The San Jose Earthquakes earned a point against Seattle Sounders FC in a 1-1 draw on Saturday night at Avaya Stadium. The Quakes finished the season series undefeated against Seattle, going 2-0-1, including two victories on the road at CenturyLink Field. Fatai Alashe, who made his first career MLS start at center back in place of the injured Victor Bernardez, scored San Jose’s lone goal. Additionally, midfielders Anibal Godoy and Marc Pelosi made their returns to the Quakes starting lineup after missing the team’s last game due to international duty.
The Earthquakes play their fourth of four consecutive matches at Avaya Stadium on Wednesday, September 16, against the Montreal Impact, presented by Jack In The Box. The match, which was originally scheduled for April 25, starts at 7:30 p.m. and will air live on CSN California, 1590 KLIV and 1370 KZSF.
Last MLS Game
Earthquakes 1, Seattle Sounders FC 1; Sept 12, 2015; Avaya Stadium, San Jose, CA
The San Jose Earthquakes earned a point by drawing with Seattle Sounders FC 1-1 at Avaya Stadium and finished the season series with Seattle with an undefeated 2-0-1 record. The result, paired with the Quakes 2-0 victory over Seattle on June 20 at CenturyLink Field, gave San Jose the win in the Heritage Cup with a combined score of 3-1. The Quakes lone goal in the match was scored by Fatai Alashe, who made his first career start on defense in Victor Bernardez’s absence. San Jose has now scored first in each of the last six contests dating back to August 14. Midfielders Anibal Godoy and Marc Pelosi returned to San Jose’s starting XI after missing the team’s last match due to international duty. The Earthquakes remain undefeated in Godoy’s starts, holding a 4-0-1 record in those contests. The Quakes first scoring opportunity came in the 23rd minute. Midfielder Shea Salinas went at his defender with pace, pushing the ball to the end line before attempting to cross the ball in front of several oncoming attackers. However, his pass attempt was blocked and cleared out for a goal kick. Fourteen minutes later, forward Chris Wondolowski nearly gave the home side the lead. Receiving a chipped pass over the defense from Anibal Godoy, Wondolowski turned quickly onto his left foot and curled a shot to the far post, smacking the woodwork. In the 70th minute, San Jose took a 1-0 lead on the head of midfielder Fatai Alashe, who was coincidentally being honored with his very own bobblehead night at Avaya Stadium. Alashe was on the receiving of a precise free kick from Matias Perez Garcia, who had entered the match just seconds prior, and redirected the set piece to the far post. It marked Alashe’s second goal of the season and Perez Garcia’s team-leading seventh assist. Seattle drew level in the 82nd minute. After Quakes keeper David Bingham made a tremendous save on a header by Sounders FC midfielder Andreas Ivanschitz, forward Obafemi Martins volleyed the rebound into the empty net.
MLS Regular Season
San Jose Earthquakes 1-1 Seattle Sounders FC
September 12, 2015 – Avaya Stadium
Attendance: 18,000
Scoring Summary: SJ – Fatai Alashe (Matias Perez Garcia) 70; SEA – Obafemi Martins (unassisted) 82.
Misconduct Summary: SJ – Anibal Godoy (caution) 29; SJ – Fatai Alashe (caution) 37; SEA – Gonzalo Pineda (caution) 55; SEA – Oniel Fisher (caution) 69.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: David Bingham, Marvell Wynne, Fatai Alashe, Clarence Goodson, Shaun Francis, Cordell Cato (Sanna Nyassi 88), Marc Pelosi (Matias Perez Garcia 70), Anibal Godoy, Shea Salinas, Chris Wondolowski, Quincy Amarikwa (Adam Jahn 69).
SHOTS: 10; SHOTS ON GOAL: 2; SAVES: 1; FOULS: 15; CORNER KICKS: 7; OFFSIDES: 3.
SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC: Stefan Frei, Roman Torres (Zach Scott 45), Oniel Fisher, Tyrone Mears, Chad Marshall, Nelson Valdez (Lamar Neagle 60), Brad Evans (Andreas Ivanschitz 46), Erik Friberg, Gonzalo Pineda, Clint Dempsey, Obafemi Martins.
SHOTS: 7; SHOTS ON GOAL: 2; SAVES: 1; FOULS: 18; CORNER KICKS: 2; OFFSIDES: 1.
OPPONENT INFORMATION
Earthquakes vs. Montreal Impact All-Time
MLS Regular Season: 0-2-1
Home: 0-0-1 (2 GF, 2 GA)
Away: 0-2-0 (1 GF, 5 GA)
All-Time Scoring: San Jose – 3, Montreal – 7
Last Game vs. Montreal Impact
Earthquakes 0, Montreal Impact 2; Sept. 20, 2014; Stade Saputo in Montreal, Quebec.
The San Jose Earthquakes lost 2-0 on the road against the Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo on Saturday, Sept. 20. The game was deadlocked for 80 minutes before the Impact broke through for two goals in the final 10 minutes to take the victory. After fighting through the first half, the Quakes had two great chances to take the lead midway through the second half. On the first, Shea Salinas found space on the left wing and curled a left-footed cross in for Atiba Harris, who powered a header that just missed the back post. Moments later, Sam Cronin had a shotfrom distance that seemed destined for the corner before whistling past the post. The Impact took the lead in the 81st minute through Jack McInerney. Marco Di Vaio’s shot was saved by Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch, but the rebound deflected off McInerney into the net. With the game winding down, Dilly Duka scored the Impact’s second, maneuvering around a Quakes defender in the box before finding the far post side-netting for a 2-0 lead.
History of the Quakes – Montreal Impact Rivalry
The Earthquakes played the Montreal Impact for the first time in club history on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012 at Saputo Stadium in Montreal with the hosts winning 3-1 … The second meeting between the two teams ended in a 2-2 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium on May 4, 2013 … The two teams met in 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League Group 5 play with the Impact taking the first leg 1-0 at Saputo Stadium on Aug. 7, 2013 … The Earthquakes kept their CONCACAF Champions League hopes alive with a 3-0 rout of the Montreal Impact at Buck Shaw Stadium … The Quakes most recent match against the Impact ended in a 2-0 loss to at the Stade Saputo in Montreal on September 20, 2014.
Earthquakes-Montreal Impact Connections
Earthquakes forward Mike Fucito played in one game for the Montreal Impact in 2012 … Fucito also played with Impact midfielder Eric Alexander on the Portland Timbers in 2012 … Quakes midfielder Sanna Nyassi played for the Impact from 2012 through part of 2014 before moving to the Chicago Fire … San Jose midfielders Matias Perez Garcia and Leandro Barrera, as well as Impact defender Victor Cabrera, midfielder Ignacio Piatti and midfielder Andres Romero were all born in Argentina … Perez Garcia (Tigre) and Piatti (San Lorenzo) both played in the Primera Division in Argentina from 2012-14 … Earthquakes midfielder Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi (AC Ajaccio) and Impact defender Hassoun Camara (Marseille) both played in Ligue 1 in France from 2006-08 … Earthquakes midfielder Shea Salinas and Impact midfielder Justin Mapp were teammates with the Philadelphia Union in 2010 … Impact forward Kenny Cooper, forward Dominic Oduro and Quakes defender Clarence Goodson all played together on FC Dallas during the 2006 and 2007 seasons … Quakes defender Shaun Francis and Impact midfielder Dilly Duka both played together for the Columbus Crew from 2010-2012 … Impact midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker and Quakes defender Jordan Stewart were both born in England … Reo-Coker, Impact defender Donny Toia and Quakes midfielder Leandro Barrera all played for Chivas USA in 2014 … Montreal Impact forward Romario Williams, as well as Quakes defender Shaun Francis and midfielder Khari Stephenson were all born in Jamaica.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
Alashe Scores Second Career Goal
Earthquakes rookie midfielder Fatai Alashe scored the team’s lone goal against Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday night - a header off a free kick by Matias Perez Garcia. Coincidentally, the goal came on the same night Alashe was being honored with a bobblehead giveaway for the last goal he scored, which was the first ever goal scored at Avaya Stadium.
Immediate Impact
Quakes midfielder Matias Perez Garcia tallied his seventh assist of the season by sending a precise free kick into the penalty area for Alashe to drive home. Perez Garcia, who had entered the match just seconds prior, tallied the assist on his first touch of the match.
Godoy and Pelsoi Return to Starting XI
Midfielders Anibal Godoy and Marc Pelosi returned to the Quakes starting XI after missing the previous match with international duty. Godoy has now made five starts for San Jose since joining the club, and the team is undefeated in those five matches (4-0-1).
Undefeated Against Seattle in 2015
San Jose finished the 2015 season with an undefeated 2-0-1 record against Seattle, despite playing two of the three matches away from home. The Earthquakes have now gone undefeated against Sounders FC in two of the previous four seasons (2012 – 3-0-0).
Heritage Cup
With the Quakes 2-0 win against Seattle on June 20 and the 1-1 draw on Saturday night, the Earthquakes won the Heritage Cup over their Western Conference foes with a combined score of 3-1.
Scoring First
The Earthquakes have found success recently by scoring the game’s opening goal. San Jose has scored first in each of the past six matches dating back to August 14 and hold a 4-1-1 record in those games.
Quakes Among MLS Leaders
Currently, several Earthquakes rank near or at the top of numerous statistical categories. Among them are:
- Matias Perez Garcia – 4 game-winning assists (t-1st in MLS)
- Matias Perez Garcia – 69 fouls suffered (3rd in MLS)
- Matias Perez Garcia – 101 corner kicks (3rd in MLS)
- David Bingham – 92 saves (t-2nd in MLS)
- David Bingham – 10 shutouts (3rd in MLS)
- David Bingham – 11 wins (t-5th in MLS)
- David Bingham – 73.0 save pct. (4th in MLS)
- Chris Wondolowski – 13 goals (6th in MLS)
Greatest Six-Year Span in MLS History
Including 13 goals so far this year, Chris Wondolowski has tallied 99 goals since the start of the 2010 season, the most by any player over a six-year span in MLS history. Wondolowski still has the remainder of this season to add to his league record. Only three other players ever registered more than 80 goals in a six-year span – Taylor Twellman (91 from 2002-07), Roy Lassiter (88 from 1996-01) and Carlos Ruiz (81 from 2002-07).
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 - 99 goals
2. Robbie Keane – 68
3. Alvaro Saborio – 64
4. Kei Kamara – 57
T5. Thierry Henry – 51
T5. Sebastien Le Toux – 51
T7. Landon Donovan – 48
T7. Fabian Espindola – 48
9. Dominic Oduro – 45
10. Dwayne De Rosario – 42
Kinnear Can Keep a Lead
Teams under head coach Dominic Kinnear are 127-12-44 when scoring first, a .814 winning percentage. As head coach of the Earthquakes, Kinnear has only lost three times when his team scored first, a 28-3-9 record overall.
Halftime Success
Since the beginning of the 2000 season, the Quakes are 111-4-23 when leading at the half, including a 7-1-2 mark so far in 2015. They were 6-0-2 in 2014, 6-0-3 in 2013 and an impressive 12-0-1 in 2012, with the only draw coming against Portland on Oct. 27 at JELD-WEN Field. In 2011, the club was 4-2-2, 7-0-2 in 2010, 4-0-3 in 2009, 6-1-0 in 2008, 7-0-3 in 2005, 7-0-1 in 2004 and 8-0-1 in 2003. Despite holding a 1-0 halftime lead on May 10, 2008, vs. Columbus, the Quakes were edged by the final score of 3-2. That game marked the team’s first loss since 1999 when holding a halftime advantage.
Making the First One Count
The Earthquakes are 110-14-33 since 2001 when scoring the first goal. The club is 9-2-3 so far in 2015, after going 5-1-4 in 2014. They were 11-1-3 when scoring first in 2013. In 2012, San Jose was 14-2-2, their two losses coming at Vancouver (2-1) on May 5 and at Montreal (3-1) on Aug. 18. The club was 7-4-5 in 2011, 12-0-2 in 2010, 6-1-5 in 2009 and 8-1-3 in 2008. Prior to 2010, San Jose also went undefeated in 2001 (13-0-2), 2003 (11-0-1) and 2005 (14-0-5) when scoring first. The Earthquakes were 12-2-0 in 2002 when finding the back of the net first, only giving up leads two times in losing 2-1 at the LA Galaxy on July 4, and falling at Kansas City by the same score on July 27. In 2004, the Quakes went 8-1-1 when scoring first, the best mark in MLS. The Quakes surrendered a 1-0 advantage and dropped a 2-1 decision at the LA Galaxy on July 4, 2004, losing for just the first time since July 27, 2002, when striking first. The Quakes are also impressive in the playoffs when scoring first, posting an 8-0-1 record all-time.
Earthquakes to Participate in Childhood Cancer Awareness Month During September
The San Jose Earthquakes will participate in Childhood Cancer Awareness Month at their four home matches during the month of September to recognize and honor children fighting cancer, celebrate those who have defeated the disease, and organizations working to find a cure. The Earthquakes have partnered with the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Austen Everett Foundation and will host children from each of these groups over the course of the month. The children will participate in the high five tunnel as the players walk onto the field, pre game warm ups, first goal and the starting XI experience. San Jose’s four home matches during the month are against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, Sept. 5, Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, Sept. 12, the Montreal Impact on Wednesday, Sept. 16, and Real Salt Lake on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Earthquakes to Host Mexican Heritage Night on September 16
The San Jose Earthquakes will host Mexican Heritage Night on Wednesday, September 16 during their match against the Montreal Impact. The match, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m., was originally slated for April 25, but was rescheduled due to Montreal’s advancement to the CONCACAF Champions League Final against Club America. Mariachi Juvenil Alma de Mexico will be performing live mariachi music outside the main gates of Avaya Stadium, while the 7UP Epicenter will feature local Latin stars SuenaTron. A special halftime performance is also scheduled, featuring the Tezkatlipoka Aztec Dance and Drum group. The San Jose-based group will entertain the crowd with a traditional Aztec dance and drum show. Fans will want to arrive early in order to take advantage of half-priced 20 oz. Modelo Especial at Avaya Stadium’s largest outdoor bar in North America, which can be purchased for $6 each from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Modelo is the official Mexican beer of the San Jose Earthquakes.
ACADEMY UPDATE
The Earthquakes Academy squads, which feature revamped rosters and new coaching staffs, opened up the 2015-16 season in style. The U-18s and U-16s defeated Juventus 5-1 and 7-1, respectively. Meanwhile, the U-16 Pre-Development Academy defeated the De Anza Force 4-3 and the U-14s blanked San Juan 4-0.
