up a point on Wednesday night against the New England Revolution, narrowly missing out all securing all three.
In one of the most entertaining scoreless draws in recent memory, the back-and-forth action kept fans, and both defenses, on their toes for the full 90 minutes. Goalkeeper David Bingham easily had his best game of 2017, making a season-high five saves and keeping his first shutout of the year away from Avaya Stadium.
New England had the quantity of chances, as you’d expect from the home team, firing off 15 shots to San Jose’s eight, and earning nearly four times as many corner kicks (11 to 3). But the Quakes countered in quality of chances, with Danny Hoesen, Fatai Alashe, Chris Wondolowski, Jahmir Hyka and Darwin Ceren each coming oh-so-close to finding the back of the net.
Hitting the road in Major League Soccer is unlike what’s found in any other American sport. Of the 22 teams across the league, just three currently have a record above .500 away from home [Portland Timbers (2-1-0); FC Dallas (1-0-2); Sporting KC (1-0-2)] and a staggering 12 have yet to earn a single win.
The three teams that San Jose have faced on the road – Sporting KC, NYCFC and New England – now have a combined 6-0-3 record on home turf, proving that earning points on the road is just plain hard to come by.
However, the Earthquakes will feel disappointed to have not fared better on Wednesday, given the opportunities in front of goal. Hoesen’s point-blank shot off the post and Alashe’s first-timed blast from inside the six stand out among missed chances. Nonetheless, Revolution keeper Cody Cropper should be given credit for the work he did to keep San Jose off the board.
So, what’s the good news? Well, there are a few that come to mind:
The Quakes are one of just four teams on a three-game unbeaten streak or longer, joining the upstart Chicago Fire and currently unbeaten FC Dallas and Sporting KC.
San Jose hasn’t begun a three-game (or longer) road trip with anything but a loss in game one since 2012. In 2015, the club fell to the New York Red Bulls in the first of a four-game road trip, ultimately finishing 1-1-2. The four-game trip in 2013 also began with a loss, finishing 1-2-0.
The Earthquakes won’t have to wait long to get back at it, taking on the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium this Saturday at 1 p.m. PT. The match will be broadcast on UniMas, KNBR 1050 and 1370 KZSF, with an additional live stream for fans away from a TV or radio taking place via the Univision Deportes Facebook page.
