SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES vs PHILADELPHIA UNION
BUCK SHAW STADIUM, Santa Clara, Calif.
Sept. 8, 2013 (WEEK 28, MLS Game #260)
8 pm PT (ESPN2/Deportes)
The San Jose Earthquakes are looking to take advantage of their home field and start a charge back into playoff position when they play host to Philadelphia Union on Sunday evening at Buck Shaw Stadium before an ESPN2 audience. The Quakes return home off a 3-0 loss at the LA Galaxy last weekend, now five points outside of the top five in the Western Conference. Union are still holding onto a postseason place in the Eastern Conference, hitting the road after a scoreless draw with Montréal Impact last weekend at PPL Park.
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REFEREE: Fotis Bazakos. AR1 (bench): Peter Manikowski; AR2 (opposite): Adam Garner; 4th: Tyler Ploeger
MLS Career: 20 games; FC/gm: 25.0; Y/gm: 3.1; R: 1; pens: 5
DISABLED LIST: SJ: Ty Harden, Peter McGlynn … PHI: Greg Jordan
SUSPENDED: PHI: Amobi Okugo (through Sept. 8)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: SJ: Steven Lenhart, Chris Wondolowski … PHI: Sheanon Williams
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: SJ: Sam Cronin … PHI: Brian Carroll, Danny Cruz, Raymon Gaddis, Michael Farfan, Jeff Parke, Conor Casey
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: SJ: Victor Bernardez, Marvin Chavez (Honduras) … PHI: Michael Lahoud (Sierra Leone)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (5 meetings): Earthquakes 3 wins, 5 goals … Union 1 win, 3 goals … Ties 1
AT SAN JOSE (2 meetings): Earthquakes 1 win, 1 goal … Union 0 wins, 0 goals … Ties 1
LAST YEAR (MLS)
4/28: PHI 1, SJ 2 (Gomez 83 – Lenhart 76, 93+)
• The teams are meeting for the only time this season in league play.
2012 Highlights: PHI 1, SJ 2
• The Earthquakes won the lone meeting between the teams a season ago, a 2-1 win at PPL Park on April 28.
• Union have not won at Buck Shaw Stadium, the Quakes winning 1-0 in the first meeting there, then the teams reached a scoreless result in 2011.
• Coaches record: Mark Watson vs. PHI: first game … John Hackworth vs. SJ: first game
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
The San Jose Earthquakes had their road winless streak continued, falling 3-0 to the LA Galaxy on Saturday evening at StubHub Center. The Quakes sit in eighth place in the Western Conference with 34 points from 27 matches.
LAST MATCH
• The Galaxy took the lead in the 26th minute. From a cleared free kick, Marcelo Sarvas fed Robbie Keane at midfield, and he turned and chipped the ball over the Quakes backline. Landon Donovan ran down the ball in open space, rounded goalkeeper Jon Busch in the area and tucked the ball home from a tight angle.
• Keane doubled the Galaxy lead in the 43rd minute on a penalty kick, when referee Kevin Stott pointed to the spot after San Jose fullback Steven Beitashour fouled Gyasi Zardes.
Highlights: LA 3, SJ 0
• The rout was complete in the 67th. A ball played over the area from the left was knocked back across goal by Zardes, and Keane smashed a full volley past Busch on the bounce from just inside the box.
• Quakes interim head coach Mark Watson made two changes to the team that reached a 2-2 draw with FC Dallas in Frisco. Jason Hernandez came into the back four for the suspended Victor Bernardez, and Steven Lenhart started in place of Rafael Baca.
• SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-1-4-1): Jon Busch - Steven Beitashour, Jason Hernandez, Clarence Goodson, Jordan Stewart - Sam Cronin - Marvin Chavez (Shea Salinas 72), Chris Wondolowski, Alan Gordon (Jaime Alas 76), Cordell Cato - Steven Lenhart (Adam Jahn 90)
TEAM NEWS
• After snapping a four-game road losing streak with the draw at FC Dallas, the Earthquakes had their winless stretch on the road extended to six games in the LA loss. San Jose last won on their travels June 15, a 2-1 win at Colorado in Mark Watson’s first game in charge.
• “Every game is important now. I think right now we have to really concentrate on our home games, we only have four left and we have to win those,” said Chris Wondolowski. “And we have one [this] week, Philly at home, and if we win that it puts us back in the thick of it and hopefully try to go from there.”
• The Quakes were also held without a goal for the fourth time in the six-match road winless run. They have scored nine goals away from home this season, fourth-fewest in MLS (ahead of Chicago, Toronto and D.C. United).
• “We have to start by winning all our home games. I mean that’s a must. Aside from that we have to try to pick up a few road points so we got to do a better job on the road,” said striker Alan Gordon. “This was a really good team and they’ve always been good so it’s tough but these things happen. We have to pick ourselves up, dust off and get back to work.”
• During that span, the Quakes were also held goalless in CONCACAF Champions League losses at Montréal and Heredia of Guatemala.
• Wondolowski dropped into a central midfield position alongside Alan Gordon, with Steven Lenhart deployed as a lone striker, his first start in three matches.
• “I thought [the alignment] was good up until the goal,” said Earthquakes head coach Mark Watson. “I thought the guys in the short time we had to work on it, they did it well. We looked solid. [The Galaxy] weren't getting any dangerous chances up to that point. Prior to their first goal, we were doing well.”
• With Victor Bernardez suspended, Jason Hernandez returned to the starting lineup for the first time in an MLS match since July 13.
• “I wanted us to have a good defensive performance and prevent goals from going in. We knew that they’re a very dangerous team, when they’re on form they’re the best team in the league and if we gave them time and space they were going to hurt us. I thought we were pretty good up until the first goal,” said Watson.
PHILADELPHIA UNION
Philadelphia Union had their winless run extended to three matches, playing to a scoreless draw with the Montréal Impact on Saturday evening at PPL Park. Union sit in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with 39 points from 27 matches.
LAST MATCH
• Impact goalkeeper Troy Perkins was credited with four saves to lead his side to a second consecutive shutout.
• Union 'keeper Zac MacMath was called upon to make just a single save for the clean sheet. MLS Golden Boot leader Marco Di Vaio found the back of the net twice for Montreal, but each time the goal was ruled out for offside.
Highlights: PHI 0, MTL 0
• Union team manager John Hackworth made two changes to the team that fell 5-1 to the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium. Raymon Gaddis came into the back four for the suspended Amobi Okugo, and Jack McInerney came back into the team in place of Michael Farfan.
• PHILADELPHIA UNION (4-1-3-2): Zac MacMath - Raymon Gaddis, Jeff Parke, Sheanon Williams, Fabinho - Brian Carroll - Danny Cruz (Antoine Hoppenot 74), Keon Daniel, Sebastien Le Toux - Jack McInerney (Jose Kleberson 80), Conor Casey (Aaron Wheeler 86).
TEAM NEWS
• Union saw their current winless run extended to three games, held without a goal for the second time in that span – but coming away with a second goalless draw.
• It was the 10th shutout of the season for goalkeeper Zac MacMath, now the league leader in the category, one ahead of a four-way tie in second place.
• “I am just happy that we got another shutout – Zac got another shutout. The defense, we played collectively from the top, from Conor Casey and Jack McInerney all the way back to Zac we played collectively good defense, that is a positive to take out of the game,” said Raymon Gaddis.
• After missing three matches to injury, Gaddis returned to the starting lineup, coming in at right back as Sheanon Williams moved into central defense with Amobi Okugo suspended. Gaddis had featured primarily at left back throughout the entirety of the season.
• “Both Sheanon and Ray were really good tonight. I didn’t get a chance to look at the shots, but I think we limited the number of opportunities that Montreal had significantly,” said Hackworth. “So those guys were excellent. Our whole defense. Jeff Parke was really good organizing it, Fabinho was really good. Zac was good. So team effort defensively that was accomplished.”
• Kléberson came off the substitutes’ bench for the final 10 minutes, his first league appearance since starting four consecutive games May 15-June 1.
• “When a team is really kind of on the ropes and the game’s opened up, and you think that with 20 minutes to play Kleberson could come on and really have an impact,” said Hackworth.
• After coming off the substitutes’ bench for the first time since the season opener the week before, Jack McInerney returned to the starting lineup, partnering Conor Casey in attack.
• “It’s one of those things where the team depends on me to score, and when I do get that one chance that they create for me, I have to do it,” McInerney said. “And I didn’t do it and I kind of let my team down. … When you’re in a little bit of a slump, it’s just kind of a mind game. And right now, I’m kind of in between decisions of what I want to do and that’s what’s really stopping me.”
