San Jose Earthquakes vs. Chivas USA | MLS Match Preview

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES vs CHIVAS USA
BUCK SHAW STADIUM, Santa Clara, Calif.
April 26, 2013 (WEEK 8, MLS Game #69)
7:30 p.m. PT (CSN-BA)

A pair of clubs looking to snap long winless skids meet in a vital Western Conference matchup as the San Jose Earthquakes play host to Chivas USA on Saturday evening at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Quakes are still looking for their first victory of 2014, coming off a scoreless draw at the Colorado Rapids. Chivas USA have gone winless in six games off a season-opening victory, their last match a 2-1 home loss to Seattle Sounders FC last Saturday.

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REFEREE: Allen Chapman. AR1 (bench): Ian Anderson; AR2 (opposite): Mike Kampmeinert; 4th: Ricardo Salazar
MLS Career: 35 games; FC/gm: 21.8; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 7; pens: 8

SUSPENDED: SJ: Adam Jahn (through April 27) … CHV: Marky Delgado (through April 27)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: none
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: none
DISABLED LIST: SJ: Tommy Muller
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (19 meetings): Earthquakes 7 wins, 29 goals … Chivas USA 6 wins, 20 goals … Ties 6
AT SAN JOSE (9 meetings): Earthquakes 4 wins, 17 goals … Chivas USA 3 wins, 8 goals … Ties 2
RETURN MATCHES: 7/2: San Jose Earthquakes vs. Chivas USA, 7:30 p.m. PT; 10/26: Chivas USA vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 12 noon PT

LAST YEAR (MLS)
4/27: CHV 2, SJ 2 (de Luna 47; Bowen 51 – Wondolowski 40; Cato 76)
8/3: SJ 2, CHV 0 (Wondolowski 45, 87)
9/29: CHV 0, SJ 1 (Wondolowski 87)

• The Quakes have not lost to Chivas USA in two seasons, winning two of the three meetings a year ago, including a 1-0 victory at StubHub Center in the final matchup.
• The last Chivas USA victory in the series came July 6, 2011, a 2-0 win in Carson; San Jose is 4-0-2 in the all-time series since.
• Coaches record: Mark Watson v CHV: P2 W2 L0 D0 … Wilmer Cabrera vs. SJ: first game

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

The San Jose Earthquakes remained winless on the new season after reaching a scoreless draw with the Colorado Rapids on Saturday afternoon at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. The Quakes are in ninth place in the Western Conference with three points from five games.

LAST MATCH

• There was only one shot on target between the teams, a 25th-minute effort from Deshorn Brown that brought a save out of Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch.
• The Quakes were left a man down in the 86th minute when midfielder Adam Jahn was sent off by referee Edvin Jurisevic after a challenge on Rapids rookie Jared Watts.
• Quakes boss Mark Watson made four changes to the team that reached a 1-1 draw with the Columbus Crew at Buck Shaw Stadium. Andreas Gorlitz and Ty Harden came in at fullback in place of Brandon Barklage and Jordan Stewart, and Atiba Harris and JJ Koval came into the midfield for Cordell Cato and Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi.
• SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-4-2): Jon Busch - Andreas Gorlitz, Clarence Goodson, Victor Bernardez, Ty Harden - Atiba Harris (Yannick Djalo 70 / Cordell Cato 88), JJ Koval, Sam Cronin, Shea Salinas - Alan Gordon (Adam Jahn 84; ejected 87), Chris Wondolowski.

TEAM NEWS

• The Earthquakes are still looking for their first victory in 2014 after the draw with Colorado – but it marked their first defensive shutout of the year.
• “That’s something we pride ourselves on, being tough to break down, and we hadn’t quite gotten there this season. … I think it’s a big deal,” Quakes head coach Mark Watson said. “To get a point on the road anytime is a good result. ... We had some pretty good moments to score some goals. I don’t know if there were too many shots on target, but we created some really dangerous situations just by our patience and our shape, looking for the moments to go forward.”
• Said center back Clarence Goodson: “They had some crosses, but I don’t remember any saves that [Jon] Busch had to make that were goal-saving saves. They certainly had a lot of corners, but we’re big guys. We don’t give up a lot of opportunities on set pieces. I think we had opportunities to score as well.”
• Watson ran out his team in a new tactical scheme from his usual tried-and-true 4-4-2. Sam Cronin was moved to in a deep-lying central midfield screening role, with Chris Wondolowski shifted into a central midfield spot and Alan Gordon as the lone out-and-out striker.
• “For tweaking things for the first time, I thought there was some improvement,” Watson said. “I thought defensively, we were pretty solid. There were some moments where I thought we moved the ball well and had the extra man in midfield. It’s definitely not a finished product yet, but I thought there were some good signs.”
• JJ Koval was given his first league start, after coming off the bench as a substitute in each of the first four league matches. Koval did play the full 120 minutes in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League series vs. Mexico’s Toluca.
• “He’s been good since Day 1 of preseason, and I thought he deserved an opportunity,” Watson said of Koval. “The situation presented itself, and I thought he played well. He’s definitely still a young guy with a lot of room for growth, but for his first [MLS] start, I thought overall he had a very good performance.”
• Andreas Gorlitz made his MLS debut, coming in at right back and playing the full 90 minutes.
• “He’s been battling injuries for eight weeks now. That was his first 90 minutes and his first time with our first team,” said Watson. “He’s an experienced pro, calm, a good passer of the ball. Defensively he was solid in dealing with Deshorn Brown, who has a lot of pace, and I thought he did well handling a tough Colorado team.”
• A week after making his longest MLS appearance after coming off the substitutes’ bench to start the second half, Yannick Djalo lasted just 18 minutes in a reserve role in the second half before having to be substituted himself.
• “Yannick had a hamstring issue again, which is something that he carried all week. He wasn’t able to train, but he felt really good and felt strong before the game,” said Watson. “He played 15 minutes and he felt it again, so we had to take him out before he did any further damage, which was disappointing, because I thought he looked really bright and sharp when he came on.”

CHIVAS USA

Chivas USA had their winless streak extended to six matches, Seattle Sounders FC coming back for a 2-1 win on Saturday evening at StubHub Center. Chivas USA sit in seventh place in the Western Conference with 6 points from 7 games.

LAST MATCH

• Chivas USA were in the lead just five minutes into the match. Leandro Barrera was taken down just inside the box and referee Ismail Elfath awarded the penalty. Erick Torres converted with ease, beating Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei for his sixth goal of the season.
• Sounders FC were level in the 24th minute, when Lamar Neagle cleaning up after a Clint Dempsey attempt at goal after Chivas goalkeeper Dan Kennedy fumbled the ball inside the box.
• The match turned when Chivas USA midfielder Marco Delgado was sent off in the 73rd minute, and Sounders FC hit for the winner just eight minutes later. Obafemi Martins played a one-two with Dempsey, collecting the return pass in the area and beating Kennedy with a chip shot for the match-winner.
• Chivas USA head coach Wilmer Cabrera made two changes to the team that came back for a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers at Providence Park. Bobby Burling came into central defense in place of Eriq Zavaleta, and Marky Delgado started in midfield for the injured Thomas McNamara.
• CHIVAS USA (4-2-3-1): Dan Kennedy - Eric Avila, Bobby Burling, Carlos Bocanegra, Andrew Jean-Baptiste (Donny Toia 46) - Marky Delgado (ejected 73), Agustin Pelletieri - Mauro Rosales (Luke Moore 86), Carlos Alvarez, Leandro Barrera - Erick Torres (Adolfo Bautista 79).

TEAM NEWS

• Chivas USA saw their winless streak extended to six games, having alternated draws and losses since a season-opening 3-2 home win vs. Chicago.
• “I think on the field we’re showing that we have possibilities to play with any team. It’s not like we’re defending or waiting to see when they’re going to score on us. We play even with any team here and away and weíre going to continue doing that,” said Chivas USA head coach Wilmer Cabrera. “We have to recognize that we cannot make those mistakes with the first goal, that’s a mistake that we cannot make because they’re going to punish us and they did.”
• For the fourth time this season, Chivas USA conceded the tying or winning goal in the 79th minute or later. Chivas has allowed five goals in the final 15 minutes plus stoppage time, tied with Portland for most in MLS.
• “It’s always tough with 10 men and we are home. We are pushing for the win and Clint [Dempsey] picked up an early ball and they broke on us, and those two are good up top, they are a good combination and they punished us at the end,” said Carlos Bocanegra. “It’s unfortunate, but I still think that even with 10 men and before that, we hurt ourselves a little bit more, gave them the ball in some decent situations, and when you are tired, you get punished at the end of the game.”
• Erick Torres scored his sixth goal in seven matches this season for the lone Chivas USA goal, his third penalty kick of the season. Torres is joint leader in the MLS Golden Boot standings with Seattle’s Clint Dempsey.
• “We are building this team and there are lots of new players, but I see improvement on this team. When we go on the field, and I’m on the side, I see we’re playing even. We’re moving the ball, we create options, we attack, we win the ball and it’s not like we’re waiting on the other team to score on us or they’re just shooting at us,” Cabrera said. “No, we play even, have possession, good mobility and create options. But now we have to bring a little bit more of that quality and talent to finish the game and punish the opponent when we create those options.”
• With Thomas McNamara out after suffering a knee injury in the Portland match, Marky Delgado was given his first start of the season. But Delgado will miss the San Jose match through suspension after being sent off with 17 minutes to play.
• After a four-match absence from the first XI, Bobby Burling returned to a starting role in central defense with Eriq Zavaleta unavailable since he was facing his team from where he was on loan.
• “I think we were very good in the back. We didn’t give them a lot. They were trying to slip the through balls all day and they made one great chance of it and that was the goal that Martins got in the second half. As a team we are growing and you can see it.”