Quakes try to upend red-hot Chivas
Conference leading Chivas USA head north to tackle San Jose
BUCK SHAW STADIUM, Santa Clara, Calif.
May 2, 2009 (WEEK 7) / MLS Game #51
7:30 p.m. PT (FSN-W; CSN-CA+)
The best team in MLS, Chivas USA, come north to take on the San Jose Earthquakes in a key Western Conference matchup at Buck Shaw Stadium. Chivas have lost just once on the season, sitting atop both the West and MLS overall tables. The Earthquakes are trying to stop the rot of a four-game league winless run, which continued at midweek as they were eliminated by the New York Red Bulls at home in the U.S. Open Cup.
REFEREE: Alex Prus. SAR (bench): Fabio Tovar; JAR (opposite): Emiliano Monje; 4th: Tim Weyland
MLS Career: 142 games; FC/gm: 29.2; Y/gm: 3.4; R: 32; pens: 41
INJURY REPORT: SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES - OUT: DF Jason Hernandez (L calf strain); DF Ryan Cochrane (L ankle surgery); DOUBTFUL: Ramiro Corrales (L ankle sprain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Darren Huckerby (R quadriceps strain) ... CHIVAS USA -- OUT: DF Bobby Burling (sports hernia surgery); FW Alecko Eskandarian (R hamstring strain); DF Ante Jazic (concussion); GK Dan Kennedy (R knee sprain); FW Ante Razov (R ankle surgery); DF Claudio Suárez (L calf strain); DF Lawson Vaughn (L ankle surgery); MF Sasha Victorine (L knee surgery); QUESTIONABLE: MF Bojan Stepanovic (left leg contusion); PROBABLE: FW Justin Braun (R knee sprain); FW Maykel Galindo (sports hernia surgery)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: CHV: Atiba Harris (through May 3)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: SJ: Ramiro Corrales ... CHV: Sacha Kljestan
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (7 meetings): Earthquakes 2 wins, 9 goals ... Chivas USA 2 wins, 7 goals ... Ties 3
AT SAN JOSE: (3 meetings): Earthquakes 1 win, 6 goals ... Chivas USA 1 win, 4 goals ... Ties 1
RETURN MATCH: San Jose Earthquakes at Chivas USA, 7:30 p.m. PT
LAST YEAR (MLS):
7/5: CHV 1, SJ 0 (Razov 88)
8/23: CHV 0, SJ 0
10/11: SJ 0, CHV 1 (Braun 7)
• The teams renewed their rivalry after a two-year hiatus a year ago with Chivas USA winning two of three encounters, and not allowing a goal in any of the matches.
• When Chivas USA defeated the Earthquakes in the first meeting last season, it was their first win ever against San Jose.
• When the Earthquakes were previously in the league, in Chivas USA's inaugural season of 2005, the then-expansion club did not win any of the four meetings. After draws in the first two meetings, the Quakes took the second two, once at each home ground.
• The 3-3 draw between the clubs on April 9, 2005 at Spartan Stadium, though, was the first point registered by Chivas USA and their first goals second, in the second game of their history.
• Coaches record: Frank Yallop vs. CHV: P10 W2 L5 D3 ... Preki v SJ: P3 W2 L0 D1
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
The San Jose Earthquakes saw their winless skid reach four games, Seattle Sounders FC hitting for goals on either side of halftime for a 2-0 victory on Saturday evening at Qwest Field. The Earthquakes are tied for fifth place in the Western Conference with the Houston Dynamo, with six points from five matches, 10 adrift of Chivas USA.LAST MATCH
• Sounders FC were back home after seeing their losing streak extended to two games at Chivas the weekend before, while the Earthquakes had not in three games, coming off a pair of ties, both at home.
• Both goals came on either side of halftime. In the 42nd minute, the Quakes couldn't clear a freekick that pinged around the area, eventually falling to Tyrone Marshall, and his looping cross to the right post was headed home by Steve Zakuani, the second goal for the No. 1 overall pick in this year's SuperDraft.
• Then five minutes after the restart, Nate Jaqua was put through by Zakuani for a 2-on-1, and he slid it square to Brad Evans at the top of the area, who knocked it between Joe Cannon's legs in the San Jose goal for his second on the year.
• Kasey Keller returned from suspension to the Seattle lineup and eclipsed the MLS record for scoreless minutes to start a season. New York's Ronald Waterreus held the old mark of 375 minutes; Keller's streak is at 389 minutes and counting with the shutout.
• Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop made two changes to the team that played to a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy in Oakland the week before. Kelly Gray came in for the injured Ryan Cochrane in central defense, and Shea Salinas made his first start of the season, in central midfield in place of Simon Elliott.
• Here's Yallop's team (4-1-3-2): Joe Cannon - Chris Leitch, Nick Garcia, Kelly Gray, Eric Denton - Ramiro Corrales (Simon Elliott 46) - Arturo Alvarez, Bobby Convey, Shea Salinas (Quincy Amarikwa 65) - Pablo Campos (Cam Weaver 77), Ryan Johnson. Substitutes Not Used: Brandon McDonald, Jamil Roberts, Davide Somma, Andrew Weber
• "On general play, I thought we played well tonight," said Yallop. "I was pleased with the way we kept going. The game hinges basically on Kasey Keller and the save he makes. Seattle is a good team. On tonight's performance, and I've seen them play a lot of other games, they're the best team we've faced all year."
TEAM NEWS
• Since the intense 3-2 win against the Houston Dynamo on March 28, the Quakes have not won, tying twice and losing twice.
• "I think we have a decent side this year," Yallop said. "We've just got to kind of get our groove going a little bit. I think we've played pretty well in spells, but not a full 90 together. Injuries have disrupted some of what we're trying to do. But in this league, you've just got to get on with it. We didn't come in here trying to defend. We came here trying to win."
• It was also the third time this season the Quakes have been shut out - including both of their games on the road.
• "We created a ton of chances in the game," Yallop said. "Soccer-wise, I thought we played pretty well for being away from home. Another night you score a couple and you feel good about it. You know, it's about scoring. They didn't quite have that final touch or have that last pass that made a difference. I thought it was pretty even on chances, probably better for [Seattle] in the first half."
• With Darren Huckerby out for a second consecutive match, Yallop returned Bobby Convey to an attacking midfield role, putting Shea Salinas out wide with Ramiro Corrales in a holding role. But that changed again at halftime when Corrales was forced off with an ankle injury and Elliott resumed his spot in central midfield.
• "I think Darren Huckerby gives us such extreme pace and forcefulness from his position," Yallop said. "I thought Shea [Salinas] had a good night, but Darren's a difference-maker in this league. We miss him."
• In addition to the midfield injuries, Ryan Cochrane underwent ankle surgery last week, and when combined with Jason Hernandez's injured calf, the Quakes are thin in the center of defense. "We need to make sure we get through this game unscathed," said Yallop.
• However, the club went some way in addressing the problem, obtaining versatile Aaron Pitchkolan from FC Dallas for a conditional pick in the 2011 SuperDraft. The five-year veteran out of West Virginia University, who can play central defense, fullback and as a holding midfielder, made 68 appearances for FC Dallas and scored five goals.
• On Wednesday night, the Quakes were eliminated from the U.S. Open Cup with a 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls in a play-in match at Buck Shaw Stadium. The visitors took the lead in the second minute when Mike Petke scored, but Pablo Campos pulled the Quakes level in the 71st minute. But just nine minutes, John Wolyniec scored the game-winner to send the Red Bulls into a second-round play-in game against D.C. United.
• Racked by injury and illness, Quakes manager Frank Yallop had just 15 available players. Here's his team: Andrew Weber, Eric Denton, Kelly Gray, Mike Zaher, Chris Leitch, Shea Salinas, Brandon McDonald (Arturo Alvarez 84), Simon Elliott, Ryan Johnson (Bobby Convey 59), Quincy Amarikwa, Davide Somma (Pablo Campos 46). Substitute not used: Mike Graczyk
CHIVAS USA
Chivas USA returned to their winning ways, coming back home and defeating a 10-man FC Dallas 2-0 on Saturday night at The Home Depot Center. Chivas USA now lead both the Western Conference and the MLS overall table with 16 points from seven matches, four ahead of Seattle Sounders FC in the West and five more than Eastern Conference leaders Toronto FC.LAST MATCH
• Chivas USA were back home after losing for the first time on the season, a 1-0 loss to Toronto FC at midweek, while FC Dallas were coming off their first league win on the season, a 3-2 win against Toronto at home the weekend before.
• The task got tougher for FCD when Dario Sala, making his first appearance after missing four games to a knee injury, was sent off for handling the ball outside the area.
• Chivas broke through midway through the second half. A long ball from Mariano Trujillo on the right flank, and he whipped in a cross that Atiba Harris headed home from the spot for his second marker on the season.
• Harris was then sent off in the 90th minute for a second bookable offense, but before FCD could respond, Chivas made it 2-0. A Zach Thornton punch found Gerson Mayen just outside the Chivas area, and he eventually sent a long ball over the FC Dallas defense for Alecko Eskandarian to run onto. This time Eskandarian carried it into the area before slotting home past substitute 'keeper Ray Burse for his first goal on the year.
• Chivas USA head coach Preki made three changes to the team that lost 1-0 at Toronto FC at midweek. Atiba Harris came into a wide midfield role for Bojan Stepanovic, and Justin Braun and Chukwudi Chijindu formed a new-look strike pair, in place of Alecko Eskandarian and Eduardo Lillingston.
• Here's Preki's team (4-4-2): Zach Thornton - Mariano Trujillo, Carey Talley, Shavar Thomas, Jonathan Bornstein - Sacha Kljestan (Alecko Eskandarian 64), Jesse Marsch, Paulo Nagamura, Atiba Harris - Justin Braun (Maykel Galindo 58), Chukwudi Chijindu (Gerson Mayen 82). Substitutes Not Used: Jim Curtin, Michael Lahoud, Eduardo Lillingston, Lance Parker
• "It was one of those games that we didn't play well," Preki said. "I would like to believe that that's a good thing, when a team that didn't play so well still finds a way to win."
TEAM NEWS
• Chivas USA were somewhat feeling the effects of their midweek venture to Toronto, where the club suffered its first loss on the season.
• "We had a long week. The guys were a little bit more tired than they would be for a normal game," goalkeeper Zach Thornton said. "Give Dallas credit. They came in and pressed us pretty hard and we didn't deal with that particularly well. Preki said we found a way to win and that's a very good sign when a team not on their best night finds a way to get a good result."
• While Chivas USA returned to their winning ways and scored two goals in a game for the fifth time on the season - they now lead MLS with 12 goals total, level with Real Salt Lake - Preki said there is still quite a bit of improvement ahead.
• "I would like to see us playing better soccer. I would like to see us playing more fluid, more organized, not giving so many easy things away," Preki said. "(Saturday) I think we gave away way too many easy things."
• Preki has a very young strike pair to start the match. Justin Braun made his first appearance in four games after suffering a right knee sprain, and the second-year man - making his 15th career league start - played up top alongside Chukwudi Chijindu, making his first professional start.
• "Chuck's fun to play with," said Braun. "He's a very technical player. You never know what he's going to do. He made some things happen for us. He's a player that definitely contributed to the win on Saturday." Said Chijindu: "I just wanted to go out there and try to help my team get three points. I tried to stay relaxed. I just wanted to work hard and play smart."
• As well, 20-year-old Los Angeles native Gerson Mayen came off the bench and added an assist on Eskandarian's late goal. He now leads the league in assists with four. "[Leading the league] is not really a big deal for me right now," said Mayen. "I'm just trying to come out here and compete."
• Bojan Stepanovic, who had started the last two games, did not even come in off the bench, while Maykel Galindo made his first appearance since the season opener, playing 32 minutes.
• "[The young guys] provide depth for our team," said Marsch. "When we need to call on that depth late in games, guys will be ready because they've shown well when they started. It sets our team up well for the rest of the season."
