Category: San Jose Earthquakes

Monterrey takes down Earthquakes 2-1 in friendly

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Earthquakes have yet to find their identity under new head coach Matias Almeyda. Things weren’t any better against the Monterrey Rayados. The Mexican League club jumped out to an early lead and then held on for a 2-1 victory on Saturday afternoon at Avaya Stadium in an international friendly match.

The Rayados drew first blood just six minutes into the game. A defensive breakdown by Jimmy Ockford led to a break where Rogelio Funes Mori ended up one-on-one with Quakes goalie Andrew Tarbell and the Argentinian forward chipped the ball past him for a 1-0 Monterrey lead.

Monterrey kept the pressure on as Funes Mori sent in a shot over defender Florian Jungwirth, only to have Tarbell make a terrific save by batting the ball over the net.

Monterrey doubled their lead in the 24th minute. Once again, a lack of coverage left open Maximiliano Meza, who received the ball from 10 yards out, stumbled, regained possession and kicked the ball into the upper left corner for a 2-0 Rayados lead.

The closest the Quakes came to getting on the scoreboard in the first half came at the 35th minute when captain Chris Wondolowski’s header attempt from a centering cross pass was knocked away to the right by Rayados goalie Marcelo Barovero.

Monterrey had two quality chances to extend their lead in the first five minutes into the second half. First, in the 48th minute, Funes Mori’s shot from 12 yards out just sailed wide of the net. Then, two minutes later, Dorlan Pabon’s shot from 25 yards out was knocked away by Tarbell.

San Jose had a golden attempt to cut the lead in half at the 56th minute when Magnus Eriksson centered a perfect crossing pass over to Wondolowski, whose point-blank header was knocked over the net by back up goalie Luis Cardenas, who came in as a substitution for Barovero to start the second half.

The Quakes finally got on the scoreboard in the 61st minute. Tommy Thompson dribbled the ball near the end line then sent crossed the ball right into the middle of the box, where 15-year old Cade Cowell, who made his debut for San Jose, one-timed the ball into the right corner of the net to cut the deficit to 2-1 for his first professional career goal. Both players came in as substitutes in the second half.

San Jose gained momentum off of Cowell’s goal as they spent the next 15 minutes playing inside Monterrey’s zone creating chances that were deflected away by Rayado defenders.

The Quakes had a chance for the equalizer late in the match when they earned a free kick just outside the D-box in the 84th minute. Jungwirth’s shot was stoned away by a diving Edson Resendez, who came on a substitution for Cardenas, as well as Thompson’s rebound attempt from the right corner end line.

GAME NOTES: Paul Marie received a yellow card in the 49th minute on a tackle from behind.

UP NEXT: The Quakes return back to MLS action as they host LAFC on Saturday 3/30 at 12:30 pm at Avaya Stadium.

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu: Have the Quakes really improved?

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Photo credit: @MLS

On the San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana:

1. The Earthquakes dropped back-to-back matches at home to start this season. What went wrong?

2. The Quakes fell to the N.Y. Red Bulls 4-1 last Saturday. Was this a matter of the Quakes’ offense falling apart or the Red Bulls’ offense overwhelming?

3. The Quakes will be back home on March 30th vs. LAFC. What do the Quakes need to do in order to beat LA?

4. What’s your prediction on the Quakes’ upcoming 2-game homestand vs. LAFC and Portland Timbers?

5. The Quakes have a road match against the Houston Dynamo on April 13th. What are your 3 keys to the match?

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

No love in the East Coast: Earthquakes fall to Red Bulls 4-1

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose Earthquakes thought 2019 would be a better year under first-year head coach Matias Almeyda, but it turned out to be a high hope, as the team dropped back-to-back home matches–a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Impact on March 2nd and a 3-0 shutout to the Minnesota United FC on March 9th–to start the season.

San Jose, however, decided to try their luck in Harrison, N.J. against the New York Red Bulls, who won their third Supporters’ Shield in 2018 after winning their final five games as well as qualifying for the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League. New York’s current head coach Chris Armas replaced Jesse Marsch, who left the coaching gig after three and a half seasons.

It was gameday in the East Coast and the Quakes fanbase caught the livestream on Twitter at 12:30 pm PT. Though, the diehard Quakes fans saved their seats in section 220 in the Red Bull Arena.

Moreover, the Wondo watch was in full effect as Quakes captain Chris Wondolowski entered the match with 144 goals. Wondo’s goal was to score his 145th goal to tie Landon Donovan’s 145 career regular season goals.

Unfortunately, Wondo never scored his 145th goal, but at least the Earthquakes avoided a shutout, thanks to Cristian Espinoza’s first goal as a Quakes forward. Espinoza was loaned to the Quakes on a season-long loan by Villareal CF on January 2nd. San Jose took an early 1-0 lead at the fifth minute.

But the mere 1-0 halftime lead was as far as the Quakes could go. The Red Bulls scored three unanswered goals in the second half. So it wasn’t much of a greeting when the Quakes’ Twitter announced to the Twitterverse that they were back for the second half.

It all started with a shot and Alex Muyl kicked in a shot past Quakes goalkeeper Daniel Vega to tie the match 1-1 at the 51st minute. After that, Magnus Eriksson was just inches away from his second goal of the season and San Jose was unable to score a go-ahead goal at the 55th minute.

The Quakes made their first substitution of the match, swapping Nick Lima for Marcos Lopez at the 62nd minute. That, however, didn’t help San Jose’s cause because Muyl scored his second goal of the match for a 2-1 Red Bulls lead at the 71st minute.

Muyl’s go-ahead goal was the reason why the Quakes made their second substitution of the match, swapping Judson for Danny Hoesen. Moreover, San Jose made their third and final substitution of the match, swapping Vako for Jackson Yueill at the 78th minute. But neither helped as the Red Bulls scored not only one, but two late goals to call it a day. Bradley Wright-Phillips made it 3-1 Red Bulls at the 85th minute and Daniel Royer wrapped up the scoring with a down-to-the-wire goal to extend the Red Bulls’ lead to 4-1 at the 89th minute. The Quakes fell to the Red Bulls 4-1 in N.J.

The Quakes have a much-needed week off before they host LAFC on March 30th at 12:30 pm PT.

Headline Sports with London Marq: Improved Kings need wins in Philly and Boston

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photo from nbcsports.com file: The Sacramento Kings and D3’Aaron Fox head to Boston and Philadelphia for games Thursday and Friday nights.

On Headline Sports with London:

#1 The Sacramento Kings dropped a tough game to the Washington Wizards 121-115. The Kings made it close losing by six.

#2 The Kings head to Philadelphia and Boston this Thursday and Friday. Can the Kings pick up some key wins after losing to Washington in their bid to try and make the postseason?

#3 De’Aaron Fox led the Kings in scoring. Talk about what he means for the club this season.

#4 In MLS action, the San Jose Earthquakes are headed to New York to face the NY Red Bulls. The Quakes are coming off two losses to the Montreal Impact and the Minnesota United FC. The later game was rough as they lost in a 3-0 shutout.

#5 After watching the 3-0 shutout, was this reminiscent of last year’s Quakes team or maybe more concerning than last year’s team?

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

Earthquakes blanked by Minnesota United 3-0

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: London Marq

SAN JOSE, Calif. — 2018 was a dark year for the San Jose Earthquakes, who finished the campaign with only 4 wins. One bright spot for the Quakes was the season series they won against Minnesota United. The United has traveled to San Jose twice before and lost both games. San Jose looked to continue that trend as Minnesota returned to Avaya Stadium. San Jose opened the 2019 season with a 2-1 loss to Montreal. They wanted to avoid making it a habit.

The Earthquakes opened the first half under pressure. Minnesota was able to maneuver the ball into the scoring third of the field. United had a total of 8 shots, most of which threatened the Earthquakes goalkeeper, Daniel Vega. Vega, who was under constant duress during the first half, faced a barrage of shot attempts for a near 10-minute stretch. He was equal to it. From the 27th minute through the 36th, Vega defended 5 shots on target, 2 of reach he blocked. San Jose in contrast, only had 4 shots on goal for the half.

The second half opened with scoring early as Minnesota United drew a penalty in the 49th minute. MLS All-Star and Colombia national Darwin Quintero slotted it into the corner. Just short of 3 minutes later, Minnesota would find the back of the net with a goal from the former NASL MVP Miguel Ibarra. Just like that, 6 minutes removed from being tied at half time, the Quakes were playing to salvage a tie.

San Jose had no cohesive rhythm throughout that match, despite passing the ball often and with 83% accuracy. They lost more than 50% of their one on one and were on edge the entire time. After the match San Jose coach Matias Almeyda explained that the offensive game plan wasn’t executed as planned. As a result, the team spent more time crossing the ball from wide areas than they wanted. While the ball found its way into the offensive third with regularity in the second half, San Jose couldn’t manage to get a good touch on the ball to capitalize.

A late San Jose own goal by defender Harold Cummings in the 75th minute effectively ended the game. Quakes captain Chris Wondolowski had a chance to put the team on the board late when the ball came to him a few feet from the goal, but whiffed. It was the summation of the night San Jose had. It’s only two games into the season, so there’s no need to panic yet. Coach Almeyda is looking to take this season one game at a time. The goal right now it to get his team in a winning mindset for next Saturday’s tilt with the New York City Red Bulls.

FINAL: Minnesota defeated San Jose 3-0.

UP NEXT: San Jose heads to the Empire State to face the New York Red Bulls on Saturday, March 16 at 12:30 pm PT.

Earthquakes drop 2-1 decision to Impact

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose Earthquakes opened up the 2019 MLS season versus the Montreal Impact at Avaya Stadium Saturday evening. Prior to the kickoff, the Quakes gave a warm welcome to new head coach Matias Almeyda and the San Jose Sharks wished the home team the best of luck this season.

The Quakes’ starting lineup featured Daniel Vega, Marcos Lopez, Harold Cummings, Guram Kashia, Nick Lima, Anibal Godoy, Judson, Vako, Magnus Eriksson, Cristian Espinoza and Chris Wondolowski.

It wasn’t long before the Quakes got on the board. Magnus Eriksson scored his first goal of the season for an early 1-0 lead at the 11th minute.

But it also wasn’t long before the Impact tied the score. Ignacio Piatti scored his first goal of the season to make it 1-1 at the 30th minute.

The Quakes looked disappointed just minutes before the first half came to an end. Saphir Taider scored his first goal of the season to give the Impact a 2-1 lead at the 44th minute.

The Quakes had a lot of work to do in the second half. Moreover, San Jose was down 2-1 at halftime, but they weren’t out of it just yet.

The Quakes made their first substitution of the match at the 62nd minute as they allowed Tommy Thompson to enter and Lima to exit. Thompson received a yellow card at the 73rd minute.

The Quakes made their second substitution at the 69th minute as they allowed Jackson Yueill to enter and Eriksson to exit.

The Quakes made their third and final substitution at the 74th minute as they allowed Danny Hoesen to enter and Cummings to exit. Judson received a yellow card at the 77th minute.

The Quakes trailed 2-1 at the end of the second half. The officials added five minutes of stoppage time to the clock, so there was an opportunity or two, but the Quakes were unable to capitalize on those opportunities. San Jose (0-0-1) dropped a 2-1 decision to Montreal (1-0-0) in full-time.

The Quakes host the Minnesota United on Saturday, March 9th at 5:00 pm PST.

Earthquakes shutout LAFC 3-0 in preseason rivalry match

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose Earthquakes stopped by the City of Angels to take on LAFC in a rivalry match at the Banc of California Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Quakes’ starting lineup featured Daniel Vega, Marcos Lopez, Guram Kashia, Harold Cummings, Nick Lima, Magnus Eriksson, Judson, Anibal Godoy, Cristian Espinoza, Vako and Chris Wondolowski.

The Quakes were off to a great start. Eriksson’s free kick that rattled the near post at the ninth minute of the first half. Eriksson then found the back of the net five minutes later to give the Quakes a 1-0 lead at the 15th minute. Wondolowski doubled the Quakes’ lead at the 30th minute.

The Quakes carried a 2-0 lead to the locker room at the end of the first half. Eriksson and Wondolowski each scored one goal apiece for the Quakes, who were pretty darn confident in the fact that they’d ultimately win the match for the much-needed confidence boost along with the bragging rights that arise when a team beats a bitter rival.

Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda made no changes to the team’s lineup to start the second half. Unlike in Northern California, both teams played under the warm California sun as opposed to the stormy Seattle weather.

The Quakes made their first substitution of the match as Tommy Thompson entered the game as a replacement to Lima. The Quakes’ second substitution was Luis Felipe in for Eriksson. The Quakes’ third substitution saw Shea Salinas, who replaced Espinoza. The Quakes’ fourth substitution witnessed Jackson Yueill, who stepped on the field after Judson walked off of it.

Fast forward to the 76th minute when Godoy nearly kicked in a third goal, but was denied at the post by a LAFC defender. The score remained in a 2-0 lead in favor of the Quakes. After that, San Jose made its fifth substitution as Florian Jungwirth replaced Godoy.

Turns out, Vako indeed tripled the Quakes’ lead with the match’s third goal of the game at the 76th minute. The final score turned out to be a 3-0 Quakes win on the road. That being said, it was never too late for San Jose to beat LA. Media members on both sides of the field flocked to speak with Coach Almeyda along with the Quakes players in the hopes of getting some interesting quotes for their respective articles and/or broadcasts.

The Quakes wrap up the 2019 MLS preseason with a match versus the Seattle Sounders FC at Avaya Stadium on Saturday, February 23rd at 12:45 pm PT.

Reno 1868 FC shuts down Earthquakes 3-0 in preseason match

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose Earthquakes traveled to Reno, Nev. to face off against the Reno 1868 FC in a preseason match at Greater Nevada Field on Saturday afternoon. The match was streamed on Reno’s YouTube channel.

The Quakes’ starting lineup boasted a good amount of fan favorites such as Daniel Vega; Marcos Lopez, Guram Kashia, Harold Cummings, Nick Lima; Magnus Eriksson, Judson, Anibal Godoy, Cristian Espinoza; Vako, and Chris Wondolowski.

After the kickoff, the match went underway in Northern Nevada. Reno got on the board first as Raul Mendiola found the back of the net from close range. The score was 1-0 Reno at the fourth minute. As a result, Reno fans gave Mendiola, who made his Reno debut, a warm welcome with a lot of cheering and clapping for the Mexican attacking midfielder from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Nick Lima made sure Matt Bersano was on his toes at the 10th minute. Lima slotted a notable shot for the memory moment. Also, Vako fought to earn possession and then created an opportunity on the attack at the 16th minute.

But the Quakes were unable to completely stop Reno, who doubled their lead 2-0 on a counter-attack at the 29th minute. Seth Casiple was created with the goal and Danny Musovski, a Henderson, Nevada native, picked up the assist on Casiple’s goal.

Things never improved for the Quakes, despite the fascinating sight of Cristian Espinoza had a go from the distance at the 37th minute. Reno made it three consecutive goals as Musovski kicked in a goal that was assisted by Brian Brown at the 41st minute. Sure, Wondolowski nearly pulled one back at the 45th minute, but Reno was on a roll and carried a 3-0 lead to the locker room at the end of the first half.

The Quakes made a line change to start the second half. The new-look roster featured the likes of Andrew Tarbell, Shea Salinas, Florian Jungwirth, Jimmy Ockford, Paul Marie, Siad Haji, Luis Felipe, Jackson Yueill, Gilbert Fuentes, Tommy Thompson, and Cade Cowell.

Cowell received a fortunate chance, but his shot was just wide of the net at the 57th minute. Haji had a go from the distance at the 62nd minute. However, Reno couldn’t be stopped, and they wrapped up the match with a 3-0 shutout in full-time. Reno started their season on a positive note with a tally in the win column, while the Quakes took the loss.

The Quakes will return to California, but to Los Angeles, to take on LAFC inside the Banc of California Stadium next Saturday at 12:00 pm PT.

Part 2 of the Earthquakes’ picks in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

After a much-needed weekend, the MLS was ready to roll in the third and fourth rounds of the 2019 MLS SuperDraft in Chicago Monday.

It didn’t take long before the San Jose Earthquakes were on the board in day two of the SuperDraft. So, that being said, San Jose selected defender Nathan Aune out of Seattle University. Aune appeared in 17 matches and started in 16 matches on defense. Aune scored two goals and was a key part of the Redhawks’ defense that allowed just 24 goals in 20 meetings. Moreover, Aune was named to the All-WAC First Team and the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Second Team.

Contrary to popular belief, San Jose passed on the 74th overall pick in the fourth round of the SuperDraft, so their second and final day in Chicago ended with only one brand-new pick. The Quakes needed all the help they could get, and hopefully, these prospects-turned-pros will carry out their respective duties.

Best of luck to the Quakes, whose season kicks off on March 2 at 7:00 pm PT.

Part 1 of the Earthquakes’ picks in 2019 MLS SuperDraft

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

Friday marked the first day of the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, which was the 20th SuperDraft held by the Major Soccer League (MLS). The exciting festivities took place in Chicago, Illinois, and for Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda, this was his first SuperDraft.

The introduction of brand-new soccer stars of the future went underway and the Quakes selected three players using three picks in the opening rounds of the SuperDraft. The Quakes went 4-15-8 this past season and finished in 12th place in the Western Conference, so it wasn’t a surprise they got things started from the get-go.

In the first round, San Jose selected midfielder Siad Haji with the second overall pack. Haji was a VCU standout in Richmond, Virginia.

In the second round, San Jose selected another midfielder, Sergio Rivas, with the 26th overall pick. Rivas played college soccer at Seattle University in Seattle.

Also, in the second round, San Jose selected forward Mamadi Camara with the 46th overall pick. Camara last played for Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada.

According to theScore via MLS, the third and fourth rounds of the SuperDraft will be conducted through a conference call at 10:00 am PT.