SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES vs COLORADO RAPIDS
BUCK SHAW STADIUM, Santa Clara, Calif.
May 7, 2014 (WEEK 10, MLS Game #83)
7:30 p.m. PT (CSN-CA; Altitude)
A vital contest in the Western Conference is ahead at midweek when the San Jose Earthquakes return home to face the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday evening at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Quakes find themselves at the foot of the table in the West, after dropping a 3-2 decision at Vancouver Whitecaps FC last weekend. The Rapids find themselves in fourth place in the division after a 1-0 home win against the LA Galaxy last Saturday.
REFEREE: Ismail Elfath. AR1 (bench): Mike Rottersman; AR2 (opposite): Marco Arruda; 4th: Alejandro Mariscal
MLS Career: 28 games; FC/gm: 24.9; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 8; pens: 8
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: none
DISABLED LIST: SJ: Tommy Muller
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (55 meetings): Earthquakes 26 wins (1 shootout), 83 goals … Rapids 18 wins (2 shootout), 69 goals … Ties 11
AT SAN JOSE (27 meetings): Earthquakes 13 wins (1 shootout), 48 goals … Rapids 8 wins (1 shootout), 35 goals … Ties 6
RETURN MATCHES: 9/27: Colorado Rapids vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 7 p.m. MT
• The teams are meeting for the second time this season, having reached a scoreless draw on April 19 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
• The Rapids last defeated San Jose in the first meeting in the 2011 season. The Quakes have won five of the eight meetings since, with three draws, including the last three matches.
• The Quakes have taken points on their last four trips to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids haven’t defeated San Jose at home since the 2010 season.
• Coaches record: Pablo Mastroeni vs. SJ: P1 W0 L0 D1 … Mark Watson v COL: P3 W2 L0 D1
LAST MEETING (MLS)
4/19: COL 0, SJ 0
• There was only one shot on target between the teams, a 25th-minute effort from Deshorn Brown that brought a save out of Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch.
• The Quakes were left a man down in the 86th minute when midfielder Adam Jahn was sent off by referee Edvin Jurisevic after a challenge on Rapids rookie Jared Watts.
• COLORADO RAPIDS (4-4-2): Clint Irwin - Thomas Piermayr, Shane O'Neill, Drew Moor, Christopher Klute - Jared Watts, Dillon Powers, Nick LaBrocca (Dillon Serna 63), Vicente Sanchez - Deshorn Brown (Gabriel Torres 82), Edson Buddle.
• SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-4-2): Jon Busch - Andreas Gorlitz, Clarence Goodson, Victor Bernardez, Ty Harden - Atiba Harris (Yannick Djalo 70 / Cordell Cato 88), JJ Koval, Sam Cronin, Shea Salinas - Alan Gordon (Adam Jahn 84; ejected 87), Chris Wondolowski.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
The San Jose Earthquakes weren’t able to build on their first win of 2014, seeing Vancouver Whitecaps FC jump out to an early lead before holding out for a 3-2 victory on Saturday afternoon at BC Place. The Quakes are in a tie for eighth place in the Western Conference with 6 points from 7 games.
LAST MATCH
• Whitecaps FC scored the opening goal 10 minutes in when Kekuta Manneh ran into the box and crashed his first effort off the near post before recovering the rebound and curling it in off the far post for his third goal of the season.
• The home side then made it 3-0 by the 20th minute when Pedro Morales scored twice in the space. He first converted a 19th minute penalty – drawn by Darren Mattocks – and quickly followed that up 54 seconds later with a low, 20-yard effort that beat goalkeeper Jon Busch and nestled in the bottom left corner.
• The Quakes pulled a goal back through a Chris Wondolowski penalty on the stroke of halftime after Jay DeMerit was called for a foul against Alan Gordon.
• Wondolowski finished from close range a minute into second-half stoppage time to bring San Jose back to within a goal, but the home side saw out the rest of time for a vital three points.
• Quakes boss Mark Watson made three changes to the team that recorded a 1-0 win against Chivas USA at Buck Shaw Stadium. Brandon Barklage came into the back four for Andreas Gorlitz, Cordell Cato started inon the wing in place of Atiba Harris, and Yannick Djalo came into the side for Alan Gordon.
• SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-4-1-1): Jon Busch - Brandon Barklage (Billy Schuler 78), Clarence Goodson, Victor Bernardez, Jordan Stewart - Cordell Cato (Atiba Harris 73), JJ Koval, Sam Cronin, Shea Salinas - Yannick Djalo (Alan Gordon 14) - Chris Wondolowski.
TEAM NEWS
• The Quakes saw their modest three-game undefeated run come to an end in the loss to Vancouver, after winning for the first time in 2014 the week before.
• “I was, in the end, proud of our guys the way they came back. They got one before halftime, which was crucial, I thought,” said Quakes head coach Mark Watson. “We really had a good time at the start of the second half, played some good stuff and in the end made it a close game.”
• Chris Wondolowski scored a pair of goals, the 14th multiple-goal game of his career, moving him into a tie for eighth place in the all-time MLS leaders list in the category.
• Wondo kept plugging, he got two goals at the end of it. You know, Wondo will always compete and always give everything he has and he did it right to the end. He got his second goal, and probably could’ve had another one tonight,” said Watson.
• Said Wondolowski: “I do know that [U.S. national team coach Jurgen] Klinsmann likes winners. So I’d rather win the game and not score, and done things to help the team win, than to score two goals and see the team lose. He takes everything into account, and for sure he wants winners, so it’s something I want to fix on Wednesday.”
• Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch became the seventh player in MLS history to reach the 1,000-save plateau, in the 3-2 loss in Vancouver over the weekend. Busch has reached the mark in the third-fewest games; he’s one of two active goalkeepers (with RSL’s Nick Rimando) on the list.
• After four appearances as a substitute, Yannick Djaló made his first MLS start, in an attacking midfield role. But he lasted just 14 minutes before being forced from the field with an injury.
• “I think it’s a groin injury which he has been struggling with the past 10 days. So very disappointing,” said Watson. “He felt good before the game and said he was healthy, and that no pain, was sprinting, and doing all the things he needed to do. And then he pulled up, I guess was nine to 10 minutes in and was just disappointed to see him come off.”
• After making three consecutive starts in attack, Alan Gordon came off the substitutes’ bench in Vancouver – but still played 76 minutes in relief of Djalo in a quick tactical shift, partnering Wondolowski in a twin-striker setup.
• After two late substitute appearances in the previous two matches, Cordell Cato returned to the starting lineup in a wide right midfield role.
• “We always have a fighting attitude, and we never really quit. But at the same time, we know we have that. And we don’t have to rely on it,” said midfielder Shea Salinas. “But it’s frustrating, like I said, we’ve got to learn from this and we’ve got to get three points on Wednesday.”
COLORADO RAPIDS
The Colorado Rapids returned home and returned to their winning ways, getting the only goal of the game and holding out for a victory against the LA Galaxy at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The Rapids are in fourth place in the Western Conference with 14 points from 8 games.
LAST MATCH
• The game's lone goal came in the 20th minute. Off a partially cleared corner, Vicente Sanchez chipped a ball from inside the penalty area on the right that appeared to be a pass headed toward defender Drew Moor -- but it lofted over goalkeeper Jaime Penedo and into the top corner of the goal.
• The Galaxy had a glorious opportunity just after the hour mark. Moor was deemed to have caught Galaxy striker Rob Friend -- and referee Hilario Grajeda immediately pointed to the penalty spot. But Robbie Keane pushed the the ensuing spot kick just wide of goal in the 63rd minute.
• Rapids head coach Pablo Mastroeni made five changes to the team that suffered a 4-1 defeat by Seattle Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field. Marvell Wynne and Marc Burch came into the back four for Thomas Piermayr and Shane O'Neill, Marlon Hairston came into the midfield and Deshorn Brown and Vicente Sanchez started up top, replacing Nathan Sturgis Gabriel Torres and Edson Buddle.
• COLORADO RAPIDS (4-4-2): Clint Irwin - Christopher Klute, Drew Moor, Marvell Wynne, Marc Burch - Marlon Hairston (Charles Eloundou 55), Jose Mari, Nick LaBrocca, Dillon Serna - Deshorn Brown, Vicente Sanchez (Edson Buddle 46).
TEAM NEWS
• The penalty kick conceded by the Rapids was their first this season. They have scored four goals directly from five penalty kicks this season – tied for most in MLS (with Chivas USA); there was a goal scored on the fifth from a rebound.
• “We’ve been fortuitous to receive PKs," Rapids head coach Pablo Mastroeni said. "You know they’re going to come against you. It’s just a great sense of relief that you feel, we’re going to win the game when things like that go your way. Again, momentum, spirit of the team, things not going their way, chances going our way; it’s a big, dynamic melting pot of energy.”
• Vicente Sánchez scored his first goal since March 29 – when he started the season with four goals in three matches – to lead the Rapids to the win against the Galaxy. However, Sánchez played only the first half before he had to come off with a knee injury.
• “He’s a class player. He’s a guy that knows what he’s doing two or three steps before anyone else does. That’s why he’s had the kind of career he’s had,” said Mastroeni. “... He’s been here and we’re just thankful to have a player of his caliber and his leadership. But his ability to make the difference in the game, and the first half, I think he’s an important piece to the dynamic movement of the team moving forward.”
• After featuring at left back in each of first three starts this season, Chris Klute shifted over to right back for the Galaxy match.
• “I think Chris did a really good job. He’s comfortable on either side and I think he made a few key stops there at the end and really shut down that side of the field. The guys in front of him did a pretty good job making it predictable for him but I think overall that whole back line did a really good job of keeping the game in front.”
• Said Klute: “I pretty much played center back, left back, right back, all my life. It really wasn’t much of a difference, just how I approach my game is a little different. But it was fine. I was playing right back when I was with the Atlanta Silverbacks so I’m very comfortable there.”
• Marvell Wynne made his first start since March 29, playing the full match in central defense.
• “Obviously we’ve had some rotation all over the field,” said defender Drew Moor. “I thought we did well, I thought we were organized. It really shouldn’t matter who’s in there, or what positions we’re playing. We train for it, we all get on the same page, and I think we showed tonight that we can bounce back from a tough game and get three points when we need to.”
• Rookie Marlon Hairston made his first MLS start, playing 55 minutes on the right of midfield. He had made two substitute appearances totaling 36 minutes before.
• “He told me to go out and be confident. That’s what he tells all the young players, just to go out and play like he knows that we know how to,” said Hairston. “Each training session he sees what we’re capable of, and we just go out and try to not overcomplicate things and just bring a great effort. That’s all he asks from us, and it was a great effort from the guys.”
