Tag: Austin FC

San Jose Earthquakes defender Chris Akapo (29) battles the Austin FC at Q2 Stadium in Austin on Sat Apr 6, 2024 (San Jose Earthquakes photo)

By William Espy

The San Jose Earthquakes finished their Texas road trip in Austin at the Q2 Stadium as they took on Austin FC. The season has been rough for the Earthquakes so far, with their only win of the season coming against the Seattle Sounders in March. They hoped to get a second against a team they’ve historically done well against, as the Quakes were 2-0-5 all-time against Austin entering the night. 

Earthquakes Starting XI: Yarbrough, Maries, Rodrigues, Wilson, Akapo, Morales, Gruezo, Tsakiris, Espinoza, Kikanovic, Ebobisse

Austin Starting XI: Stuver, Gallagher, Cascante, Hines-Ike, Jimenez, Ring, Pereira, Wolff, Driussi, Obrian, Rubio

Austin got off to a hot start, earning a couple of corners in the opening minutes of the match and putting pressure on William Yarbrough. The best early chance was a header from Sebastian Driussi which Yarbrough was able to save.

Early on, the momentum was strongly in Austin FC’s favor. In the eleventh minute, Tanner Beason was shown a yellow card for a hard foul on Jader Obrian, the game’s first booking. The first 15 minutes were pretty physical with fouls from both teams.

Eventually, San Jose would open the scoring when Cristian Espinoza crossed the ball from the right side of the box to Paul Marie who headed it home to give the Earthquakes a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute. 

After the goal, the Quakes kept bringing a heavy attack for a couple of minutes before things evened out once again. Austin’s Jon Gallagher fouled Carlos Akapo in the 29th minute and was shown a yellow card for the foul.

Austin seemingly scored an equalizer in the 36th minute after a short review, it was called off as the goal was directly scored as the result of a foul. Marie was awarded a free kick due to the foul by Hector Jimenez, and the Earthquakes regained possession.

Austin ended the first half with a strong attack for the majority of the last five minutes, however in the 40th minute both Marie and Obrian were given yellow cards for unsportsmanlike conduct. The first half would end with a 1-0 lead for the Earthquakes, but they were certainly going to have a difficult second half ahead of them. 

The second half was more of the same. The first ten minutes were all Austin FC, they were getting chance after chance but were still unable to get on the scoreboard. Yarbrough picked up a foul in the 56th minute, which ultimately led to a goal in the 58th minute.

Niko Tsakiris carried the ball into the offensive third of the pitch, before passing it off to Jeremy Ebobisse who was side by side with a defender but he was able to get a shot off, which was saved by Brad Stuver but Ebobisse was able to put the rebound in the back of the net and the Quakes had a 2-0 lead.

Just a minute later, Austin’s Diego Rubio was fouled inside the penalty area and Austin was awarded a penalty that could bring them back into the game. Driussi would take the shot and scored to make it 2-1 in favor of the Earthquakes.

In the 63rd minute, Austin had a throw-in which went into the abundance of players in front of San Jose’s net. It bounced off the head of a couple of Earthquakes before falling to Obrian who tied the game at 2 for Austin. Roughly four minutes later, Austin scored once again to make it 3-2.

Guilherme Biro, who came in as a substitute earlier in the half, shot it from the edge of the penalty area and it beat Yarbrough who was unable to stretch far enough to make the save. In roughly ten minutes, it went from a 2-0 Earthquakes lead to them being down 3-2 and having to dig themselves out of a hole.

A fantastic pass from Espinoza found Amahl Pellegrino all alone in front of the net, and he was able to tie the game back up for the Earthquakes in the 74th minute. Stuver kept getting tested over the next couple of minutes.

It seemed headed to a 3-3 draw, but in the final minute of stoppage time, Austin was able to score a go-ahead goal and take a 4-3 lead. The Earthquakes once again suffered a heartbreaking loss, which has become the theme of their season so far. 

The San Jose Earthquakes and Austin FC battle to a 2-2 draw in a cliffhanger at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Sat Apr 2, 2022 (photo from the San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — It looked like a good old fashioned Goonies comeback.

The San Jose Earthquakes scored two goals in two minutes in the second half to overcome a two-goal deficit in a 2-2 draw result with Austin FC on Saturday afternoon at Pay Pal Park.

San Jose, despite earning a point, remained winless in its first five matches to start the season. Austin FC has points in four out of its first five matches to start the season.

Austin FC (2-1-2) drew first blood in the 11th minute. Julio Cascante sent a long ball in from midfield. Maxi Urruti touched the ball up into the air before shooting it over the head of Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski just below the crossbar for his first goal of the season.

San Jose (0-3-2) had scoring chances from Cristian Espinoza in the 7th and 26th minutes as well as a free kick from Jan Gregus from 18 yards out in the 35th minute, only to have Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver keep the ball out of the back of the net.

Austin FC dictated the play in the opening 45 minutes with six total shots, three on target.

Jackson Yeuill was called for a foul inside the box on Dani Pereira in the 50th minute resulting in a penalty shot for Austin FC by referee Alex Chillowicz.

Sebastian Driussi cashed in the penalty with a shot into the upper left corner of the net for his team leading fourth goal of the season in the 52nd minute.

The Quakes came within inches of cutting Austin FC’s in half when a header by Francisco Calvo off a corner kick danced on the goal line and was kicked away by Stuver before the ball crossed the line in the 55th minute.

San Jose was awarded a penalty shot in the 69th minute when former Earthquakes defender Nick Lima took down Jamiro Monteiro inside the box off a centering pass.

Jeremy Ebobisse finished the penalty kick by getting Stuver to guess wrong as he tapped home the ball into an empty net for his first goal of the season in the 70th minute.

The Quakes struck again to even the score two minutes later off a set piece. Gregus sent the ball into the middle off of a corner kick and Cade Cowell was able to swarm in and beat Stuver with a left footed shot for his first goal of the season in the 72nd minute.

San Jose had a chance to score the winning goal in the 88th minute when Ebobisse pickpocketed an Austin FC defender just outside the box. Ebobisse’s shot and Cowell’s rebound attempt were stopped by Stuver. However, the rebound attempt by Calvo sailed high over the net on what was an empty net.

Marcinkowski finished the match with three saves on four shots. Stuver stood on his head making eight saves on 10 shots.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with nine corner kicks. Austin FC had none.

Cowell was named the Man of the Match.

Each team were issued three yellow cards during the match.

The Earthquakes are unbeaten in the four meetings with Austin, including three last season.

The Earthquakes are off to the second-worst start in club history with two points from five matches, only beating out the 2019 season in which they lost four in a row to open the campaign. San Jose has never had fewer than three points after five games of a season (three in 2014 and 2019).

Austin FC snapped its 10-match road losing streak dating back to last June, scoring only two goals in those games. There have been only seven longer road losing streaks in league history while only the Red Bulls from March to June 2009 (1 goal) have scored fewer than two goals over any 10-match road span.

UP NEXT: San Jose travels out to Houston to take on the Dynamo on Saturday 4/9 at 5:30pm at BBVA Compass Stadium.

San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Carlos Fierro (7) celebrates by putting the futbol inside his shirt and running down field with his thumb in his mouth as the Quakes blank the visiting Austin FC at Pay Pal Park in San Jose Wed Oct 20, 2021 (USA Today photo)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE—The San Jose Earthquakes still have a pulse in its bid to make the MLS Playoffs.

The home team scored four answered goals in the second half to route Austin FC 4-0 on Wednesday evening at Pay Pal Park.

San Jose snapped its three match losing streak in what are must win games down the stretch. With 36 points, they are six points out of the seventh and final playoff spot (the Los Angeles Galaxy currently sit in seventh with 42 points) in the Western Conference. The expansion Austin FC have lost two matches in a row and a league worse 19 matches.

San Jose (9-12-9) dictated the pace of play from the get go. They had the pitch tilted in their favor for the majority of the first half.

In the 18th minute, Jeremy Ebobisse fired in a shot from just outside the D box but saved by Austin FC goalie Brad Stuver.

Then in the 31st minute, a cross from Marcos Lopez just skidded past the sliding Andy Rios who was open down the middle of the box.

Benji Kikanovic had a chip shot that bent just wide right of the goal in the 38th minute. In the 42nd minute, Eric Remedi sent Ebobisse in on a breakaway but his shot attempt was saved by Stuver as the veteran goalie came out and challenge the attempt.

Austin FC (7-19-4) were too busy defending their own zone for the majority of the first half to generate any dangerous scoring chances as they only generated two total shots in the first 45 minutes.

It didn’t take long in the second half for the Earthquakes to break through on the scoreboard. In the 47th minute, Kikanovic obtained possession of the ball along the left sideline and dribbled in when his pass deflected off of Alex Ring into the middle of the box. Chofis collected the ball and buried the ball into an empty net for his team leading 12th goal of the season.

San Jose doubled its lead six minutes later. Remedi started a counter attack when he sent a long ball into midfielder where Ebobisse gained possession. Ebobisse was interfered with by Zan Kolmanic as the ball squirted out to Kikanovic on the left wing. Kikanovic raced in on a breakaway and was able to get Stuver to commit early before he sent in a shot past him into the lower right side of the net for his third goal of the season in the 53rd minute.

Austin FC had its only quality scoring chance in the 56th minute. Off of a free kick, the ball found its way to the foot of Sebastian Driussi. His shot attempted deflected off Ebobisse and then off Tanner Beason as San Jose conceded a corner kick. The visiting team did not convert the subsequent corner kick.

Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda brought in Chris Wondolowski, Paul Marie and Cristian Espinoza as subs in the 58th minute.

The moves had an immediate pay off. In the 59th minute, Espinoza sent in a cross from right to left. The ball deflected off the foot of former Quake Nick Lima right over to Wondolowski. The MLS all-time leading goal scorer one-timed the ball with a chip into the upper right corner of the net for his third goal of the season.

Wondo now has 165 goals in his MLS career.

San Jose put the icing on the cake in the 85th minute off of a corner kick. Espinoza recorded his second assist of the match when he sent the ball into the middle where an unmarked Carlo Fierro’s running header found its way into the lower right corner of the net for his 2nd goal of the season.

Espinoza has a team leading eight assists on the season.

Quakes goalie JT Marcinkowski finished the match with four saves for his fifth clean sheet of the season. Stuver made five saves on nine shots on target in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with 10 corner kicks. Austin FC had eight.

The last time San Jose hosted an expansion team, the Quakes prevailed 1-0 over FC Cincinnati on May 4, 2019. Nick Lima, who now plays for Austin FC, scored the lone goal for the Earthquakes.

UP NEXT: San Jose hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday 10/23 at 7:00pm at Pay Pal Park.

Austin FC goalie Austin Stuver gathers his thoughts after surrendering three unanswered goals to the San Jose Earthquakes at Q2 Stadium in Austin on Sat Sep 18, 2021 (AP News photo)

by Marko Ukalovic

AUSTIN, Texas—Minus their head coach, the San Jose Earthquakes flipped the script on their opponent just three days later after blowing a lead in the second half.

Down by a two-goal margin, the Quakes scored three unanswered goals in the second half for a 4-3 comeback victory over the expansion Austin FC on Saturday evening at Q2 Stadium.

San Jose are now 2-2-1 in their last five games. Austin FC have lost their last five matches in a row. With the win, the Quakes jumped from 11th to ninth place in the Western Conference. They sit just three points out of the seventh and final playoff spot with 30 points.

It was San Jose’s first win over the new expansion team. They are 1-0-1 in two matches this season against Austin FC.

Austin FC (5-16-4-19 points) didn’t look like the worst team in MLS as they jumped out of the gate early with the match’s first goal six minutes into the match.

Sebastian Driussi cleaned up a rebound off a header by Moussa Djitte that Quakes goalie JT Marcinkowski saved but wasn’t able to keep the ball out of Driussi’s reach as the center forward buried the ball into the back of the net for his third goal of the season.

San Jose (7-9-9-30 points) answered back in the 17th minute off a corner kick. Carlos Fierro centered the ball back to the middle where a running Marco Lopez from 12 yards outs powered in a header past the reach of Austin FC goalie Brad Stuver for his first goal of the season.

Austin FC played aggressive and attacked the Quakes as they scored two goals in the final 10 minutes of the first half.

A nice give and go between Alexander Ring and Daniel Pereira led to Ring finding Jon Gallagher all alone on the right side as the midfielder tapped home the ball into an empty net for his third goal of the season in the 35th minute.

Right before halftime Ring capitalized on the Quakes relaxed defense. He received the ball just into the attacking zone when he dribbled in and fired a shot from 25 yards out into the lower left corner of the net beating Marcinkowski for his fourth goal of the season.

San Jose, who were without head coach Matias Almeyda as he was serving a one-game suspension for un-sportsman like conduct he directed toward the officials in the match against Real Salt Lake, responded with a bang once the whistle blew to begin the second half.

Lopez serviced a ball from the left sideline into the middle where Benji Kikanovic made a brilliant one-time touch pass to the left to free Espinoza, who got behind the Austin FC defense before he fired a right-footed shot past Stuver into the lower right corner for his third goal of the season in the 49th minute.

The Quakes received a break when Ring was whistled for hand ball inside the box after a VAR review, resulting in a penalty kick for the visiting team in the 56th minute.

Two minutes later, Chofis, who had a hatrick in his last match, converted the penalty with a left-footed shot just inside the right post for his team leading ninth goal of the season.

Chofis wasn’t done, as he answered the bell again just five minutes later to give the Quakes their first lead of the match in the 63rd minute. A bouncing ball found Chofis in the attacking zone. He fired a shot from long range that Stuver punched back out. Chofis picked up his own rebound between three Austin FC defenders, faked a move right then went left before lasering in a shot past Stuver for his 10th goal of the season.

Choifis has been played like a man possessed in the past two matches with five goals.

“”I am very happy for him,” said Almeyda about his foward’s recent success. “There was great sacrifice in getting him to San Jose and reaching the level he is currently at after going a year and a half without playing. He changed the way he trains and lives football, including his professionalism and calmness. When I see him progressing in the sport, it makes me very pleased because he is progressing in life, and no one talks about that.”

Ring received his second yellow card of the match and an automatic red card when he made a hard tackle foul on Eric Remedi in the 65th minute. Ring will be suspended for the next match.

Despite being down a man for the final 35, plus nine minutes of stoppage time, Austin FC controlled the play of the rest of the match with numerous scoring chances and corner kicks in the final 15 minutes of play. However, the Quakes defense anchored down led by saves from Marcinkowksi to escape the Lone Star state with three points in the end.

“Resiliency is a great word,” said Marcinkowski when being asked how the team have been resilient this season. “I think it’s something we always talk about in our locker room. The belief and fight and just the will to win. I think we’ve been in so many close games this year and I think we’ve been a little bit hesitant or have been missing the final pass or final goal, or final save from me. I think we showed tonight that we can do it and have nine games left to show it and show the rest of the league that we’re a team to really watch out for.”

Marcinkowski finished the match with seven saves on 10 shot on target to earn his seventh win of the season. Stuver made four saves on eight shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: Each team conceded eight corner kicks to each other.

The Quakes are now unbeaten in eight consecutive road matches, the longest such run in club history (2003).

San Jose’s last two matches have resulted in 14 total goals (for and against), the most in consecutive matches in club history.

Lopez now has three goals in his MLS career. His goal also marks the first goal against Austin FC in Earthquakes history.

Fierro’s assist on Lopez’s goal, marked his third assist of the season and 10th of his MLS career.

Chofis became the first Quakes player to score 5+ goals in a two-game span since Chris Wondolowski tallied six from May 18, 2019 (4) to May 26, 2019 (2).

Kikanovic’s assist on Espinoza’s goal, marked his first assist of the season and of his MLS career. The match also marked his second MLS start.

Defender Tommy Thompson started and played 68 minutes. It marked his first appearance since June 22.

UP NEXT: San Jose returns home to host LAFC on Saturday 9/25 at 7:00pm at Pal Pay Park.

San Jose Earthquake players before their match against Austin FC the first meeting with the expansion team at Q2 Stadium in Austin on Sat Jun 19, 2021(@Earthquakes photo)

by Marko Ukalovic

AUSTIN, Texas–The San Jose Earthquakes played to scoreless draw with Austin FC in their first ever meeting with the expansion team on Saturday evening at Q2 Stadium.

The match marked the first ever MLS game to be played at the brand new stadium that was at 100% capacity for the match. Actor Matthew McConaughey, who is part owner of the team, led the more than 20,000 in attendance in a pregame chant banging on bongo drums before the opening whistle.

San Jose snapped a four-game losing streak but are winless in its past five games. Austin FC had their third consecutive draw and are winless in their past six games.

Austin (2-4-3) grabbed the momentum early in the game as they created the game’s first scoring chance in the 10th minute. Zan Kolmanic volleyed a ball into the center of the box where Diego Fagundez’s header was knocked away the net by Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski.

San Jose (3-5-1) had its best chance to break the seal in the 36th minute. Chofis played a ball to the right side where Cristian Espinoza dribbled in and fired a shot off the right post.

Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda implemented a new system and formation for the match after having the past two weeks off during the international break.

“We were asked what we have been working on during the break. During this time, we were practicing this style of play and method because we thought we should play this way in this match. I am very pleased. I thought the team made a huge effort. We created clear counterattacking opportunities through this system. We still need that last step. We will keep working on that aspect, but overall, the guys were great interpreters,” Almeyda said.

Austin FC came out quick to start the second half. In the 51st minute Tomás Pochettino centered a ball inside the six-yard box, but Cecilio Domínguez’s left foot attempt was punched away by Marinkowski.

Marcinkowski kept the Austin FC off the scoreboard in the 63rd minute when Alexander Ring rifled a shot from 15 yards out on net and Marcinkowski sent it away to the right for a corner kick.

The Earthquakes best scoring chance in the second half came late in the 83rd minute. Cade Cowell set up Carlos Fierro with a back pass just inside the D box and Fierro’s right footed attempt heading for the top right corner was knocked away by Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver.

“In the second half, we made changes to our system again and we had more goal-scoring chances. I think the effort made in changing positions has a risk in tiring out the players. That is why I appreciate the effort they made. I repeat that this is how we thought this match should be played. Within the losses that we had, I looked inward and felt that I had to make effective changes. I think these changes were effective,” said Almeyda.

Marcinkowski earned his sixth career shutout and first of 2021 with six saves, equaling his career high. His 12 saves over the past two games are the most in consecutive matches in his career (previous high was 10).

“I think it’s a long time coming to be honest,” said Marcinkowski regarding his first shutout of the season. “We’ve been playing well in the back, just haven’t found a clean sheet yet. It was a really good night to have our first one and unfortunate not to get more. I thought we deserved a little bit more out of the game, but we’ll take the point and all eyes on Orlando now.”

Stuver stopped all nine shot on target to earn his second shutout of the season.

GAME NOTES: San Jose had seven corner kicks. Austin FC had nine.

Chris Wondolowski made his first start of the 2021 season. It marked his first regular season start since Nov. 8, 2020.

The Earthquakes faced former players Danny Hoesen, Nick Lima, and Andrew Tarbell. The match will mark Hoesen and Lima’s first ever match against the Quakes since their departures from San Jose prior to the 2021 MLS season.

UP NEXT: The Earthquakes take on Orlando City SC in their second consecutive road match on Tuesday 6/22 at 4:30 p.m at Exploria Stadium.