ATLANTA, Ga. – The San Jose Earthquakes fell to Atlanta United FC 4-2 Tuesday night at Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, concluding the game with nine men.
Earthquakes Homegrown midfielder Tommy Thompson opened the scoring in the second minute, notching his first MLS goal to give the Quakes an early lead. A second yellow card for defender Kofi Sarkodie in the 32nd minute left the Quakes playing with 10 men.
Atlanta equalized the match 10 minutes into the second half, and took a 2-1 lead in the 65th minute. Making his 229th start for the Quakes to set a new club record, Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski responded immediately to level the game 2-2 in the 66th minute, tying Landon Donovan’s record for most goals scored on the road in MLS history (63).
Atlanta scored twice in the last 10 minutes of the match to make the final score 4-2, while the Quakes were reduced to nine men in the third minute of stoppage time after defender Victor Bernardez received a red card.
The Quakes will now face the LA Galaxy in the Quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at Avaya Stadium on Monday, July 10 at 7:15 p.m. The match will mark the third encounter between the Quakes and the Galaxy since May 27.
MLS Regular Season
Atlanta United FC 4 – 2 San Jose Earthquakes
July 4, 2017 – Bobby Dodd Stadium in Atlanta, GA.
Attendance: 44,974
Scoring Summary: SJ – Tommy Thompson (unassisted) 2; ATL – Carlos Carmona (unassisted) 55; ATL – Josef Martinez (Greg Garza) 65; SJ – Chris Wondolowski (Nick Lima) 66; ATL – Anton Walkes (Julian Gressel) 81; ATL – Josef Martinez (Miguel Almiron) 89.
Misconduct Summary: SJ – Kofi Sarkodie (caution) 10; ATL – Anton Walkes (caution) 15; SJ – David Bingham (caution) 18; SJ – Kofi Sarkodie (ejection) 32; ATL – Carlos Carmona (caution) 42; ATL – Leandro Gonzalez Pirez (caution) 45; ATL – Jeff Larentowicz (caution) 74; ATL – Josef Martinez (caution) 90; SJ – Victor Bernardez (ejection) 90+3.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: David Bingham; Kofi Sarkodie, Andres Imperiale, Victor Bernardez, Nick Lima; Jahmir Hyka (Jackson Yueill 55), Tommy Thompson, Florian Jungwirth, Shea Salinas (Cordell Cato 38); Danny Hoesen (Simon Dawkins 83), Chris Wondolowski.
SHOTS: 13,SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; SAVES: 5; FOULS: 10; CORNER KICKS: 4; OFFSIDES: 1.
ATLANTA UNITED FC: Kyle Reynish; Leandro Gonzalez Pirez, Anton Walkes, Michael Parkhurst, Greg Garza; Yamil Asad (Brandon Vazquez 85), Miguel Almiron; Carlos Carmona (Kevin Kratz 76), Jeff Larentowicz, Hector Villalba (Julian Gressel) 74; Josef Martinez.
SHOTS: 19;SHOTS ON GOAL: 9; SAVES: 2; FOULS: 16; CORNER KICKS: 6; OFFSIDES: 2.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH CHRIS LEITCH
On the game:
“I thought we started really well with a pretty good game plan, and I thought the boys took to executing that pretty darn well. We got on the front foot and scored an early one, but a sequence of events changed the game. That’s what happens sometimes.”
On Tommy Thompson’s first MLS goal:
“Tommy took it well. The work that he’s put in along with all his teammates in the last nine days is unbelievable. When you think the kid is done and can’t go any more, he keeps on going and he took that goal really well.”
On the quick response to Atlanta’s second goal:
“When your best player is the one that constantly steps up in every single game, that is a sign of a damn-good team. That is what Wondo [Chris Wondolowski] does. We weren’t shell shocked for going down a goal, you saw us going right down there and Lima put a heck of a ball in and Wondo does Wondo, and we were right back in the game. It is a great response. Can’t ask for much more than that.”
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES MIDFIELDER TOMMY THOMPSON
On his first MLS goal:
“It feels great. I would have hoped to get my first one in a game that the team won, but to get the monkey off my back feels good and I already look forward to our next game.”
On the team’s performance:
“I thought we put in a great shift. I thought the team stuck together well even when we were down a man. To get the game-tying goal even when we are down a man shows what kind of character this team has. I think we are playing with a lot of confidence and if we had played the game with 11 players, the result would have been different.”
