The San Jose Earthquakes close out their 2016 season with a Western Conference clash against Sporting Kansas City at Children’s Mercy Park on Sunday, Oct. 23. The match kicks off at 1 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live on CSN California, 1590 KLIV and 1370 KZSF.
The Quakes played to a scoreless draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Sunday, Oct. 16 in their last home game of the season. Defender Marvell Wynne made his 300th MLS appearance in the match, while goalkeeper David Bingham picked up his eighth clean sheet of the season.
OPPONENT INFORMATION
Earthquakes vs. Sporting Kansas City All-Time
MLS Regular Season: 24-22-7
Home: 16-5-6 (38 GF, 21 GA)
Away: 8-17-1 (28 GF, 40 GA)
All-Time Scoring: San Jose – 66, Sporting KC – 61
Last Game vs. Sporting KC
Earthquakes 1, Sporting KC 2; Sept. 24, 2016; Avaya Stadium, San Jose, CA
The San Jose Earthquakes fell 2-1 to Sporting Kansas City at Avaya Stadium in front of a sold-out crowd. After conceding early in the match, the Earthquakes equalized with Simon Dawkins’ goal before Kansas City scored the winner in the 81st minute. The Earthquakes had a chance on goal in the first play of the match in which defender Jordan Stewart sent a cross to forward Quincy Amarikwa. Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Tim Melia punched the dangerous ball to the top of the box and Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski followed up with shot at goal. Melia made the save to keep the score level. The Quakes took an early blow as Amarikwa suffered a right knee injury during that play when he collided with Melia. Henok Goitom replaced Amarikwa to make his fourth appearance with the Quakes since joining the club. In the seventh minute, the visiting side capitalized to get the early lead. After receiving a short free kick from Benny Feilhaber, Paulo Nagamura played a long cross to Dom Dwyer who headed the ball into the back of the net. Moments before the halftime whistle, the Earthquakes equalized. Goitom won the ball in the six-yard box from Kansas City defender Nuno Coelho and laid the ball to Simon Dawkins with the back of his heel. Dawkins simply passed the ball into the goal to make the score 1-1. The second half started with momentum that matched the beginning of the first. Midfielder Alberto Quintero dribbled down the right flank and found Wondolowski sprinting into open space. The Quakes captain flicked the ball at the goal, but Melia made a diving save to deny the chance. Quintero was close to giving the Quakes the lead in the 60th minute, sending a rocket towards the bottom left corner. Melia came to the rescue for Sporting once again. In the 81st minute, Kansas City capitalized on a corner kick to make the score 2-1. Feilhaber took the corner and defender Kevin Ellis, with his back turned to the goal, knocked the ball into the back of the net.
History of the Quakes – Sporting KC Rivalry
The San Jose Earthquakes and Sporting Kansas City, then known as the Kansas City Wiz (later Kansas City Wizards), were two of the 10 original clubs during the inaugural 1996 MLS season … The first meeting between the sides was a thriller on April 21, 2006, at Spartan Stadium … With the game tied 2-2 at the end of regulation, the Clash fell in a lengthy shootout by a score of 8-7 … San Jose’s first win against Kansas City came later that season on May 29, 2-1 at Spartan Stadium, thanks to an Eric Wynalda brace … The teams have faced off twice in the postseason … The Quakes won 3-2 at Spartan Stadium on Nov. 15, 2003, on a 117th-minute Landon Donovan goal in sudden-death overtime, during the Western Conference Finals en route to their second MLS Cup title … The two teams met again in the 2004 MLS Cup Playoffs for a two-game Western Conference Semifinals series … The Quakes took a 2-0 decision in their home leg on Oct. 24, but were then eliminated on aggregate following a 3-0 Wizards victory six days later at Arrowhead Stadium, with current Quake Khari Stephenson grabbing the opener and Jack Jewsbury scoring the all-important third goal in second-half stoppage time … Chris Wondolowski tallied the goal that sealed his first Golden Boot award during the 2010 regular-season finale on Oct. 23 at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, his 18th of the year … The Earthquakes played in the second-ever MLS match at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park on June 17, 2011, falling 1-0 with C.J. Sapong re-directing a free kick from Graham Zusi for the only goal of the match in the 31st minute … San Jose fell 2-1 on the road against Sporting KC in their lone meeting in 2012 on May 27 … The Earthquakes took the 2013 edition of this matchup 1-0 on Aug. 18 at Buck Shaw Stadium with Chris Wondolowski scoring his fifth career goal against Sporting KC … In their only meeting of 2014, the Earthquakes fell to Sporting KC 1-0 after Dom Dwyer converted a penalty kick early in the second half … The San Jose Earthquakes routed Sporting Kansas City 5-0 in their first meeting of the 2015 season at Sporting Park in Kansas City on Aug. 19 with a pair of braces by Chris Wondolowksi and Cordell Cato, and Anibal Godoy’s first career score … The Quakes shut out Sporting KC again in their last matchup up of 2015 on Oct. 16, with Godoy tallying his second goal of the season against them to lead San Jose to a 1-0 win at Avaya Stadium … San Jose defeated Sporting KC 1-0 at Avaya Stadium in their first matchup of 2016 behind Chris Wondolowski’s penalty on April 24 … Sporting KC leveled the season series with a 2-1 victory over the Quakes in San Jose on Sept. 24.
Earthquakes – Sporting KC Connections
SKC defender Ike Opara played for the Earthquakes from 2010-12, making 35 appearances and recording three goals … Earthquakes defender Clarence Goodson and forward Chris Wondolowski have played alongside Sporting KC defender Matt Besler, midfielders Benny Feilhaber and Graham Zusi and forward Brad Davis with the USMNT … SKC midfielder Jacob Peterson appeared in nine games for the Earthquakes in 2011 after arriving in a trade … Quakes defender Marvell Wynne played with Peterson for the Colorado Rapids during the 2009 season … SKC midfielder Roger Espinoza and Quakes defender Victor Bernardez were both born in Honduras … SKC forward Dom Dywer as well as San Jose defender Jordan Stewart and midfielder Simon Dawkins are all from England … SKC midfielder Bernardo Añor and Quakes defender Shaun Francis both played together at the Columbus Crew SC (2011-2012) … SKC midfielder Connor Hallisey was born Granite Bay, CA … Sporting KC midfielder Paulo Nagamura and Quakes midfielder Matheus Silva are both from Sao Paulo, Brazil … SKC goalkeeper Alec Kann and SJ forward Quincy Amarikwa played together at the Chicago Fire from 2013-15 … SKC midfielder Brad Davis made 18 appearances for the Earthquakes in the 2005 season, scoring 2 goals … Quakes forward Chad Barrett and SKC midfielder Justin Mapp played at the Chicago Fire together from 2005-08 … Sporting KC midfielder Benji Joya was born and raised in San Jose.
EARTHQUAKES IN THE COMMUNITY
Trace Elementary Walk-A-Thon
Who: Earthquakes Mascot ‘Q'
What: Meet and Greet
Where: 651 Dana Ave, San Jose, CA 95126
When: Friday, October 21; 3-4 p.m.
Horace Mann Elementary Fall Fundraiser
Who: Earthquakes Mascot ‘Q'
What: Meet and Greet
Where: 55 N. 7th Street, San Jose, CA 95112
When: Saturday, October 22; 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
MDA Muscle Walk
Who: Earthquakes Mascot ‘Q'
What: Meet and Greet
Where: 2305 South White Road, San Jose, CA 95148
When: Sunday, October 23; 8:45-11:30 a.m.
Youth Partner Visit
Who: Earthquakes midfielder Anibal Godoy
What: Milpitas PAL Soccer visit
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
Series Win
The Earthquakes and Sporting KC are set for their third and final matchup of the season, with each club securing a win in their first two meetings. Barring a draw, Sunday’s match will give one team the edge in the season series.
First Appearance
Sunday’s match marks the Earthquakes’ first appearance in Kansas City since routing the club 5-0 at Sporting Park on Aug. 19, 2015.
Looking for Two
The Quakes are looking to capture two wins against Sporting KC for the second straight season after going undefeated (2-0-0) against the club in 2015. The last time San Jose picked up multiple wins in consecutive seasons vs. Kansas City was 2002-03.
Finish Off Strong
The Earthquakes are 7-9-3 all time in their final game of the season. They are looking to finish the year with a win for the first time since 2013 (2-1 vs. FC Dallas at Buck Shaw).
Closing Time
In his seven full seasons with the Earthquakes, Chris Wondolowski has recorded either a goal or assist in the final game of the season five times, including an assist in the club’s season-ending match against FC Dallas last year. Wondolowski scored in the final games in 2010, 2011 (penalty), 2012 (penalty), 2013.
Panamaniac Down
San Jose will be without midfielder Anibal Godoy in Sunday's match against Sporting Kansas City due to yellow card accumulation.
Marvell Makes History
With a start against Vancouver Whitecaps FC, Marvell Wynne became the 36th player in MLS history to appear in 300 matches.
One or Less
The Earthquakes have held their opponents to one goal or less in 23 of their 33 games this season.
On the Leaderboard
Among the Earthquakes that rank near the top in various statistical categories in MLS are:
Chris Wondolowski – 3 penalty-kick goals (t-6th in MLS)
David Bingham – 73.4 saves percentage (5th in MLS)
David Bingham – 105 saves (6th in MLS)
David Bingham – 1.14 goals against average (6th in MLS)
David Bingham – 8 shutouts (t-3rd in MLS)
Alberto Quintero – 80 fouls suffered (2nd in MLS)
MLS Goals Since 2010
Chris Wondolowski has been by far the league’s most efficient striker since 2010, leading the league in goals during that time span:
1. Chris Wondolowski – 114 goals
2. Robbie Keane – 83
3. Alvaro Saborio – 72
4. Kei Kamara – 70
5. Bradley Wright-Phillips – 68
6. Sebastien Le Toux – 56
7. Fabian Espindola – 54
T8. Dominic Oduro – 52
T8. Dom Dwyer – 52
10. Thierry Henry – 51
Wondolowski Continues To Climb All-Time MLS Goals List
Chris Wondolowski knows how to find the back of the net. Here are the top-10 all-time goal scorers in MLS history:
1. Landon Donovan – 145 in 339 games
2. Jeff Cunningham – 134 in 365 games
3. Jaime Moreno – 133 in 340 games
4. Chris Wondolowski – 121 in 258 games
5. Ante Razov – 114 in 262 games
6. Jason Kreis – 108 in 305 games
7. Dwayne De Rosario – 104 in 343 games
8. Taylor Twellman – 101 in 174 games
9. Edson Buddle – 100 in 304 games
T10. Roy Lassiter – 88 in 179 games
T10. Carlos Ruiz – 88 in 182 games
Wondolowski Near Top Of MLS All-Time Game-Winning Goals List
Chris Wondolowski has a flair for game-winning goals. Here are the top-five game-winning goal scorers in MLS history:
1. Landon Donovan – 41 in 339 games
2. Jeff Cunningham – 40 in 365 games
3. Chris Wondolowski – 38 in 258 games
4. Ante Razov – 33 in 262 games
5. Jason Kreis – 31 in 305 games
Road Goals Leaderboard
Here are the top-five goal scorers on the road in MLS history:
1. Landon Donovan – 63
2. Chris Wondolowski – 62
3. Jeff Cunningham – 57
4. Ante Razov – 54
5. Jaime Moreno – 50
Goals for One Club
Here are the top-five goal scorers with a single club in MLS history:
1. Jaime Moreno, DC – 131
2. Chris Wondolowski, SJ – 117
3. Landon Donovan, LA – 113
4. Taylor Twellman, NE – 101
5. Jason Kreis, DAL – 91
Earthquakes Announce 2016 Club Award Winners
The San Jose Earthquakes announced their 2016 club award winners, which includes forward Chris Wondolowski for Most Valuable Player, goalkeeper David Bingham for Defensive Player of the Year and midfielder Shea Salinas for the Andrew Bedard Spirit of the Game Award/Humanitarian of the Year. These awards aim to recognize the players that have made the biggest impact at the Quakes, both on and off the pitch, during the 2016 season.
Earthquakes Announce Devotion Scarf Recipients
The San Jose Earthquakes announced the 10 recipients of a Devotion Scarf for 2016, an honor bestowed upon the most devoted Earthquakes fans, staff, alumni or members of the Earthquakes family. The recipients of the Devotion Scarves were honored at halftime during the match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Avaya Stadium. Devotion Scarves were presented for the first time in 2015 and are now awarded annually at the final home game of the regular season.
ACADEMY UPDATE
The Earthquakes Academy squads posted an undefeated 5-0-3 record this past weekend, including three shutouts. The U12s, U13s and U14s all secured wins over Santa Rosa United on Saturday, with the latter two clobbering their opponents 4-0 and 5-0 respectively. The U16s and U18s also picked up victories on Saturday by defeating the Portland Timbers Academy squads, and both teams played to draws in matches against Seattle Sounders FC on Sunday.
This weekend, all six academy teams will face off against their northern rivals Sacramento Republic FC on Saturday, while the U12s will also match up against EBU Bay Oaks on Sunday.
