COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – The San Jose Earthquakes fell to the Colorado Rapids 5-0 on Wednesday evening at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo.
The Earthquakes will now return to San Jose to prepare for their second road match of the week against LAFC at Banc of California Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 27, presented by Devcon. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT and the match will be broadcast on NBC Sports California, KNBR 1050 and 1370 KZSF.
MLS Regular Season
Colorado Rapids 5 – 0 San Jose Earthquakes
Sept. 23, 2020 – Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colo.
Scoring Summary: COL – Cole Bassett (Jack Price) 35; COL – Jonathan Lewis (Kellyn Acosta) 50; COL – Tommy Thompson (own goal) 70; COL – Nicolas Mezquida (Auston Trusty) 79; COL – Andre Shinyashiki (Cole Bassett) 84.
Misconduct Summary: COL – Kellyn Acosta (caution) 38; SJ – Judson (caution) 43; COL – Andre Shinyashiki (caution) 44; SJ – Danny Hoesen (caution) 86.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: Daniel Vega, Marcos Lopez (Shea Salinas 63), Tanner Beason, Florian Jungwirth, Tommy Thompson; Jackson Yueill, Judson; Cristian Espinoza (Paul Marie 70), Carlos Fierro (Vako 63), Andres Rios (Danny Hoesen 63), Cade Cowell (Chris Wondolowski HT).
Substitutes not used: Eric Calvillo, Luis Felipe, Nick Lima, JT Marcinkowski.
SHOTS: 10, SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; SAVES: 4; FOULS: 13; CORNER KICKS: 4, OFFSIDES: 0.
COLORADO RAPIDS: William Yarbrough; Keegan Rosenberry (Jeremy Kelly 60), Auston Trusty, Lalas Abubakar, Sam Vines; Kellyn Acosta (Nicolas Mezquida 60), Jack Price (Collen Warner 75), Cole Bassett; Jonathan Lewis (Nicolas Benezet 68), Braian Galvan (Drew Moor 68), Andre Shinyashiki.
Substitutes not used: Steven Beitashour, Clint Irwin, Danny Wilson, Deklan Wynne.
SHOTS: 16; SHOTS ON GOAL: 8; SAVES: 4; FOULS: 7; CORNER KICKS: 3, OFFSIDES: 1.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH MATIAS ALMEYDA
On what changes should be made moving forward:
“Realistically, we have all been really looking at ourselves. There are no excuses. It’s really sad to lose the way we have been losing, mostly because we have fans that have accompanied us at a distance. Every team has their history, some more successful than others but nonetheless it’s all history. This is a moment I’ve never experienced in my life. I have some of the blame to not find a way...”
On what can be done to lift the players during these difficult times:
“Day by day, we have been seeking out the changes we want to apply. We do this along with the general manager and all the employees of the club. We do this with a lot of love and passion. The same way I don’t look for individual winners when we win, I would never point the blame at someone individually when we lose. We practice everything that will be applied on the pitch, watch film, and change our strategies. We have a group who has already experienced this adversity before. For a long time that negative mentality was changed, but now we have regressed to that type of mentality.”
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES FORWARD CHRIS WONDOLOWSKI
On the team’s struggles against set pieces:
“We definitely practice it enough, and I think it’s more of a concentration thing and communication thing. I think that set pieces are a bit more complicated than they sometimes look. There is a lot of crossing. There are picks, but there is a lot of time where easy communication can sort that out and sort that out easily. I think that we’re lacking on that right now.”
On the potential for improvement in the last few regular season games:
“Yes. Yes, I do. I mean, to be honest, I think it can only go up from here. It will go up. I think that we can go up. We have the belief. We have the talent. We have the desire at times. It’s putting it all together and executing it all out there.”
On what is needed for an improvement in team performance:
“I think all the above. I think it is a culmination of things. I think that right now we have to be better. We have to keep the ball better. We are missing easy passes, and when you miss easy passes you end up defending a lot more. We are getting done to us what we do to teams. When you possess the ball, you end up wearing teams down, and I believe that is what’s happening to us right now. I think that we need to make sure that we do the little things, make sure we move off the ball, make sure we keep it, make sure we connect our passes, make sure we stretch the field, and also open spaces for your teammates. I think right now we’re being a little too individualistic and defensively not doing our job or tactically either. It’s obviously hurting us and hurting us very badly.”
