A timely header from San Jose Earthquakes forward Darren Huckerby in the 83rd minute proved to be the difference Saturday as the Kansas City Wizards suffered a tough 2-1 defeat at Buck Shaw Stadium.
An Arturo Alvarez header had given San Jose a 1-0 lead two minutes before halftime, only for the Wizards' Davy Arnaud to equalize courtesy of a Michael Harrington cross in the 64th minute. That merely set the stage for Huckerby's heroics, as the Englishman headed home Ryan Johnson's knockdown from close range to give the Quakes a priceless victory.
San Jose extended its unbeaten streak to seven games, and crept out of last place in the Western Conference. The Wizards, meanwhile, remain rooted to the foot of the Eastern Conference table.
With both teams in desperate need of points, the pace was frenetic from the outset. The game was just 20 seconds old when Huckerby found Scott Sealy in the box, but Wizards' goalkeeper Kevin Hartman charged off his line to stuff Sealy's goalbound effort. San Jose's Ned Grabavoy collected the rebound but his shot was deflected over the bar by a Wizards defender.
Kansas City responded by winning a series of corner kicks, but all were ably dealt with by the San Jose defense.
The respective game-plans of each team soon revealed themselves, with the Quakes continually trying to set up Huckerby on the left wing, while Kansas City adopted a similar approach as they tried to isolate Harrington against San Jose left back Eric Denton.
As the half progressed it was San Jose who began carrying the play, with Huckerby at the center of its best moves. The Englishman scooped a pass across goal to Ronnie O'Brien in the 21st minute, but the Quakes midfielder could only slam his shot into the side netting.
A running battle between Huckerby and Jack Jewsbury got more intense as the half went on. Jewsbury was whistled for several fouls, drawing the ire of the Kansas City bench, who felt Huckerby was being rewarded for dives.
The Quakes continued to create the better chances and nearly broke on top in the 41st minute when Grabavoy fed Alvarez on the left side of the box. The Quake forward's cross was palmed away by Hartman and then fell straight to O'Brien, but with the goal begging the Irishman opted for placement over power, allowing Hartman to recover and touch his shot over the bar.
It proved a brief respite however, and two minutes later the Quakes were ahead. James Riley found O'Brien on the right wing, and rather than use his favored right foot, the San Jose winger cut inside and lofted a left-footed cross that Alvarez nodded home from six yards out.
In a bid to generate more offense, Wizards' head coach Curt Onalfo brought on Carlos Marinelli for the ineffective Kurt Morsink at halftime, while Harrington and Jewsbury switched positions on the right wing. The moves paid off, as Kansas City was much more dangerous to start the second half.
Aaron Holbein fanned on a Davy Arnaud free kick with the half just two minutes old, and five minutes later Arnaud nearly equalized himself, but his fierce drive was parried away by Cannon.
Alvarez nearly doubled San Jose's advantage when his volley sailed just wide of Hartman's near post, but Kansas City was soon back on the attack and scored a deserved equalizer in the 64th minute when Arnaud one-timed Harrington's cross past Cannon from eight yards away.
The goal sparked San Jose into action, with both Huckerby and O'Brien finding space out wide and delivering hard crosses that had the Wizards defense scrambling.
Substitute Ryan Johnson was then sprung on a clear breakaway in the 69th minute, aided by Wizards defender Jimmy Conrad slipping to the turf, but the Quakes midfielder could only shoot tamely straight at Hartman.
The home side continued to pile on the pressure, and they finally achieved a breakthrough in the 83rd minute. Francisco Lima's chip was nodded across goal by Johnson, and Huckerby was quickest to react, heading home the winner from point blank range.
The Wizards had one last chance to pull level in the 89th minute. Cannon parried a low cross from substitute Roger Espinoza right to Chance Myers, but the Wizards rookie fanned on the shot and the danger was cleared.
Jeff Carlisle is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
