Category: San Jose Earthquakes

Wondo rewrites the history book in Earthquakes’ 4-1 win over Fire

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by Marko Ukalovic

San Jose, Calif- Move over Landon Donovan! The Wondo Watch is finally over thanks to a career game from captain Chris Wondoloski. The Danville native, making his first start since March 30th, scored four goals to become the MLS all-time career goals leader with 148. It paved the way for the San Jose Earthquakes dominating 4-1 victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday afternoon at Avaya Stadium.

San Jose (3-6-2) drew first blood thanks to a great play by Shae Salinas in the 21st minute. Salinas dribbled in from the left wing and sent a low centering pass to a wide open Chris Wondolowski from five yards out and Wondo cashed it in with a one-timer off his right foot into the back post for his first goal of the season tying former Quake Landon Donovan at 145.

“It’s a culmination of a lot of hard work by Wondo”, said Salinas. “He’s been my teammate longer than anybody (I’ve played with) and I’ve been his teammate longer than anybody. It’s an honor to be apart of what he’s done. He’s an incredible goal scorer.”

Chicago (4-4-4) had two good chances to even the score within four minutes of each other. In the 24th minute the ball caromed off a deflection over to Nemanja Nikolic who was wide open in the center of the box but Quakes goalkeeper Daniel Vega made a diving save with his legs to keep Chicago’s leading goal scorer off the scoreboard. Then in the 28th minute, a free kick attempt Aleksandar Katai from just outside the box was stopped by Vega.

History was made in the 48th minute when a centering cross by Christian Espinoza was dropped by Fire goalkeeper David Ousted that landed right on to the foot of Wondo who chipped the ball past Ousted for the record breaking 146th career goal.

“It’s crazy”, said the all-time leading goal scorer in MLS history. “I love visualization. I’d always pictured hitting a 30 yard blast going up the 90. Didn’t really picture the goalie dropping it and tapping it in.”

Wondo scored the hat trick in the 74th minute when Espinoza led a rush down the right slot. He was tripped up but referee Alex Chillowicz allowed the Quakes to play the advantage and the ball found its way to a wide open Wondolowski who fired the ball into the upper left corner for goal #147.

“Honestly I’m just having fun right now”, said Wondo. “It’s really rejuinating and has just reignited this passion (I have playing soccer). I’m really having fun now.”

Wondo wasn’t done as four minutes laters he added to his all-time total when Jackson Yueill centered a ball from the right over to the left to a once again wide open Wondolowski who tapped into the goal into an empty net sending the crowd into a frenzy for goal #148.

Chicago scored a late goal in the 83rd minute when a shot by Katai deflected off a body that changed direction on Vega and into the back of the net for Katai’s third goal of the season.

“I can say it (now) because it’s going to seem odd to you guys”, Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda said jokingly. “But when I was speaking to my coaching staff today (before the game), I said maybe he’ll score four goals today.”

Wondo was substituted in the 90th minute to a standing ovataion from the Avaya Stadium faithful.

GAME NOTES: The Quakes have won four consecutive home games this season.

Forward Danny Hoesen suffered an injury yesterday that prevented him from playing in the game which cleared the way for Wondo to start.

Chicago had their two game winning streak snapped after back-to-back wins for the first time in two years after wins over the New England and Minnesota. It also snapped the Fire’s three game winning streak against the Quakes. San Jose leads the overall series 9-6-5.

A video message from Donovan was played at the 90th minute congratulating Wondolowski’s accomplishment.

Johan Kappelhof was issued a yellow card in the 41st minute on a tackle he made on Magnus Eriksson. Espinoza was issued his own yellow card in the 54th minute. Then Jorge Corrales received a yellow card in the 63rd minute. Katai received a yellow card at the end of the match.

Fire midfielder Nicholas Gaitan did not play due to a thigh injury.

UP NEXT: The Quakes travel north of the border to take on Toronto FC on Sunday 5/26 at 4:30pm at BMO Field.

 

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu: Quakes move up in MLS power rankings

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

On the San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana:

1. The Quakes moved up 12 spots in the MLS power rankings from Opening Night.

2. Quakes defender Nick Lima was recognized for his performance vs. FC Cincinnati on May 4.

3. The Quakes tweeted a photo of head coach Matias Almeyda and assistant coach Benjamin Galindo on Teacher Appreciation Day. Was that really necessary?

4. The San Jose Earthquakes Foundation partnered with the Spartan East Side Promise for the second year in a row.

5. Quakes midfielder Shea Salinas was named April’s Innovator of the Month presented by Audi.

Ana does the San Jose Earthquakes podcast each week for SportsRadioService.com

Headline Sports podcast with London Marq: Warriors make easy work of Blazers; Raptors-Bucks series feels almost like NBA Finals itself; plus more

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nba.com photo: Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry (30) drives the lane against the Portland Trail Blazers defense in Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Finals last Tuesday night at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

On the Headline Sports podcast with London:

#1 The Golden State Warriors head into Game 2 Thursday night at Oracle Arena after coming away with a 116-94 win over the Portland Trailblazers. Is the 22-point win an indication of where the Warriors are in this series?

#2 You talk about the best versus the best. The Toronto Raptors with Kawhi Leonard and the Milwaukee Bucks with Giannis Antetokounmpo. It’s a series that very well could go seven games.

#3 The San Jose Sharks and the St. Louis Blues, who were a tough pick on who wins this series, are all tied up. The Sharks, who opened with home ice, set the tone with a three-goal 6-3 win in Game 1, lost Game 2 in a 3-2 squeaker that had the Sharks trying to figure out the Blues all night. Game 3 Wednesday night in St. Louis will prove no different as these teams are expected to provide a close contest and an unpredictable game.

#4 The San Jose Earthquakes host the Chicago Fire at Avaya Stadium this Saturday. The Quakes are coming off a 3-1 loss last Saturday in New England to the Revolution, but were undefeated previous to that in four games with two wins and two ties. The Quakes are ninth in the West with three wins, six loses and two draws. For the Fire, they are eighth in the East with four wins, four loses, and four draws.

#5 In baseball, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Julio Urias was arrested and put on administrative leave for domestic abuse. Urias was arrested at a Los Angeles parking lot at a shopping mall. Details of what happened were not forthcoming, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said no matter this is not the ideal situation.

London Marq does Headline Sports each Wednesday at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Earthquakes lose to Revolution 3-1

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose Earthquakes looked to make it two wins in a row in Gillette Stadium against the New England Revolution on Saturday.

The Quakes’ starting lineup featured Daniel Vega, Nick Lima, Florian Jungwirth, Harold Cummings, Tommy Thompson, Anibal Godoy, Jackson Yueill, Eric Calvillo, Magnus Eriksson, Shea Salinas, and Danny Hoesen.

Shea Salinas made his 250th Quakes appearance. Salinas currently serves as the Quakes captain. Former Quakes captain Chris Wondolowski, one of the Quakes’ highest-paid players, was benched in favor of Salinas.

The Revolution got on the board first. Juan Agudelo scored the game’s first goal in the 18th minute.

The Revolution doubled their lead in the 29th minute. Cristian Penilla struck the game’s second goal from the spot.

Shortly after, the officials called a penalty on Harold Cummings, who allegedly grabbed Teal Bunbury by his upper body, including his head and neck area to hold him. The penalty went to video review and the call stood.

The Quakes trailed 2-0 at the end of the first half. The Quakes were well-aware that they had a lot of work to do in the second half.

The Quakes’ first substitution occurred in the 46th minute. Vako entered the game to replace Eric Calvillo.

The Quakes’ second substitution occurred in the 61st minute. Chris Wondolowski entered the game to replace Harold Cummings. As a result, Wondolowski made his 300th career appearance and opened up the Wondo Watch.

Siad Haji made his first ever Quakes appearance in the 67th minute. However, the Quakes’ decision to put the Somali American midfielder, who was born in Kakuma, Kenya, into the game failed to produce results as the Revolution tripled their lead in the 68th minute. Carles Gil scored the game’s third goal.

The Quakes scored a late goal in the 88th minute. Vako recorded the game’s fourth goal to end a possible shutout by the Revolution. Moreover, Vako put together a classy finish to represent San Jose in a positive manner.

It wasn’t the Quakes’ night in New England. San Jose lost by a final of 3-1.

The Quakes return home to host the Chicago Fire for Quakes Hall of Fame Night on Saturday, May 18 at 12:30 pm.

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu: Quakes shutout FC Cincinnati 1-0; plus more

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

On the San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana:

1. The Quakes shutout FC Cincinnati 1-0 at Avaya Stadium on May 4.

2. Was Mexican Heritage Night a success at Avaya on May 4?

3. The Quakes head to Gillette Stadium next Saturday to take on the New England Revolution.

4. The Quakes hosted a San Jose Sharks watch party at Avaya on May 2. How did that go?

5. After an MLS Team of the Week honor, Jackson Yueill looked to continue his impressive play in the midfield.

Ana does the San Jose Earthquakes podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

An Earthquake strikes the MLS; San Jose much improved over last 5 games, gets 1-0 win

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USA Today photo: San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Magnus Eriksson (7) controls the ball between FC Cincinnati defender Mathieu Deplagne (17) and midfielder Frankie Amaya (24) during the first half at Avaya Stadium.

By London Marq

The San Jose Earthquakes have come a long way in their previous five games. After starting the season 0-4 and looking completely disconnected, they seemed to be well on their way to a bottom of the table finish. Since then, San Jose has found some swagger and momentum. With a 2-1-2 record over the past five matches, they have managed to climb back into playoff contention.

Give credit to the head coach Matias Almeyda, who in his first year with the Quakes has managed his team through adversity, despite mounting pressure. After two matches on the road, the Quakes returned to Avaya Stadium to host a struggling FC Cincinnati squad. Cincinnati entered play coming off of four straight shutout losses. Momentum seemed to be in San Jose’s favor. And that was where it would stay.

From the opening kickoff, San Jose was in control. Playing a more confident, aggressive style than earlier this season, the Quakes were able to dominate the ball. Being physical can come with a price, however, as San Jose found themselves with two yellow cards in the first 15 minutes.

One applied to Shea Salinas, the other to Cristian Espinoza. Jackson Yueill played an aggressive game in the offensive third. While none of his shots were on target, they were right around the posts causing the FC Cincinnati keeper Tyton fits. Hometown hero, Nick Lima, found pay dirt in the 22nd minute with a low strike to the far post from outside box.

San Jose would remain in control for the remainder of the half, taking their one-goal lead into the locker room. The tempo of the game wouldn’t change until the 51st minute when Cristian Espinoza made a critical mistake, pulling Cincinnati defender Deplagne down from behind as he moved towards the goal.

Espinoza would draw his second yellow with the foul and exited the match, leaving San Jose down a man for the remaining 39 minutes. With this, Cincinnati was able to capitalize and put some pressure on the San Jose goal. Quakes goalkeeper Daniel Vega, who appeared completely inept early in the season, made an absolutely sensational save to keep Cincinnati off the board. San Jose was able to endure the loss of Espinoza and ride the momentum to a one-goal win. With the win, they’ve move into seventh in the Western Conference and hold a potential playoff spot, for now.

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu: Where do the Quakes go from here?

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

On the San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana:

1. The San Jose Earthquakes and Seattle Sounders played to a 2-2 draw on Wednesday, April 24.

2. The Quakes and FC Dallas played to a 0-0 draw on Saturday, April 27.

3. The Quakes return home to host FC Cincinnati on Saturday, May 4.

4. It was a Bay Area Unite moment when the Quakes celebrated Evander Kane’s goal in the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche’s Game 2 at SAP Center on Sunday, April 28.

5. Shea Salinas and Jackson Yueill were named to the MLS Team of the Week.

Ana does the San Jose Earthquakes podcasts each week for http://www.sportsradioservice.com

 

Earthquakes, FC Dallas play to 0-0 draw

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

It was matchday in Dallas and the San Jose Earthquakes were fired up to battle FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium on Saturday. The Quakes started things off the good old Texas way by greeting the masses with “Howdy, y’all.” The Quakes rocked their road white uniforms on the field.

The Quakes’ starting lineup featured Daniel Vega, Nick Lima, Florian Jungwirth, Harold Cummings, Tommy Thompson, Anibal Godoy, Jackson Yueill, Cristian Espinoza, Magnus Eriksson, Shea Salinas and Danny Hoesen. The Quakes’ substitutions were Andrew Tarbell, Marcos Lopez, Paul Marie, Judson, Eric Calvillo, Vako and Chris Wondolowski.

The Quakes introduced themselves as the San Jose Earthquakes and added that they were ready to crash a party in the Big D. Moreover, there were some Quakes fans from the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area who sported the Black and Blue at the match.

Danny Hoesen almost scored the opening goal in the 16th minute, but FC Dallas goalkeeper Jesse Gonzalez made a diving-style save to fend off the potential Quakes goal.

Check out this clip in the 25th minute.

The Quakes knocked on the door in the 40th minute, but unfortunately, they didn’t. Cristian Espinoza won the ball in the midfield and almost converted for a goal. The first half ended in a 0-0 draw.

The Quakes kept trying for the opening goal in the second half. However, San Jose was unable to get on the board first, despite quite a few close calls.

Nick Lima had a go for a goal in the 52nd minute, but it went just wide of the net. Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda continued to clap his hands and show his team the right ways to do things, but that didn’t really help.

The Quakes’ first substitution took place in the 69th minute. Judson entered for Shea Salinas.

The Quakes’ second substitution took place in the 83rd minute. Chris Wondolowski entered for Eric Calvillo.

The Quakes’ third substitution took place in the 87th minute. Vako entered for Harold Cummings. Vako was just inches away from the opening goal at the 91st minute. San Jose and FC Dallas played to a 0-0 draw. SJ left Frisco, Texas with a point, which was better than nothing.

The Quakes return home to host FC Cincinnati on Saturday, May 4 at 7:00 pm PT.

Earthquakes settle for 2-2 draw against Sounders

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose Earthquakes traveled to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Seattle Sounders, the third best team in the Western Conference, inside CenturyLink Field on Wednesday night.

The Quakes had hoped for a quick turnaround against the Sounders. Before the much-anticipated kick-off, Nick Lima said: “We have to continue to build.”

Check out the Quakes’ starting lineup:

Paul Marie played his first MLS game last week. Fast forward to this week as Marie made his first MLS start tonight. Congratulations to the French defender and midfielder!

The majority of the fans sported Sounder Blue, Rave Green and Cascade Shale, but there were some Quakes fans who rocked the Black and Blue. That, my friends, was true loyalty to a MLS team.

The game got underway in Seattle. Both teams brought their A-game to the field. But it was the Quakes who wrote the first statement of the night. Daniel Vega came up big with a noteworthy save to fend off a potential Sounders goal in the 10th minute. The Quakes then created a promising buildup between Shea Salinas and Nick Lima in the 19th minute.

Jackson Yueill showed off some slick moves in the 30th minute. After that, San Jose got on the board, thanks to Shea Salinas’ goal, which gave the Quakes a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute. Salinas’ third goal of the season also tied his career-high.

The Quakes led 1-0 at the end of the first half.

Shea Salinas extended his steak with a brace to make it 2-0 Quakes in the 53rd minute. With the goal, Salinas now has four goals on the season.

However, Seattle rained on San Jose’s parade with not only one, but two goals in the second half. Kelvin Leerdam ended the Quakes’ chances of a shutout with a goal in the 65th minute. Harry Shipp followed up with a game-tying goal for a 2-2 tie in the 67th minute.

Daniel Vega wowed the crowd with another notable save in the 73rd minute. Vega knocked the ball out of the net to prevent what could’ve been the Sounders’ third goal of the game.

The Quakes made their first substitution in the 75th minute. Vako entered the game for Magnus Eriksson.

The Quakes made their second substitution in the 79th minute. Luis Felipe entered the game for Judson.

The Quakes made their third (and final) substitution in the 86th minute. Chris Wondolowski entered the game for Danny Hoesen.

Both teams played six minutes of stoppage time after a full 90 minutes of soccer. Both teams settled for a 2-2 draw, but at least the Quakes got a hard-fought point.

The Quakes take on FC Dallas inside Toyota Stadium on Saturday, April 27 at 12:30 pm PT.

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu: Quakes are back on track

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Photo credit: sjearthquakes.com

On the San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana:

1. The Earthquakes defeated Sporting KC 4-1 at Avaya Stadium last Saturday.

2. What were your three takeaways from the Quakes vs. Sporting KC match?

3. The Quakes will be in Seattle to take on the Sounders on Wednesday. What does SJ need to do in order to win?

4. What was the Quakes’ baby shark celebration all about?

5. What’s your prediction on Quakes at FC Dallas on Saturday?

Ana does the San Jose Earthquakes podcasts each week for SportsRadioService.com