Just ten days after coming to Toronto FC on a loan deal from Argentina, Lucas Janson scored on his debut — only to be matched by a player in his 317th MLS match, Chris Wondolowski, as the San Jose Earthquakes scrapped back for a 1-1 draw on Saturday night at Avaya Stadium.
Toronto, coming off Wednesday's Canadian Championship win, and with Jozy Altidore and Chris Mavinga unavailable due to suspension, rolled out an unconventional lineup that only managed a single off-target shot in the scoreless first half, compared to the Quakes' nine.
But a 58th minute double sub that brought Sebastian Giovinco and Gregory van der Wiel into the match paid almost immediate dividends, as they both assisted Janson on his first MLS goal within a minute of entering the action. San Jose made its own supersub by bringing Wondolowski on in the 64th, and he was able to bring the score level less than 15 minutes after taking the field, hammering home the rebound on his deflected shot. That goal ended up securing the draw and bringing him close to a remarkable record.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: For Toronto, one point is better than none, but they've been averaging a point a match with 24 of 34 played, and that pace won't allow them to catch the teams above them in the playoff race, including two teams facing each other on Sunday. For San Jose, one point is also better than none, but they're still parked at just three wins this season, and their missed chances in the first half alone provided enough raw footage for a montage of futility to epitomize their season.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Giovinco and van der Wier coming into the game ratcheted up the stakes, directly led to the game's first goal, and sparked San Jose to counter with an impact sub of their own.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Though Vako and Magnus Eriksson contributed some almost-goals and admirable tempo-pushing, and Janson got a goal in his first MLS match, Wondo showed why he's such an effective finisher in MLS, keeping a respectable run of form for his team — three results in the last four matches — going through effort and perseverence.
Next Up
- SJ: Saturday, August 25 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (10 pm ET | TV & streaming info)
- TOR: Saturday, August 25 vs. Montreal Impact (8 pm ET | TV & streaming info)
