Category: MLS

sjearthquakes.com photo: Jubilation on the field at Avaya Stadium in San Jose as the San Jose Earthquakes take the home opener on Saturday night against the Montreal Impact 1-0

By Matthew T.F. Harrington

SAN JOSE, Calif. – While it’s just one match in, it looks like the question is when, not if the restocked San Jose Earthquakes will break their three-season MLS playoff drought under new General Manager Jesse Fioranelli. In its home opener Saturday night, San Jose bested the Montreal Impact 1-0, outshooting their opponents 17-5. The win over the 2016 Eastern Conference runner-ups is the first regular season win by San Jose over its foes from the North in franchise history.

“We were 2-0 last year and everyone said this the greatest team in San Jose in awhile,” said Quakes coach Dominic Kinnear when asked about the clear influx of talent on his squad this year. “We know how the season went. It all depends on health and guys’ hunger and desire to keep winning. I like the roster we put together. You can’t base off one game, but  it does show the potential you do have off this one game too.”

Aníbal Godoy scored in the 17^th minute of a first half that saw the Quakes dominate on the shot counter 9-1. The Impact would be down a man for over 25 minutes after a red card in the second half, but the Earthquakes would settle for the lone tally against Montreal (0-1-0).

“They went deep into the playoffs last year and they haven’t made a whole lot of changes to their squad,” said Kinnear of Montreal. “You can pick from those playoff performances to show how dangerous they can be.”

San Jose (1-0-0) nearly made its mark just two minutes into the match after Simon Dawkins lofted a cross to the 2016 team goals leader Chris Wondolowski. Wondolowski would leap up to try to connect on a header, but his chance went over the crossbar.

Wondolowski would again nearly score his 122^nd career MLS goal in the 7^th minute on an aggressive play by Montreal keeper Evan Bush. Bush came out of the net to contest a lead pass from newcomer Marco Ureña well outside the penalty box. Bush’s boot would be blocked by Wondolowski with a vacant net in the distance, but Wondolowski’s shot at the empty goal would be deflected out of bounds.

“The two forwards, the energy the give the team was excellent on both sides of the ball,” said Kinnear.

Wondolowski finally broke through, settling for an assist on Godoy’s marker in the 17^th minute. Godoy stripped an Impact player with a quick tip to Wondolowski. Wondolowski converted on the give-and-go, hitting Godoy on the run. Godoy was able to cash in on the quick passing, chipping the ball into the net for the 1-0 lead and the Panamanian’s fourth goal since joining the club midway through 2015.

The Impact opened up the second half as the aggressors, but slide tackle by Hassoun Camara in the 67^th minute would shift the balance. Camara had earned a yellow card earlier in the game and was booked again for a red, leaving Montreal with 10 men over the remaining 23-plus minutes.

The offense didn’t immediately start clicking up a man, but an 80^th minute bid by subs Danny Hoesen and Shea Salinas almost doubled the lead. Hoesen,on loan from FC Gronigen of the Dutch top tier, started a run but had his pass booted away. Salinas picked up the loose ball, firing it on net, beating Bush but seeing his shot go wide of the cage.

“The subs we made were all attacking players,” said Kinnear. “We wanted to make sure we kept the pressure on Montreal, especially with ten men. It’s been a good last two weeks of training. The intensity has been good. It definitely carried over onto the field tonight.”

A three-on-two break in the 86^th minute again gave life to the Avaya crowd but Wondolowski’s shot would run wide of the net to keep the striker searching for his first goal of the season early in the campaign.

“One thing we can work on is we were just missing that second goal,” said Kinnear. “I think it would have made the game less ‘nervey’ for me at the end.”

The Earthquakes welcome another Canadian club to Avaya Stadium next Saturday, with the Vancouver Whitecaps making the trip south to Northern California. Vancouver finished one point ahead of San Jose last season for 8^th place in the Western Conference.

 

sjearthquakes.com photo: The San Jose Earthquakes got a successful end to their pre season with a three goal win over the Sacramento Republic FC at Ayaya Stadium in San Jose on Saturday afternoon

By Ana Kieu

 

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Earthquakes concluded their preseason with a 4-1 win over Sacramento Republic FC at Avaya Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Earthquakes got on the board first as midfielder Shea Salinas kicked the ball into the net to beat Republic FC goalkeeper Evan Newton for a 1-0 lead at the 14th minute.

Earthquakes forward Marco Urena made an excellent kick from the ground for a potential goal, but the Republic FC defense was strong and held the home team to just one goal in the first half.

Shots were 11-3 in favor of the Earthquakes, who took a 1-0 lead into the locker room. Earthquakes defender Victor Bernardez was handed a caution at the 48th minute. As a result, three minutes of stoppage time were added to the first half.

The Earthquakes made a halftime substitution as Salinas was replaced by Jahmir Hyka.

Earthquakes midfielder Anibal Godoy received a yellow card for a hand ball in the box at the 53rd minute. Republic FC was awarded the penalty kick.

Republic FC forward Sammy Ochoa converted on the penalty kick to tie the score 1-1 just one minute later.

Earthquakes midfielder Simon Dawkins picked up a pass from Darwin Ceren and made an impressive kick at the 66th minute to give his team a 2-1 lead.

In his first 35 minutes with the Earthquakes, Hyka blasted a shot past Newton to extend San Jose’s lead to 3-1 at the 79th minute.

“I think it was a good pass to me,” Hyka said when asked about his goal. “I don’t know who he was passing to, but the pass from him to me was very good.”

Hyka added that it was nice to score in his MLS debut at Avaya Stadium.

Earthquakes forward Danny Hoesen expanded San Jose’s lead to 4-1 at the 90th minute.

The Earthquakes concluded the preseason with a 4-1 win over Republic FC.

“It really gives a good boost,” Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear said when asked how the substitutions helped the team’s offense in the second half. “I think we brought in Jahmir (Hyka), Danny (Hoesen) and Cordell (Cato) to stretch the field. I think Sacramento (Republic FC) got a little tired towards the end of the game and it really opened the game and we took advantage of that.”

The Earthquakes kick off the 2017 Major League Soccer season next Saturday as they host the Montreal Impact at 6:45 p.m. PST on CSNBA.

 

 

 

mismultiplex.com file photo: The San Jose Earthquakes Tommy Thompson scored the game’s only goal against their MLS affiliate Reno 1868 on Saturday afternoon

by London Marq

It’s an exciting time to be alive if you are a soccer fan in Reno, Nevada. The United Soccer League’s Reno 1868 FC had their inaugural match this Saturday against their MLS affiliate, the San Jose Earthquakes.

It was a better match than expected as both teams were competitive throughout the 90 minutes.

This exhibition game allowed the San Jose training staff and even the fans to get a better look at rookie Tommy Thompson. Thompson was looking to get the career highlight reel started early. Not only did he score the go-ahead goal (that would prove to be decisive), but his tally came off a astonishing heel hick, in traffic no less. The ball flew past the diving keeper and into the bottom left corner of the goal. The rookie Thompson looked supremely confident as the San Jose Earthquakes would hold onto the lead, winning the game ultimately 1 – 0

This game was more than a friendly exhibition game, however. It was the start of something new in Reno, Nevada. As the inaugural season for newly founded Reno 1868 FC continues, another chapter is being written into the legacy of American Soccer. Where it will take us, only time will tell.

 

~ Photo from San Jose Earthquakes’ Twitter

~ February 11, 2017

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ One of the San Jose Earthquakes’ pickups brought home the California Clasico Cup Vegas style, in a 1-0 win over Los Angeles Saturday.

Like a regular Goonie, in the 89th minute, Garcia got the ball past keeper Clement Diop after he made a save on Tommy Thompson’s try. Garcia got his first goal after joining the team 12/13/16. Real Salt Lake made him available for the Expansion Draft.

The 2017 inaugural rivalry took place before 4,000 fans.

San Jose made eight subs in the second half spread out four different times, as they continued their undefeated preseason (4-0-1). The Galaxy made eleven, with a pair and then nine at once.

It was Los Angeles’ first loss (0-1-1).

Game notes: Last year, it was the Galaxy with the 1-0 preseason win. The Quakes continue training when they face the Reno 1868 FC next Saturday at 12:30pm. It will take place in Reno, a first for a major league team there.

October 16, 2016 file photo: San Jose Earthquakes Midfielder Cordell Cato (7) who scored San Jose’s lone goal on Tue Feb 7, 2017’s game against the Seattle Sounders Tucson is seen in this file photo as he drives a ball into the box during the Major League Soccer game between the Vancouver Whitecaps and the San Jose Earthquakes at Avaya stadium in San Jose, CA. (Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire) (Icon Sportswire via AP Images)

By: Eric He

The San Jose Earthquakes wrapped their preseason winning three of four games to head into the regular season on a strong note. On Tuesday, they defeated Seattle Sounders FC 1-0 in Tucson.

Cordell Cato scored the lone goal of the match, beating the goaltender with his left foot in the 57th minute. The assists went to Marcos Ureña and Jackson Yueill.

Both teams had strong chances throughout the match, but the Quakes held off the Sounders’ attempts to equalize.

Forward Danny Hoesen and defender Florian Jungwirth debuted for San Jose in the match.

The Earthquakes will now head back to San Jose, where they begin regular season play on Mar. 4 against Montreal.

sjearthquakes.com photo: Chris Wondolowski who scored the tying goal for San Jose against Real Salt Lake FC on Friday night in Tucson AZ

The Wonder Kid Shines in Pre-Season Play

By Barbara Mason

The San Jose Earthquakes took on Real Salt Lake in an early pre-season match-up Friday morning in Tucson, Arizona. The game ended in a draw 1-1 when Chris Wondolowski scored his first goal of the pre-season keeping San Jose undefeated through two matches taking place in the desert. Wondolowski will no doubt be at the top of his game as they head into the 2017 season.

The Quakes gave up a goal 16 minutes into the game giving Real Salt Lake the lead 1-0. San Jose leveled the game soon after for the tie game. Wondolowski got loose unmarked at the top of the penalty area as he was able to curl the ball into the side netting to tie up the game 1-1.

Goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell and defender Nick Lima each played the full 90 minutes in the draw. San Jose will next take on the Seattle Sounders at Kino Sports Complex on Tuesday February 7th at 9:30am PT in another pre-season match-up looking to remain undefeated.

~ Photo credit: San Jose Earthquakes Twitter

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ The San Jose Earthquakes’ Tommy Thompson scored in the final minute for a 1-0 edge over Sporting Kansas City Tuesday morning in Tucson, Arizona.

It was the Quakes’ second straight postseason win and shutout. This was their first taste of MLS action though.

Thompson now has two goals through two games. Him playing a full game, he was the only one, paid off especially this match.

Sporting Kansas City played 30 players in the game, separating them out. San Jose played 21 players amidst the regular first and second half.

Game notes: The Quakes play the second of three in Tucson Friday, facing Real Salt Lake at 10am.

 

by London Marq sjearthquakes.com photo: It was a sparse crowd during the last San Jose Earthquakes home game of 2016 against the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps at Avaya Stadium on Sunday afternoon SAN JOSE–It was a dreary, rain soaked afternoon when the San Jose Earthquakes hosted the Vancouver Whitecaps at Avaya Stadium this Sunday. Both teams entered play battling for nothing more than pride, as both were eliminated from playoff contention earlier this season. The game was dominated in possession by the Earthquakes, but in the end, their finishing left more to be desired. San Jose controlled just under 60% of possession and amassed 18 shots on goal. 12 of them from inside the box, 7 of them on target. They were in sync as a unit and the ball movement was excellent. The Quakes were just shy of 500 passes total with 490 in the match. It was indicative of their season that they were held scoreless, as they failed to capitalize on more than a few excellent opportunities to bulge the net. Vancouver was only ever second best and never had any lasting momentum in the match offensively. The Whitecaps conceded 18 fouls on the day and managed only 40% of possession. Their defense should be commended, as they were constantly under pressure from crosses into the box that never seem to find there intended target. They walk away with a draw that probably feel more like a win. Final Score: Vancouver 0 San Jose 0 The season concludes next Sunday as the Earthquakes travel to Kansas City to face Sporting Kansas City for a 1:00PM kick off  Pearl Lo will have the post game coverage right here at http://www.sportsradioservice.com London Marq is a radio talk show host at KWDC at facebook.com/LondonMarqRadio

By: Joe Lami

photo by sjearthquakes.com: They battled they tussled but the San Jose Earthquakes came up a goal and three points short in their loss to Sporting KC at Avaya Stadium on Saturday

SAN JOSE, Calif.–On the same night three MLS team stamped their ticket to the playoffs, the San Jose Earthquakes stubs were torn to shreds by Sporting KC in a 2-1 loss. Dropping three important points for San Jose makes their playoffs dreams extremely bleak with just five games remaining in the season.

The Quakes nightmare started early, as star striker Quincy Amarikwa went down in the opening minute after a mid-air collision with KC keeper, Tim Melia. After reviewing the replay, it appeared that Amarikwa sustained a brutal knee injury that will likely put him out until next summer. Quakes’ head coach, Dominic Kinnear confirmed that Quincy will undergo the proper scans on Sunday.

After Amarkiwa was finally stretchered off the pitch, Sporting added insult to injury burring a goal in the seventh minute. Dom Dwyer found the back of the net heading home a set piece after he spilt between three different Quakes defenders that failed to pick up the assignment.

Kansas City’s second goal also came on a set piece, as Kevin Ellis backheeled a corner kick for the game-winner. Kinnear mentioned the importance of the set piece and how they have not been up to Earthquakes’ standards.

San Jose’s lone goal came from Simon Dawkins, who hit a near empty net after beautiful footwork from Henok Goitom, who picked up his first assist in an Earthquakes kit. Goitom mentioned that the team has to take it one match at a time, “and if you’re thinking about the playoffs, you’re looking too far ahead”.

San Jose has two games remaining at Avaya Stadium, and it is unknown at this time whether or not the Ultras will be making a return this season, as the protested the game on Saturday night due to sanctions placed on them after incidents involving smoke bombs at the September 10th home game.

If the Ultras decide not to support their local team, Avaya Stadium definitely has the potential of being dead silent for the final two games of the 2016 campaign after Saturday night’s near elimination.