Category: MLS

San Jose Earthquakes Friday post game wrap: Opportunity missed for Quakes in 2-1 loss

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Opportunity Missed For Earthquakes                          

By Barbara Mason
sjearthquakes. com photo: Victor Bernandez finds the inside of the net for the San Jose Earthquakes first and only goal of Friday night against the Houston Dynamos at Avaya Stadium in San Jose
 
SAN JOSE–Under smokey skies the San Jose Earthquakes took on the last place Houston Dynamo Friday night in an effort to seize hold of sixth place in the Western MLS standings.  Houston has lost or tied their last 6 games and San Jose at the moment is on the outside looking in when it comes to playoff hopes.  A win tonight coupled with a Portland loss would put San Jose into 6th place.  Portland, which has struggled with away games, is on the road against Seattle this Sunday.
 
It has been tough of late for the Quakes who had played to six draws in their previous 11 road matches.  San Jose was able to beat Vancouver 2-1 last Friday which may get them back on the winning track especially since road wins are so very difficult.  With the Quakes one point behind Portland for a coveted playoff spot the momentum of that Vancouver win may be just what the team needs.  “We are poised to do well in this run to the playoffs,” said forward Quincy Amarikwa.  The Earthquakes are 5-3-1 all-time at home against the last-place Dynamos.  
 
It was a tough start for San Jose missing a nice set-up and then watching as Houston drove downfield scoring the first goal of the evening taking the early lead 1-0 when #6 Ricardo Clark scored.  Late in the first half the Earthquakes had a direct free-kick, missing on the attempt that could have tied up the game.  Houston would take the 1-0 lead into the locker room at the half.  Although San Jose created three chances they only took one shot on target.
 
The second half saw San Jose with several great scoring opportunities but coming away empty.  Houston took full advantage creating a great chance early in the second half that enabled #50 David Horst to extend the Houston lead to 2-0.  The Earthquakes kept the pressure on Houston and finally found the net off the foot of #5 Victor Bernandez San Jose now trailing 2-1.  The second half saw more possession time for the Earthquakes and the creation of more scoring opportunities but there would be no further scoring for either team as Houston went on to win the game 2-1.
 
Head Coach Dominic Kinnear was disappointed at the outcome of this game.  “I’m disappointed, we had a lot of chances but it just didn’t happen,” said Kinnear.  He referred a number of times to the lost opportunity to catch Portland but did give credit to Houston despite the fact that they are last in the conference.  “They are a good team and work well together,” he said.  
 
While it was not the end all be all for the Earthquakes a win would have been pretty nice and was essentially expected especially playing at Avaya.  The most disappointing of all was the fact that this was only the second loss at home for the team.  
 
 
          
 
 
 
       
 
 
 
 

Earthquakes draw 1-1 with Dynamo on the road

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By: Eric He

sjearthquakes.com photo: San Jose Earthquakes Chris Wondolowski who scored in the 59th minute to help force a draw was the game hero on Sunday in Houston

Chris Wondolowski’s second half goal was good enough to force a 1-1 draw for the San Jose Earthquakes on the road against the Houston Dynamo on Sunday night.

Down 1-0 in the 59th minute, Wondolowski found room in front off a cross from Cordell Cato, and he deflected it in to even the match. It was the captain’s 118th career goal and also marked an important milestone — Wondolowski has now scored against all 21 MLS teams he’s played against. His career actually started with the Dynamo before joining the Earthquakes.

“It’s kind of cool,” Wondolowski said on the accomplishment. “It is special. Houston has always had a special place in my heart and I really spent some great years here. It took a little while but it’s a great feeling.”

He almost had two goals on the night, but his chance from close range late in the first half was denied by Dynamo goalie Joe Willis. Instead, it was Houston which struck first in stoppage time, courtesy of Alex. The Brazilian forward zig-zagged his way around the Quakes’ defense and beat David Bingham to put the Dynamo ahead 1-0.

Opportunities were abound for both teams late to take a 2-1 lead, but the goaltenders stood tall. Simon Dawkins’ try from the left of the box was pushed aside by Willis in the 70th minute. Bingham came up huge in the 90th minute, stopping a free-kick attempt from Cristián Maidana that was headed by Andrew Wenger in on goal.

“We had some real good looks in the second half,” Quakes’ head coach Dominic Kinnear said. “Obviously they were taking control in the last little bit and we were kind of running on fumes there but that goal gave us some real good confidence. We had some real good looks to put up 2-1.”

San Jose outshot Houston 15-13, with shots on target even at three apiece, though the Dynamo controlled nearly 60 percent of the possession.

This is the Earthquakes’ ninth tie of the season, and they remain winless on the road at 0-5-6. They are still eighth in the West, and will face New York City FC at Avaya Stadium next on Friday.

ICC Comes to Levi’s Stadium as International Powerhouses Collide

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By Matthew T.F. Harrington

the guardian.com photo: Liverpool’s Divock Origi celebrates after scoring with teammate in win over Milan at Levis Stadium on Saturday night

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Liverpool Football Club topped Associazione Calcio Milan 2-0  in Saturday night’s International Champions Cup at Levi’s Stadium. After a nil-nil first half, the Premier League side rode a 59th minute goal Man of the Match Divok Origi to beat its Serie A foe. Roberto Firmino also scored for the Reds in their second fixture in the States following a 1-0 loss to Chelsea at the Rose Bowl Thursday.

Liverpool, looking to prep for a rebound in Premier league play after ranking eighth on the table last season, dominated play with its pass-heavy offense forcing the pace. Despite the technical advantage, neither the Reds nor Milan couldn’t create enough offensive rhythm to find the back of the net until the second half.

Origi came on in the 46th minute for striker and star Daniel Sturridge. The 21-year-old Belgian, starting his second season with Liverpool after stealing the occasional start from Sturridge, proved his worth by opening the scoring in the 59th minute. Origi took Alberto Moreno’s feed from the left wing and bent it perfectly inside the far post.

Origi’s strike opened the floodgates for the Reds, with Firmino finishing off a beautiful strike in the 73rd minute. The confident Brazilian slid to tap in a ball redirected to him, finish his goal by striking a leisurely pose in celebration. Sheyi Ojo slid the pass that was directed back to Firmino for the doubling goal.

While the win gave Liverpool its first ICC win, Milan was coming off a 8-6 shootout win over Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga. Manager Vincenzo Montella wasn’t distressed over the loss in his first season at the helm of AC Milan, but instead hopes it helps the once-mighty Rossoneri prepare for the Serie A season starting August 21st. Milan finished seventh in the Serie A table and have struggled to match clubs like Juventus during the transfer window.

Milan takes a stab at Chelsea August 3rd in Minneapolis while Liverpool wraps up its ICC run by returning to England for a meeting with FC Barcelona on the 6th. Before that though, they’ll face AS Roma Tuesday in St. Louis. The Premier League kicks off for the Reds on August 14th, with Arsenal welcoming Liverpool to Emirates Stadium.

Top International Clubs Fail to Draw a Crowd

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By: Joe Lami

goal.com photo: Liverpool’s Divock Origi scored early in the match against Milan as Liverpool won in a shutout 2-0

SANTA CLARA, Calif.—For the fourth straight year, the Bay Area was treated to the annual International Champions’ Cup showcasing some of Europe’s top soccer clubs. This year, AC Milan and Liverpool took the pitch at Levi’s Stadium for a pre-season, in which the Reds shutout the Italian side 2-nil.

With two of some of the oldest and most well-known clubs in the world battling, one would awesome a sold out crowd filled with soccer crazies getting a chance to see teams they only dream of in person. However, Saturday’s draw was not the case, as only 30,758 fans were in attendance; marking one of the worst attended events to date at Levi’s since its opening two years ago.

With a capacity of 68,500, the International Champions’ Cup didn’t even fill half the capacity of the Super Bowl 50 site. To put that into perspective, Levi’s Stadium had completely closed it’s upper deck to fans and were only utilizing the lower two tiers for the matchup. Saturday must’ve been a huge disappointment compared to last year for Relevant Sports, the organizing partner of the tournament. Last year, the International Champions Cup made multiple stops in the Bay Area, including a sold out Levi’s for a matchup between Barcelona and Manchester United.

Relevant Sports renewed a ticketing partnership with Vivid Seats earlier this year, stating “Last year’s International Champions Cup had the most sell-outs in our history, and we expect even more this year.” However, this year is not off to a great start, as many of the match-ups have been poorly attended throughout the country.

The poor attendance didn’t disappoint the managers of the expected clubs either, as both Vincenzo Montella and Jürgen Klopp love the chance to showcase their teams in front of fans around the world.

Saturday’s matchup was the only one scheduled in the Bay Area for the 2016 cup.

Categories MLS

MLS All-Stars fall to Arsenal in competitive friendly

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Chris Wondolowski missed a potential game-winning goal in the MLS All-Star game on Thursday (Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
Chris Wondolowski missed a potential game-winning goal in the MLS All-Star game on Thursday (Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

By: Eric He

SAN JOSE — In the spirit of All-Star games in the United States, the MLS version is perhaps treated the least like an All-Star game.

Indeed, the 2-1 score at Avaya Stadium on Thursday night was filled with the spirit of competition as Arsenal FC took down the MLS All-Stars. Though billed as a “friendly” with both teams subbing at will, there was no slacking on defense , attempts at trickeration or lackadaisical efforts — just the best of MLS trying to beat a premier European club.

They came up three minutes and one goal short. In the 87th minute, Arsenal’s Chuba Akpom tapped home the game-winner off a centering feed by Nacho Monreal.

“We train with each other day so I knew what Nacho (Monreal) was going to do,” Akpom said. “I knew what he was looking at. I just tried my best to anticipate where he was going to go and thankfully I found a bit of space and it was there.”

The goal came at the expense of San Jose Earthquakes’ goaltender Ryan Bingham, who played the second half.

Another Quake, Chris Wondolowski, checked in in the 73rd minute along with Clint Dempsey with the game tied 1-1, and had a glorious opportunity to give the MLS All-Stars a late lead, but his right-footed shot from in close sailed just high.

“I got too steep on (the ball) and tried to come across my body and get the goalkeeper, but I wasn’t able to get on top of it,” Wondolowski said. “That’s part of the game.”

Both teams traded chances late, and it seemed like it would only be a matter of time before someone broke the tie — and it was.

While his team didn’t get the win, MLS All-Stars head coach Dominic Kinnear — also the Earthquakes’ head coach — was thrilled to soak in the atmosphere along with two of his players.

“Really happy, being local as I am. Really fun to represent the MLS in this fashion in an area that I know ever so well,” Kinnear said. “And for (Wondolowski) and (Bingham) to get a chance – for Chris, his story just seems to be getting better and better and I think David’s inclusion to the team was well deserved.”

Arsenal took an early lead on a penalty kick goal by Joel Campbell, who drew the call after a run into the box and he was interfered with by Laurent Ciman. Campbell buried the shot just past the dive of goaltender Andre Blake.

MLS had a great chance early on as Andrea Pirlo delivered a great ball on a long pass right onto the foot of Giovani dos Santos, but dos Santos was denied by Arsenal goaltender Peter Cech.

The MLS All-Stars evened the game right before halftime in stoppage time of the first half as Didier Drogba took advantage of three point blank opportunities off a turnover to beat his former teammate in Cech. Though his first two chances were denied by Cech and then an Arsenal defender, Drogba slid his third try into the back of the net.

While playing for Chelsea with Cech, Drogba scored 13 goals in 15 appearances against Arsenal.

“I will have fun with (Cech) because I scored, but he already killed me, he said, ‘This time I gave you the goal.’” Drogba joked.

Out of the half, MLS had a prime opportunity to jump ahead, as Sebastian Giovnico’s bid from the box came hard at Cech, who dove to fight it off.

And Arsenal was able to fend off a talented and focused MLS group, once that impressed their manager, Arsene Wegner.

“The MLS team was exceptional,” he said. “Exceptionally strong. Look at the results for the MLS All-Star Games made in the recent years. In the last four years, they won three times. When I looked at the players on the team sheet I thought that could be a very difficult game for us, and it was.”

To wit: shots in the game were even, 15 apiece. Possession went to Arsenal, but just by a slim 52-48 margin. Kinnear lauded the talent of the MLS roster, joking to his players that “if you ever run into trouble, just pass it to a guy who’s won a Champions League or a World Cup or a World Footballer of the Year, and you’ll be in good shape.”

“The sky’s the limit really,” Kinnear said on the state of MLS. “I think you’re seeing not only the emergence of young players, but the names and the talent that are coming over here.”

For Wondolowski, the experience of suiting up in his home stadium for a primetime match such as an All-Star game was memorable.

“It still gives me goose bumps,” he said. “It’s amazing to be a part of that. I love these fans and I think it’s a mutual love and respect. I enjoyed it.”

Quakes draw with Real Salt Lake on the road

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By: Eric He

sjearthquakes.com photo by Quakes team president David Kaval:  San Jose Earthquakes in Real Salt Lake on Friday

The San Jose Earthquakes couldn’t hang on to a one-goal lead as their match against Real Salt Lake on Friday night ended in a 1-1 draw.

Chris Wondolowski scored in the ninth minute to give the Quakes an early lead, but Luke Mulholland equalized in the 64th minute. Both teams had chances in the final third of the match to break the tie, thought neither was able to convert.

Real Salt Lake outshot San Jose 14-12 and held the majority of possession. Mulholland’s goal was a thing of beauty, as he converted off a clever lob pass by Javier Morales.

The goal answered Wondolowski’s strike from close range, finding the loose ball off a corner kick and converting past the goalkeeper.

Shea Salinas banged a shot off the crossbar in the 80th minute, as the Quakes’ best chance to re-take the lead came up inches high. Goaltender David Bingham and the Quakes’ defense stood their ground to salvage a draw.

San Jose is still without a road win this year and remains outside the playoff picture in the West at 26 points. Next up, the Quakes take on Houston on the road on July 31.

Earthquakes blanked at home by FC Dallas as winless streak continues

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The Earthquakes dropped their first home match all year on Friday against FC Dallas (Kelley L Cox / USA Today Sports)
The Earthquakes dropped their first home match all year on Friday against FC Dallas (Kelley L Cox / USA Today Sports)

By: Eric He

SAN JOSE – The San Jose Earthquakes’ winless streak reached seven matches on Friday night with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of FC Dallas at Avaya Stadium.

The away team scored the match’s lone goal in the 51st minute off the foot of Maximiliano Urruti, who delivered a bicycle-kick strike to put FC Dallas ahead six minutes into the second half.

The Quakes had their chances in the match, outshooting Dallas 12-7, but were unable to capitalize and find the equalizer. A ball put in the net in the 68th minute was waved off due to goaltender interference. Matias Perez Garcia’s long-range shot in the 70th minute skipped all the way through, but went wide.

“When we were down 1-0, our whole focus was to get that equalizer until the final whistle because we thought we were going to get [it],” midfielder Anibal Godoy said, via a translator. “We’ve done it over the last couple of games, especially at home. But it didn’t work out for us.”

A quality chance for Simon Dawkins 12 minutes later from the left was turned aside by FC Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz. And Perez Garcia’s poor ball handling despite having room at midfield in the 89th minute was all she wrote for the Quakes, who have been shutout in back-to-back matches.

“Right now we’re just not scoring enough goals,” head coach Dominic Kinnear said. “We’re playing from behind. It’s easier said than done to go out there and get the first goal. It’s a frustrating period for us right now. We’re a little bit disappointed in ourselves.”

The first half featured plenty of action but no goals. Urruti, the forward who had the bulk of the opportunities for FC Dallas, nearly put his club ahead in the 19th minute when he broke in alone, but Quakes’ goaltender David Bingham deflected it just enough to glance off the crossbar.

San Jose was inches away as well. A free kick by Godoy in the 32nd minute clanked off the post. Ten minutes later, Shea Salinas received a cross at point-blank range but his attempt was denied by Seitz. A header by Quincy Amarikwa on the ensuing corner kick sailed just high.

“This game we had a lot of chances,” Salinas said. “We hit the post. We had a bunch of other times where we were in on goal and it just wasn’t falling our way.”

The two teams went into halftime scoreless, but it didn’t take long for FC Dallas to seize control out of the break.

“We knew they were good in the counterattack and lost the ball in the middle of the field in the counterattack and they scored on us,” Salinas said on Urruti’s goal, which was set up on the rush by a long centering feed that was knocked down, deflected off Quakes’ defender Victor Bernardez, and right to Urruti, who timed his bicycle kick perfectly.

San Jose out-possessed FC Dallas, 54.2 percent to 45.8, and had eight corner kicks to FC Dallas’ five. But it wasn’t enough to get on the scoresheet.

“It’s getting that goal,” Kinnear said. “We’re lacking goals right now. To win games we need to score.”

This is the Quakes’ first loss in Avaya Stadium in 2016; the last defeat came in September of last year. It came at a bad time too, with the team looking to break out of a stale stretch of winless matches and stay afloat in the playoff picture. The Quakes remain at 22 points and eighth in the Western Conference; with a win, they would have been tied for fifth.

“We’re missing opportunities here,” Kinnear said. “Other teams have something to say about it, but we’re good enough to take these opportunities presented for us and put pressure on other teams.”

He added: “Things aren’t falling for us right now but that doesn’t mean we give up; we work harder.”

Next up, San Jose takes on Toronto FC a week from Saturday at home.

Earthquakes Fall to Fire In Chicago

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By Ben Leonard

photo by sjearthquakes.com: The Quakes take a tough loss in Chicago to the Fire 1-0

With five defenders injured, the San Jose Earthquakes (5-5-7) fell to the Chicago Fire (3-5-7) 1-0 on a goal by Joao Meira in the 38th minute. Even with the win on Friday, Chicago remained in the Eastern Conference’s cellar.

“We didn’t play good, simple as that,” Earthquakes coach Dominic Kinnear said Friday. “We just kept giving the ball away; it wasn’t like we were under a tremendous amount of pressure. We just didn’t play good.”

San Jose was outplayed and out-shot 16-6 (7-2 on goal) by Chicago, a team that had been last in the East in goals scored this season (15). Down several key regulars, the defense struggled to compete with the Fire, but kept the team in the game.

This wasn’t by any means unpredictable: the results simply haven’t been coming on the road for San Jose.With the loss, San Jose is left still in search of its first road win, going 0-5-4 in enemy territory this season. However, Kinnear isn’t too worried about being away from the friendly confines of Avaya Stadium going forward.

“I think the overall performances of the team is more important than the stadium we play in,” Kinnear said. “Saying that, I know we are good enough to win a game on the road, we need to stop giving up the first goal and coming from behind. Sometimes we need a little bit of magic and things to go our way and we’re not getting those right now.”

The defense hasn’t necessarily been the main issue for the Earthquakes — opponents have scored multiple times in just five of the Earthquakes last seventeen contests.

San Jose will look to rebound at home in their next contest, taking on FC Dallas (9-5-4) on Friday.

 

Fireworks at the California Clasico

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By: Joe Lami

photo from sjearthquakes.com: Promo for MLS Classico at Stanford Stadium on Saturday between the San Jose Earthquakes and the Los Angeles Galaxy

PALO ALTO, Calif.—The California Clasico never disappoints and 2016’s episode adds another great chapter to the historic rivalry between the San Jose Earthquakes and the Los Angeles Galaxy. The game that really saw everything, between great chances, red cards, and nearly all of the 50,816 fans in attendance yelling homophobic slurs ended in a 1-1 draw, thanks to some late heroics by the never-say-die Quakes.

The fans at Stanford Stadium truly saw fireworks on the pitch Saturday evening, right before one of the largest annual Bay Area firework displays lit up the Palo Alto sky.

San Jose had their mojo early, despite losing center back, Victor Bernardez to a right leg injury in just the seventh minute. Forward, Chad Barrett replaced him, changing the formation with the substitution. Barrett ended up being a vital piece for the Quakes, creating some great chances and knocking home the only San Jose goal of the evening in 90th minute.

The first half ended with no score, although San Jose had 12 of their 23 shot attempts.

Los Angeles scored first, netting home a header in the 69th minute. Steven Gerrard floated a cross from the right side into the middle of the box to find a wide open Giovani dos Santos for the 1-0 lead.

“I thought it was a really soft goal to give up. The ball was in the air a really long time,” said Earthquakes’ coach Dominic Kinnear.

Shea Salinas came in the 62 minute for San Jose, subbing Matias Perez Garcia and ended up being the difference maker. The guy known for his beautiful crosses had been working his magic, and it finally paid off in the 90th minute on a set piece when he found the head of Barett for the late equalizer. Barrett jumped high above the Galaxy defense and headed a one-bouncer past keeper, Brian Rowe for the score.

On military appreciation night, the pitch turned into a war-zone towards the end of the contest, as he nastiness reigned down, finishing with Ashley Cole receiving a red card for unsportsmanlike conduct just before the final whistle blew. LA coach, Bruce Arena, commented on the officiating, “if the officials look at that last 15 minutes of that game, they’d be very disappointed in their performance. That was a poor display.”

San Jose is content with the outcome, as they feel like they did enough to win the contest, but are also happy getting a point of it as well. Both San Jose and Los Angeles are battling for playoff position in the Western Conference. LA currently is one point up on San Jose in the standings. Each team has played 16 games.

Quakes lose first U.S. Open Cup versus Timbers

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~ Photo by Eric Cech

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ Both teams returning from the two week international break and their last matchup with each other, San Jose was eliminated in the 4th round of the Open Cup, with a 2-0 win by Portland Tuesday.

This was the third overall Open Cup matchup between the teams, all of them played in Portland. All had one side going scoreless.

Shots were almost even 10-9, but the Quakes had no shots on target compared to seven for the Timbers.

After being ejected last game, Portland’s Dairon Asprilla, who had the first goal, had four shots, with a season-high three on target.

The first goal was a questionable goal in the 34th minute. Jack Barmby sent a ball to Jack McInerney, who only got a touch on it. Matheus Silva’s slide to save then went off goalie Bryan Meredith and to Asprilla. What made the goal questionable was that while the ball made its way to the net, McInerney was behind Meredith and as Meredith missed and then made another attempt, it could be argued that McInerney prevented Meredith from making the save.

For the second goal, a hand ball by Silva set up a free kick. McInerney’s teammate then faked a kick right before McInerney made sure at least one of his team’s goals were not in doubt, as he sent the ball above the wall past Meredith in the 40th minute.

San Jose started having more possession in the 55th thru 70th minutes.

The Quakes’ Marvell Wynne stopped a breakaway by Neco Brett in the 91st minute.

Game notes: It was the Timbers’ second straight clean sheet in as many games. San Jose has now been shut out their past three games. Meredith made a season-high five saves. A bright spot for the Quakes: for the first time since Week Two, Clarence Goodson was seen on the bench. San Jose will return to MLS play again Saturday when they face Orlando City SC at 4:30pm.  In case you didn’t notice, @ for #PORvSJ, first time in the 18 since Week 2 #quakes74 #usoc