SAN JOSE, Calif. –Fatai Alashe awoke Saturday morning to a disappointing realization.
The San Jose Earthquakes rookie was facing the possibility of making his first professional appearance as a center back, but when he looked in the mirror, an unchanged 21-year-old gazed back at him.
“I’m the same height, the same weight. I haven’t gotten any bigger in the last couple of days,” Alashe said. “I was hoping that I’d grow a couple of inches and 30 pounds or so last night, but I woke up and I was the same size.”
In the end, it didn’t matter much. Alashe – listed at 6 feet and 170 pounds by the Quakes – more than held his own, delivering a 70th-minute goal and helping the San Jose defense limit Seattle to just two shots on goal in a hard-fought 1-1 draw. If not for Obafemi Martins’ moment of rebound wizardry, the Quakes could have easily walked away with all three points and jumped into a four-way tie for fourth place in the West.
“I thought he did a great job, especially against that duo,” Quakes captain Chris Wondolowski said, referring to the Sounders’ strike tandem of Martins and Clint Dempsey. “It’s very tough to do. They have great movement, great skill, great players. Smart players as well. I thought Fatai did a great job. To get the goal on top of it, that’s kind of the cherry [on top]. I thought he did a great job and I’m glad he stepped in there.”
Alashe filled in for veteran Victor Bernardez, who had gone down with a right hamstring problem the previous week against Philadelphia. Coach Dominic Kinnear intimated to reporters after the game vs. Seattle that he didn’t make his final decision until Saturday afternoon, but he had at least the possibility of using Alashe in mind soon after Bernardez was hurt.
“After Victor got injured, the next day, Dom talked to me about it and just told me he was thinking about playing me there, so just be prepared if I had to go in there,” said Alashe, who was tested in the first minute by having to go one-on-one against new Sounders DP Nelson Valdez.
The former Michigan State star – who last played center back with the US Under-23 squad at the Toulon Tournament back in late spring – said he used last week to watch video and try to glean secrets of how interior defenders “help themselves out against players like” Dempsey and Martins.
The biggest component of Alashe’s success might have been his ability to listen and synthesize information from the defenders on either side of him – Clarence Goodson and Marvell Wynne – plus goalkeeper David Bingham.
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“We’ve got a lot of veteran guys on the backline, so having those guys today talk me through it definitely helped out a lot,” Alashe said. “I think communication was key between the four of us. ... It was a different position, but I definitely think they helped ease me into it throughout the game.”
Alashe needed little help on his goal, the second of his career. With a quick feint over his right shoulder followed by a sharp turn to his left, Alashe easily dropped marker Lamar Neagle, and ran into space at the top of the 6-yard box that Wondolowski helped clear with a moving pick. The rookie’s open header found side netting at the far post, leaving Stefan Frei very little chance.
It all led to a predictable conclusion: Kinnear told reporters after the game that Alashe would be his No. 1 choice for now to replace Bernardez, if the former Honduran international can’t get ready to on Wednesday vs. the Montreal Impact (10:30 pm ET, MLS Live).
“He said that?” Alashe asked reporters. “That’s fine. Whatever he asks me to do, I’ll do. That’s just the way it is.”
