Tag: mls

Union shut out Earthquakes 2-0

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Philadelphia Union goaltender Andre Blake got the stop on the San Jose Earthquakes with one save good enough for a shutout at Sabaru Stadium in Chester PA on Sat Mar 12, 2022 (file photo from mls.com)

by Marko Ukalovic

CHESTER PA— The San Jose Earthquakes offense was as cold as the chilly temperatures.

The Philadelphia Union used the chilly conditions to their advantage in a 2-0 shutout victory over the Quakes on a frigid Saturday evening at Sabaru Stadium.

The temperature at kick off was 20 degrees and only got worse throughout the game.

San Jose is still winless after their first three matches. Philadelphia have won two in a row and have started the season with seven points in three games.

The Union (2-0-1) drew first blood in the 23rd minute. Sergio Santos was able to get around Jackson Yueill on the left wing. Santos’ cross found a wide open Cory Burke who tapped home the ball into an empty net.

San Jose (0-2-1) weren’t able to generate much offense in the opening 45 minutes as they had their ball in their own end for the majority of through half.

“We were lacking the depth to beat Philadelphia today,” said Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda. “Philadelphia beat us out wide and we lost them in the box.”

Philadelphia doubled its lead in the second half after a miscue by San Jose inside the box.

A clearing attempt by the Quakes in the 56th minute went off the forearm of Yueill, who struggled throughout the match playing center back for the first time in his career, setting up a penalty kick.

Daniel Gazdag cashed in the penalty two minutes later with a chip to the right as he got Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski guessing to the left.

Things were chippy between both teams with a combined six yellow cards issued.

Union goalkeeper Andre Blake only needed to make one save to earn the clean slate. Marcinkowski made four saves on six shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with five corner kicks. Philadelphia had three.

Three Quakes rookies made their MLS debut as subs in the second half included Ousseni Bouda, Wil Richmond and 16-year old Nick Tsakiris.

UP NEXT: San Jose continues its road trip against Minnesota United on Saturday 3/19 at 5:00pm at Allianz Field.

Earthquakes down a man come back to earn a point against the Crew in a 3-3 draw on match’s final play

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Francisco Calvo (80) of the San Jose Earthquakes scored two goals in the final two minutes at Pay Pal Park in San Jose for the win over the Columbus Crew on Sat Mar 5, 2022 (photo by San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — Francisco Calvo has only played two games for the San Jose Earthquakes but has already made an immediate impact.

Down by two goals late in the second half and down a man, Calvo scored two goals off two separate headers in the final 10 minutes of the match to earn a 3-3 draw for San Jose over the Colombus Crew on Saturday afternoon at Pay Pal Park.

San Jose (0-1-1) drew first blood early thanks to Paul Marie who drew a penalty kick for San Jose in the fifth minute after Milos Degenek fouled him inside the box.

After video review Christian Espinoza made a slight hesitation before beating Crew goalkeeper Eloy Room with a low show to the left corner of the net for his first goal of the season.

The Quakes were on the wrong end of a controversial call in the 33rd minute. Jamiro Monteiro battled for a loose ball with Darlington Nagbe when both collided with one another. Referee Guido Gonzales Jr. initially issued a yellow card to Monteiro.

After video review, the call was changed to a red card an automatic ejection for Monteiro. They called swung momentum over to the Crew’s side.

Columbus (1-0-2) finally cashed in with San Jose being down a man in the 40th minute. Steven Moreira dribbled inside the box and crossed the ball over to Lucas Zelarayán who blasted a shot into the top right corner for his second goal of the season.

Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda decided to shake up the lineup to start the second half. In were Cade Cowell and Judson for Chofis and Eric Remedi to bring in more of an attacking presence.

Philadelphia gained its first lead in the 68th minute off a set piece. A corner kick resulted in Yaw Yeboah crossing the ball back into the middle where Gyasi Zardes one timed the ball into the back of the net for his first goal of the season.

The Union scored what appeared to be an insurance goal five minutes later off a free kick. Zelarayán recorded his brace when he was able to bend in his right footed shot past Quakes goalie JT Marcinkowski in the 73rd minute.

San Jose cut the lead to one goal in the 84th minute. Ján Gregus centered a free kick from 25 yards out into the middle of box where Francisco Calvo was left unmarked and headed the ball past Room for his first goal as a member of the Earthquakes.

Calvo’s heroics came on the last play of the match thanks to a gaffe by Room that gave San Jose a corner kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Once again it was Gregus who centered the ball into the middle of the box and Calvo headed the ball into the lower right corner for his brace.

Marcinkowski made four saves on seven shots. Room finished with one save on four shots.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with four corner kicks. Colombus had nine.

Nathan, who suffered a torn meniscus in last Saturday’s season opener vs. the New York Red Bulls. He had surgery on Monday and is expected to miss up to two months.

San Jose had their undefeated record vs. Columbus at PayPal Park extended to four matches (2-0-2). Additionally, the Earthquakes extended its unbeaten streak of eight straight home matches against Columbus (4-0-4) dating back to a 3-0 loss in August 2009, also snapped. The eight-game run is San Jose’s longest active home unbeaten run against any single opponent.

UP NEXT: San Jose travels out to Philadelphia to take on the Union on Saturday 3/12 at 4:30pm at Subaru Park.

Earthquakes open 2022 season with 3-1 loss to Red Bulls

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San Jose Earthquakes opened up their regular season against the New York Red Bulls at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Sat Feb 26, 2022 (logos from MLS)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE —It was not the start the San Jose Earthquakes were looking for to begin the 2022 campaign.

The New York Red Bulls scored two second half goals en route to a 3-1 victory on Saturday afternoon over San Jose on Opening Day at Pay Pal Park.

Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda entered his fourth (and possibly his final) season with a roster, for the first time in 13 years, that didn’t feature Chris Wondoloski (retired). However, three new additions in Dutch midfielder Jamiro Monteiro (trade with Philadelphia Union), Costa Rican defenseman Francisco Calvo (free agent signing) and Slovakian midfielder Jan Gregus started for Almeyda in a revamped lineup that also featured Chofis and Cade Cowell.

New York has won the past four matches against San Jose.

San Jose (0-1-0) had a scoring chance in the 15th minute when Cristian Espinoza shot from outside the box was deflected away by Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel, but Monteiro’s rebound attempt was blocked.

The Quakes lost their best defender Nathan to an injury in the 22nd minute and was replaced by Tanner Beason.

New York (1-0-0) had a point-blank attempt from Sean Nealis in the 21st minute but Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski made a diving save without giving up a rebound. Then in the 35th, Marcinkowski made a one-handed leaping save over the net on a shot by Patryk Klimala.

The Red Bulls drew first blood at the end of the first half in the first minute of stoppage time. Lewis Morgan serviced a ball into the middle where Klimala chipped it over Marcinkowski just inside the right post for his first goal of the season.

“It’s going to take some time,” said Almeyda regarding the three new faces in his lineup to make an impact. “Some teammates are able to do it faster than others. I think the three new guys looked good today. Surely, as time goes on, they will get better, and our team will play better.”

San Jose answered back in the 69th minute off of a free kick. Espinoza sent a low line drive into the middle where Chofis headed the ball into the far corner of the net for his first goal of the season.

New York responded three minutes later in the 72nd minute. A turnover near midfield led to Omir Fernandez dribbling in from the left side of the box and shooting the ball through the legs of Marcinkowski for his first goal of the season.

The Red Bulls sealed the deal with a goal in the second minute of stoppage time. Tom Barlow got inside the box and his shot got past Marcinkowski for his first goal of the season.

Coronel just one save on two shots on target to earn the victory. Marcinkowski made four saves on seven shots on target in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with four corner kicks. New York had six.

New York’s John Tolkin, Dru Yearwood and Cristian Cásseres Jr were issued yellow cards during the match. San Jose were issued none.

San Jose is 18-16-9 overall against the Red Bulls franchise.

UP NEXT: San Jose hosts the Columbus Crew on Saturday 3/5 at 2:30pm at Pay Pal Park.

That’s Amaury News and Commentary: Las Vegas the New Gold Rush for Sports

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A view of the front doors of the Tropicana Casino Hotel Resort in Las Vegas which could wind up being the home to either the Oakland A’s or a new MLS franchise (photo by troplv.com)

Las Vegas the New Gold Rush for Sports

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Major League Soccer Commissioner, Don Garber is looking to Las Vegas for expansion: “Las Vegas is a frontrunner for MLS 30th team” said Mr. Garber, who added, “We are looking to build a stadium right off the strip”.

Sin City has gained national attention in recent years with the birth of the NHL Las Vegas Golden Knights and the Oakland Raiders, now Las Vegas Raiders, both playing in the most famous desert in the country.

Now they are also in the mix for MLS 30th team according to Garber who added “our 30th team is really going to round out expansion in Major League Soccer, so stay tuned, because in the first quarter of 2022 we should be announcing a 30th team”.

It makes sense for the MLS build a new stadium for their expansion team in Las Vegas, since that is an outdoor sport with the regular seasons beginning in late February and ending early October, they play lots of games in the summer and in Las Vegas you need an indoor-air conditioned stadium.

Obviously, Oakland A’s aficionados are still in a unique situation where the team is moving forward with two parallel plans one for the Howard Terminal new ballpark at Jack London Square in Oakland, and one someplace in Las Vegas.

That is sort of good news for each plan. In Oakland the EIR (Environmental Impact Report) a 3,500 page document which the city of Oakland planning commission could vote next month and approve. This is just one step in a very long process as the A’s and the city of Oakland are still in on-going negotiations about how to pay for the project and the infrastructure around it.

Meanwhile in Las Vegas, the A’s are also involved in looking for land to build a new stadium. After earlier in 2021 MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred gave the team permission to look for alternate sites in other cities, in case they cannot build the Howard Terminal new park.

The Tropicana Hotel site on Las Vegas famous strip a primary target, also Dave Kaval President of the A’s and John Fisher owner have made repeated visits to the desert and are evaluating other options like a plot owned by Wyndham Hotel and Resorts Las Vegas and another by betting on casino company Caesars Entertainment.

It has been reported also (although not confirmed) that the Hughes Corporation (originally owned by Howard Hughes) has offered “free” land to the Oakland team if they wish to build their new park in Summerlin, an affluent suburb, minutes from the strip. Las Vegas media also has reported the A’s have looked at Henderson, Nevada, just a few minutes from the Strip for their new park

A’s fans by now have heard just about everything they need to know, stuff they like, and stuff they do not, like the team announcing last year a substantial increase in their season tickets, which was not very well received.

The one positive is the Howard Terminal plans are moving along, although (we must keep in mind) still a non-binding agreement. Many scenarios are floating around here in the Bay Area among fans and media.

One is that the A’s will play in 2022 at the Oakland Coliseum but sometime during the season they will announce their plans for the Howard Terminal although it’s still in development however, they do not believe that is going to materialize and announce that they will be moving out of Oakland. By 2023 they will be playing at their AAA facility Las Vegas Aviators Park, while they build their new permanent home in Sin City.

Your guess is as good as anybody. But two things that you can bet on, in the near future Las Vegas will have an MLS team and the other one: sometime this year we will finally know where the A’s are going to play. The Commissioner has made it abundantly clear that his patience with Oakland is about to expire. The ‘fish or cut bait’ scenario is coming soon.

During the 2021 season the Oakland A’s played 80 games at the Oakland Coliseum and averaged 8,767 fans per game, that ranked #29 among the 30 teams in baseball, the Miami Marlins finished last averaging 7,933.

We have to consider that most teams attendance have gone down during the past two seasons because all the Covid-19 restrictions. And this upcoming 2022, which has been in a lockout by owners since last December 2, could figure to be a wild card.

Is another variant on the way after Omicron? How will States handle all this, we are a big and complex country we have 50 States and they all have different laws and regulations.

Like we say on radio as well as television “stay tune for more news to come”

Amaury Pi Gonzalez does News and Commentary weekly at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Wondo says farewell in Quakes final game in 1-1 draw with FC Dallas

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San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski being carried off the field he broke the all-time MLS record for goals on May 18, 2019.—Courtesy of the San Jose Earthquakes.

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE—The greatest goal scorer in MLS history had his swan song.

San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski announced his retirement from the game of soccer to a crowd of 17,075 after his team played its final match of the season to a 1-1 draw with FC Dallas on Sunday afternoon at Pay Pal Park.

What was supposed to happen last year in 2020, finally happened after a career that spanned 17 years. Wondolowski originally intended to have 2020 be his final year in soccer but due to the Covid-19 pandemic that postponed the season for four months and then returned with no fans allowed inside the stadiums, he wanted to play one more full season with the fans in attendence.

Wondo, 38, finished his storied career as the MLS leader in goal with 171, 26 more than any other MLS player (Landon Donovan-145) and 413 games played, including 376 appearances for San Jose, most in club history and third most in MLS history.

He also holds the MLS records for combined regular season and playoff goals (173), goals for one club (167), game-winning goals (46), and goals in 1-0 victories (14), while ranking second in multi-goal games (25) and tied for second in hat-tricks (5).

As for the match, it was only fitting that Wondolowski scored a goal in his final game. His goal broke the ice for San Jose (10-13-11) in the 34th minute. Marcos Lopez sent in a low cross into the box where Wondo one-timed a perfect volley into the left corner of the net for his fifth goal of the season.

FC Dallas (7-15-12) had a chance to even the game late in the half when Quakes goalie Daniel Vega, who made his only start of the season, collided with Jáder Obrian inside the box and was whistled for a penalty by referee Victor Rivas.

However Ricardo Pepi’s penalty attempt in the 40th minute hit off the cross bar and was cleared away by the Quakes as FC Dallas weren’t able to generate a second opportunity.

FC Dallas scored the equalizer two minutes later. Jesus Ferreira’s clearing attempt out of his own zone caught San Jose’s backline flatfooted as it led to a breakaway from Obrian. The 26 year native of Colombia dribbled in and chipped the ball past Vega for his ninth goal of the season in the 42nd minute.

Each team had chances in the final 10 minutes of the match to score the game winning goal but none of the attempts were successful.

Vega didn’t make a save on the one shot on target his faced. FC Dallas goalie Jimmy Maurer made six saves on seven shots as each keeper earned a draw.

For Wondolowski, he wanted to make his announcement in front of the Quakes faithful to give them a chance to say goodbye to him on the pitch one final time.

“I wanted to do this in front of fans instead of in front of a bunch of cameras,” said Wondolowski as he address the crowd. I wanted to do this in front of you because you guys have been there from day one. This is the last run. I told myself I would cry, and I knew that tears would be coming, but thank you guys. It’s been an amazing ride. I can’t thank you guys enough. It starts with my teammates and literally the league. These guys have been there, in the locker room, practices and the battles. I’ve got to thank my family and everyone here. There are more people than I can count, many Wondolowskis, mom, dad. I got my wife and two girls and a little one on the way.”

Wondo couldn’t help but be overcome with emotion as he talked to the crowd and how much each of them meant to him during his career.

“The cool thing is that I get to do this with my hometown team,” the native of Danville continued. “Thank you guys for this wonderful ride. Thank you for being a part of me, pushing me on. I can’t thank you guys enough. This organization is going to do big things. I can’t wait for it, and we’ll be here for the future. Thank you to the fans. From Faultline to Epicenter, the Ultras and everyone here. I can’t thank you guys enough. You guys mean the world.”

Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda had this to say about his time with Wondo over the past three years.

“I enjoyed coaching him. We have an excellent relationship in the humane and sporting aspect. He has been a great professional. A goal scorer is leaving and it is difficult to replace goal scorers, especially him. Hopefully, our young players have recognized the path Chris has taken and follow it. Chris leaves a huge legacy behind, which is the nicest thing to leave behind. Many leave titles, many leave huge numbers, but he leaves a special legacy as the all-time leading scorer. With time, he and many others will realize how important that is,” Almeyda said.

Wondlowski, whose MLS career began in 2005 as a fourth-round Supplemental Draft pick out of Chico State, took home Golden Boot presented by Audi honors during the 2010 and 2012 campaigns. A five-time MLS All-Star and three-time Best XI selection, he also was named the league’s MVP in 2012.

The Quakes have a lot of questions to be answered during the off season such as who will be the next general manager? Will Almeyda return as head coach? Does he want to return? Will the team continue with its youth movement or will they look to acquire veteran talent both domestic and international?

Those questions will have answers to them later on as the offseason progresses.

But today was all about the celebration of Bay Area soccer legend Chris Wondolowski who hung up his cleats one last time.

Earthquakes score four unanswered goals in 4-3 upset win over Real Salt Lake

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The San Jose Earthquakes Chris Wondolowski kicks the ball against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy UT on Sat Oct 30, 2021 (AP News photo)

by Marko Ukalovic

SANDY, Utah—Playing spoiler isn’t such a bad thing.

The San Jose Earthquakes took their new role well as they scored four unanswered goals and then hung on at the end in a stunning 4-3 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday afternoon at Rio Tinto Stadium.

San Jose won their final road game of the season and finished 5-6-7 away from Pay Pal Park. Real Salt Lake failed to to move up in the Western conference standings and currently hang on the seventh and final playoff spot with 45 points.

It was the first time San Jose had won two consecutive games in Rio Tinto Stadium since RSL joined MLS in 2005.

Real Salt Lake (14-13-6) controlled the first 30 minutes of the game as they were able to create counter attacks as San Jose only had three fullbacks to start the game, leaving them vulnerable in its defensive zone.

In the ninth minute, RSL drew first blood. A failed clearing attempt by San Jose led to the ball ending up on the foot of Albert Rusnák. The Slovakian striker made a nice give and go with Damir Kreilach and Rusnák finished off the play with a chip in past Quakes goalie JT Marcinkowski for his ninth goal of the season.

Real Salt Lake came very close to doubling their lead in the 26th minute. A point blank shot from five yards out by Rubio Rubín was stopped by Marcinkowski.

San Jose (10-13-10) turned the tides in the 37th minute. Cade Cowell, who was inserted back into the starting lineup by head coach Matias Almeyda, received a long ball along the right side. The 17-year old forward raced down the right side and centered a ball into the middle where Carlos Fierro diving attempt put the ball into the back of the net for his third goal of the season.

The Quakes earned their first lead of the game in the third minute of stoppage time. Off of a corner, Fierro serviced the ball over to the right side where an unmarked Chris Wondolowski, who also made his return to the starting 11, headed the ball past Real Salt Lake goalie David Ochoa for his fourth goal of the season to cap off an entertaining opening half.

Wondo increased his MLS all-time goal total to 170. With his 13th goal all-time against Real Salt Lake, Wondolowski tied Landon Donovan for the most has scored more against RSL since they joined MLS in 2005 (including playoffs).

San Jose increased its lead to 3-1 in the 69th minute after a spectacular individual effort for Cowell. Marcinkowksi started a counter attack as he kicked the ball out to Cowell near midfield. Cowell raced in, faked out Justen Glad with a move into the middle of the box, then got Ochoa to bite right as Cowell slid the ball into the lower left corner of the net for his fifth goal of the season.

It was Cowell’s first goal since back in May of this year.

The Quakes looked to have put the nail in the coffin in the 79th minute when captain Jackson Yueill pick pocketed the ball off of Rusnák just outside the box. Yueill slammed home a shot top-shelf for his third goal of the season. It proved to be the game winning goal.

Real Salt Lake scored twice in the final eight minutes of the game to make the game closer than it should have been.

Anderson Julio sent a cross into the middle that hopped over two players onto the foot of Maikel Chang for his second goal of the season in the 85th minute.

Rusnák scored his second goal of the match after his left unmarked inside the box and one-timed a centering feed from Aaron Herrera in the third minute of stoppage time for his 10th goal of the season,

Marcinkowski finished the match six saves on nine shots to earn his 10th win of the season. Ochoa made two saves on six shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with 0 corner kicks. Real Salt Lake had 0.

Real Salt Lake had its seven game home winning streak snapped. It had equaled NYCFC for the longest home winning streak of the season. It was also the longest home winning streak in Real Salt Lake’s MLS history.

Damir Kreilach scored his 15th goal of the season in Real Salt Lake’s win over Dallas on Wednesday. Only two players have scored more goals in a single season in RSL’s history: Álvaro Saborio (17) in 2012 and Jeff Cunning ham (16) in 2006.

UP NEXT: The Earthquakes close out the regular season against FC Dallas on Sunday 11/7 at 3:00pm at Pay Pal Park.

Timbers kill Earthquakes playoff bid with 2-0 shutout win

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The Portland Timbers knocked the San Jose Earthquakes out of any chance for post season at Providence Park in Portland on Wed Oct 27, 2021 (USA Today photo)

by Marko Ukalovic

PORTLAND—It was inevitable but the San Jose Earthquakes will be making tee times on November 8th.

The Portland Timbers had their way with the Quakes in a 2-0 shutout win on Wednesday evening at Providence Park.

With the loss, San Jose has been eliminated from playoff contention as they suffered another loss in their house of horrors. The Quakes are 0-11-4 at Providence Park in their history. Portland snapped its three match losing streak.

Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda returned with the same lineup with the exception of the return of Nathan who was suspended for the last match due to yellow card accumulation.

The Timbers played counter ball against the Quakes throughout the match and controlled the majority of the possession in the first half.

San Jose (9-14-10-37 points) best chance to score in the first half came from a shot from Jeremy Ebobisse in the 22nd minute that Timbers goalie Steve Clark made a punch out save.

Portland (16-13-4-52 points) broke the seal in the 34th minute. Felipe Mora sent in a low cross into the middle of the box where Diego Chara slipped behind Tommy Thompson and kicked the ball past Quakes goalie JT Marcinkowski for his second goal of the season.

“I think many dreams came to an end today,” said Almeyda. The sporting dreams that we had. Looking at the first half, we had some chances to open the scoring. The first half was under control, it was even. They hurt us at the right time. In the second half, we were looking for the result because we needed to win. We knew spaces would open up. The team made a huge effort, but we were outplayed by the opponent. We repeated what we had been practicing but we weren’t able to finish our chances. Individual mistakes are possible. We were up against a great team that scores many goals and possesses important players in their offense. Even if we have two matches left, we need to finish the best way possible, but this is the end of what we were preparing for.”

It could have been worse for San Jose in the first 45 minutes if it wasn’t for Marcinkowski. He made two consecutive saves on back to back shots from Mora and Yimmi Chara that resulted in a corner kick for the Timbers in the 39th minute.

In the second half the Timbers came out aggressive looking to double their lead. Mora sent a point blank shot from five yards out that Marcinkowski was able to gobble up.

Once again it was Ebobisse, playing in his first game in Portland as a member of a visiting team, with the Quakes best attempt at getting on the scoreboard in the second half. His shot attempt in the 54th minute from 20 yards out bent in from left to right but Clark was able to get a piece of the ball to keep out of the net.

“I think there was more anticipation than I actually felt in the moment. in the moment, it just felt like another game with guys I spent a lot of years with. Some good and not so good memories. When you’re on the field, it’s all about business. This time around, we did not get the job done which is disappointing, but it was really just another game, ” Ebobisse said.

Portland’s Dairon Asprilla put the game away with what quite possible was the goal of the year in the 55th minute. A ball went into the box that Marcinkowski fumbled off his hands with Asprilla applying pressure on the play. The 29-year Colombian native collected the ball just outside the box, made one touch popping the ball up before sending a backwards bicycle kick that sailed over Marcinkowski and into the back of the net for his 10th goal of the season.

Asprilla has five goals in his last eight matches as he finished with four shots, two on target.

The play was Marcinkowski’s only mistake of the match as he kept the Quakes within striking distance as he continued to make saves late in the match as Portland kept pressure on all the way up to the final minute of the match.

Clark earned his seventh clean sheet of the season as he stopped all five shots on target. Marcinkowski finished the match with 10 saves, a new single-game career high, on 12 shots in a valiant but losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished the match with four corner kicks. Portland had three.

Quakes striker Chofis was issued a yellow card in the 19th minute. He will miss the next match against RSL for yellow card accumulation.

San Jose is now 5-15-9 all-time vs. Portland.

UP NEXT: San Jose plays their final road game of the season on Saturday 10/30 as the take on Real Salt Lake at 12:30pm at Rio Tinto Stadium.

Earthquakes battle Whitecaps to 1-1 draw, keep slim playoff hopes alive

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Vancouver Whitecaps forward Cristian Dajome looks to pass the futbol as the San Jose Earthquakes defender Paul Marie tries to put the stop on him in the first half at PayPal Park in San Jose on Sat Oct 23, 2021 (photo by USA Today)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE—The San Jose Earthquakes playoff aspirations are hanging on by a thread.

On a night where they were looking for a win, the Quakes settled for a 1-1 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday evening at Pay Pal Park.

San Jose now have 37 points and sit in 10th place in the Western Conference, seven points behind Vancouver, who sit in the seventh and final playoff spot with only three games remaining. The Whitecaps have earned points in four straight matches.

The Quakes (9-12-10-37 points) had their chances in the first half to break the seal.

In the fourth minute, Benji Kinkanovic centered a ball into the middle over to Jeremy Ebobisse but his one-timer was saved by Whitecaps goalie Maxime Crepeau.

A nice give and go between Andy Rios and Chofis in the 17th minute led to Chofis shot that sailed high over the net. Another give and go between Chofis and Paul Marie in the 35th minute led to Crepeau corralling Marie’s centering pass to end the scoring chance.

Both teams received a scare in the 37th minute when Rios and Leonard Owusu collided with each other going for a 50/50 ball up in the air. After being on the ground for several minutes, both players were able to continue in the match.

Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda were without the services with fullback Nathan as he was suspended due to yellow card accumulation. In his place Almeyda had Jackson Yueill, normally a midfielder, play in the backline for the first time as an Earthquake.

“We wanted the win,” said Almeyda. “The guys played a great game. They played with devotion and had many goal-scoring chances. We needed to be sharper in the end. Vancouver had a great performance from their goalkeeper. I am satisfied on one hand because the young players are growing. I will keep repeating that once the young players have 20 to 30 matches played, they will be important players in this league.”

Vancouver (11-9-11-44 points) had only two descent scoring chances in the first 45 minutes. Érik Godoy’s header from the center of the box missed to the right following a set piece in the 25th minute. Then three minutes later, Déiber Caicedo right footed shot from outside the box sailed high over the net from a direct free kick.

San Jose played with a desperation needed from a team trying to make the playoffs from the get go. It continued into the second half when Kikanovic’s attempt was saved by Crepeau after Ebobisse’s attempt got that was set up by an Espinoza cross.

The Whitecaps finally drew first blood in the 53rd minute. Brian White sent in a shot from 20 yards out that Quakes goalie JT Marcinkowski initially saved but the rebound leaked out the left side. Bruno Gaspar came in and blasted the rebound top shelf for his first goal of the season.

San Jose answered back in the 60th minute. Eric Remedi started a counter attack inside the Whitecaps zone sending the ball out to Cristian Espinoza along the right side. Espinoza sent over a perfect cross to Kikanovic who one-timed the ball into the back of the lower right corner for his fourth goal of the season.

Kikanovic was rewarded the Man of the Match for his efforts in creating multiple scoring chances for the Quakes.

“I know when Cristian [Espinoza] gets the ball out wide, he’s going to whip it in super hard. I just put myself in a position where I’m in between the ball and the defender and it happened to come to me. I didn’t even really hit it that hard. I kind of just focused on it the whole time and just made sure I made good contact. Those types of balls, it’s already whipped in super hard, so you just have to redirect it. But overall we played really well I thought. We created a lot of chances. I think they only had that one chance and they put it away,” Kikanovic said.

San Jose controlled the possession as well as the tempo in the final 10 minutes of regulation and the four minute of stoppage time.

The Quakes came with inches of scoring the game winning goal in the first minute of stoppage time. Carlos Fierro sent a header back into the middle of the box where Chris Wondolowski’s sliding attempt was saved by a diving Crempeau that was just short of crossing the goal line.

Marcinkowski finished the match with two saves on three shots. Crempeau also made two saves on three shots.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with five corner kicks. Vancouver had two.

Quakes captain Jackon Yueill made his 100th start for the franchise.

The Whitecaps have managed just one win in 13 all-time away matches against San Jose (D7 L5), a 3-2 victory in August 2018. Vancouver did manage a point in its last visit, a scoreless draw on August 13.

Wondolowski, who scored against Austin on Wednesday, has scored 14 goals against the Whitecaps, more than against any other team in his MLS career. No player has scored more goals against a single opponent than Wondolowski against Vancouver since the Whitecaps joined MLS in 2011.

Brian White scored in Vancouver’s comeback win over Portland, his 12th goal contribution since mid-August (10 goals, 2 assists), tied with Cristian Arango (11 goals, 1 assist) for the most goal involvements in MLS in that time.

The Quakes held a ceremony at halftime honoring the 2001 team that won the MLS Cup on its 20th anniversary.

UP NEXT: The Earthquakes travel out to Portland to take on the Timbers on Wednesday 10/27 at 7:00pm at Providence Park.

Earthquakes second half onslaught buries Austin FC 4-0 shutout win

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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.

Arango’s brace powers LAFC past Earthquakes 3-1

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The San Jose Earthquakes’ Carlos Fierro (7) and Chris Wondolowski (8) share congratulations during their game against the Seattle Sounders FC on Wed May 12, 2021 at Pay Pal Park in San Jose. The Quakes lost to LAFC on Sat Oct 16, 2021 at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles (Bay Area News Group file photo)

by Marko Ukalovic

LOS ANGELES—Cristian Arango has been carrying LAFC on his shoulders since Carlos Vela went down to injury as they fight for their playoff lives.

Arango had a brace and an assist in his team’s 3-1 over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday afternoon at Banc of California Stadium.

LAFC are unbeaten in its last two matches (1-0-1) and sit in eight place in the Western Conference with 37 points, one point behind Minnesota FC, who have 38 points and currently the final playoff berth. San Jose have lost three games in a row and and their fading playoff hopes suffered another blow with five games remaining in the season. They are in 10 tenth place with 33 points.

Vela has missed the Black & Gold’s last eight games with a hamstring injury. He missed three games at the beginning of the season with a different injury as well.

LAFC (10-12-7) drew first blood early in the match. In the third minute, a turnover by San Jose led to Arango sending a back pass into the middle of the box where Danny Musovski crashed in and buried a shot through two Quakes defenders and Quakes goalie JT Marcinkowski for his fourth goal of the season.

San Jose (8-12-9) had a chance in the 24th minute to even the score. Jeremy Ebobisse, who made his first appearance since suffering a head injury on September 4th, received the ball inside the box but his chip attempt into an empty net was swept away by Kim Moon-Hwan before the ball was able to cross the goal line.

Arango set up his first goal when he was able to get Jackson Yueill to concede a penalty inside the box in the 26th minute. Yueill made contact with Arango but the Colombian striker sold the penalty when he immediately went down in a heap on the pitch. Referee Alan Kelly ruled Yueill did enough to earn the penalty.

Two minutes later, Arango, better known as “Chicho” came up slowly, hesitated and then shot the ball to the left side, as Marcinkowki guessed to the right, to convert the penalty kick for his team leading seventh goal of the season.

San Jose had two scoring chances during stoppage time at the end of the first half but Ebobisse’s shot went high over the net and Benji Kinkanovic had his shot attempt blocked by an LAFC defender.

“I believe in the first half we were pretty inaccurate when we had the ball,” said Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda. “They put their chances away and we did not.”

Almeyda made all of his substitutions early in the second half as he looked to maintain the momentum his team seized late in the first half. He inserted Cade Cowell, Chris Wondolowski and Andy Rio in the 55th minute to keep the offensive pressure inside LAFC’s defensive zone.

In the 61st minute the moves paid off as San Jose cut the lead in half off a set piece. Chofis serviced a corner kick near the right post where Rios headed the ball past LAFC goalie Jamal Blackman over to Carlo Fierro, who came in as a sub to start the second half, and he knocked the ball off his chest into the back of the net for his first goal of the season.

San Jose had three quality scoring chances in the final 15 minutes to even the match, but Blackman came away with highway robber each time. Cowell first chance in the 75th minute was a blazing shot from just outside the box that Blackman needed both hands to knock the ball away. Jack Skahan’s attempt in the 83rd minute was stoned away by Blackman.

Cowell’s second chance in the 83rd minute from outside the box was thwarted by a diving save thanks to the quick reflexes of Blackman that ended with frustration for San Jose.

“The first 20-30 minutes was tough I think,” said midfielder Shea Salinas. “But our team settled in and ended up playing well the second half. It just wasn’t enough.”

LAFC put the game away in the 88th minute when Brian Rodriguez won a challenge along the midfield sideline along with Yueill. Rodriguez created a two-on-one odd man rush and serviced a ball from left to right over to Arango who one-timed the ball into the far left corner for his second goal of the match and eighth of the season.

Blackman finished the match with five saves to earn the victory. Marcinkowski made two saves on four shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: Each team finished the match with three corner kicks.

Los Angeles FC won their first five meetings with the Earthquakes in MLS, outscoring them, 20-4. San Jose had won all four meetings since, the first team to beat LAFC four straight times in MLS play, regular season or playoffs.

After not allowing more than one goal in 11 straight matches (9 total goals conceded) from mid-July to mid-September, San Jose has conceded at least three goals in five of its last six games (16 total goals conceded). The only team the Earthquakes held under three goals in that time was LAFC (2-0 win on September 25).

Los Angeles FC has held opponents to just 9.9 shots per match, second fewest in MLS (NYCFC – 9.3), though opponents have scored with a league-high 14.9 percent of those shots. San Jose had a total of 15 shots in the match.

Eric Remedi has received 12 yellow cards this season, tied with Leandro González Pirez for most in MLS. Remedi has also been fouled 97 times, 14 more than any other player in the league in 2021.

UP NEXT: San Jose hosts Austin FC on Wednesday 10/20 at 7:30pm at Pay Pal Park.