S.J. Earthquakes 2-3 Columbus Crew

Columbus Win in Ten Minutes

Saturday May 10th, 2008
MLS - Match 6


Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, CA

Attendance: 9,318

Saturday May 10, 2008

It took 15 minutes for the Earthquakes to get into the match. The Columbus Crew started very well and dominated the first part of the first half, creating a lot of dangerous situations, especially on some of the numerous corner kicks conceded by the Quakes and perfectly executed by Guillermo Barros Schelotto. At the 12th minute, one of them arrived on Ezra Henridckson's head whose tentative shot found the bar!

After this slow start, San Jose started to hold the ball in a much better way and the game became balanced. Scheletto who seemed to be everywhere tonight continued to be dangerous but the Quakes created good chances too and they finally scored at the 42nd minute, on a corner kick taken from the left by Ronnie O'brien, finished by Ramiro Corrales with a diving header form the 6 yard line.

After the break, both teams had great opportunities. The best of them for the Earthquakes was when Kamara deflected a long ball in the run of O'Brien who found himself in a perfect position in the box, on the right side with only William Hesmer between him and the goal. He managed to lob the Crew's keeper but the ball died a few inches wide left (63rd).

The match was balanced, with more and more space in the midfield, allowing both teams to quickly move the ball towards the opposite goal and creating a lot of chances on both sides. Which team was going to take advantage of this situation?

The answer came at the 73rd minute when Emmanuel Ekpo, who replaced Eddie Gaven 4 minutes earlier, sent a perfect ball in the run of Robbie Rogers who just had Joe Cannon to beat. His low shot passed between San Jose's goalkeeper's legs and finished its run in the back of the net (1-1).

This was the beginning of the locals' nightmare. From 1-0 at the 72nd minute, the score went to 1-3 at the 83rd.

Despite the immediate Quakes' good reaction with a great opportunity involving Ryan Johnson, Ramiro Corrales, Ronnie O'brien and Shea Salinas (75th), Alejandro Moreno and Guillermo Barros Scheletto offered two goals to Rogers (81st) and Brad Evans (83rd). Scheletto's performance was absolutely amazing. He was everywhere on the field and dangerous on each corner and free kick (he took all of them). Finally he was THE key player in this match.

The Quakes tried everything to come back and managed to score at the 88th minute, keeping hope alive for the fans who wanted to believe they could at least take 1 point. The final minutes, were played in a great atmosphere, but it was not enough and Columbus took the 3 points.

There is not much to reproach to the Earthquakes. Maybe a better communication between Kamara and Peguero could have helped. They are not used to playing together and it was obvious tonight.

Maybe a less offensive option at 1-1 could have saved a point...But then we would have said they were not ambitious enough.

The best explanation for this loss can probably be found in the quality of the Crew, one of the best teams in the league. San Jose is not far from them and, with more time and work, they will probably get better results. But tonight, the best team was Columbus.

Thierry Heumann (email)

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Earthquakes Stunned by Crew Counterattacks

Going into the match against the Crew last night, a Frank Yallop led Earthquakes team had never lost a game that they led at the half. In fact since 2000 San Jose had a record of 62-3-9 when scoring first and even casual fans of MLS can tell you that the side that nets the first goal usually gets a win or tie. Unfortunately, the expansion Quakes had another first last night, their first blown lead of the regular season.

For once San Jose had been lucky and it was the opposition hitting the bar and squandering chances. The mood in the Casbah and Ultras sections was very upbeat going into the 73rd minute with the home side holding onto a 1-0 advantage. “We all laugh at the yellow soccer team,” the home supporters sang to the tune of The Beatles “Yellow Submarine.”

Then the fates turned ferociously for the Earthquakes and after a nine minute blitz the yellow clad team from Ohio stood on top at 3-1. Here’s a close look at those three goals by Columbus all of which had an eerily similar quality and all of which were similar to goals given up this season to LA, Chicago and New York.

The equalizer came like a bolt of lightening in the 73rd minute. Emmanuel Ekpo who had subbed on for a rather anonymous Eddie Gaven tackled the ball in the Crew end from Ramiro Corrales and played a simple pass over to Brian Carroll who gave it right back into space for Ekpo with his first touch. Ekpo then hit a lovely through ball along the grass from the edge of the Center circle diagonally into the Quakes half. American Youth International speedster Robbie Rogers had timed his run perfectly and his first touch on the ball found him between James Riley and Nick Garcia who were hastily trying to recover. With his second touch Rogers buried the ball low through the onrushing Joe Cannon’s legs and into the goal. 1-1.

In the 80th minute Colombus took the lead. Again it was a quick counter. Chad Marshall whacked the ball high and forward for former Quake Alejandro Moreno to win in the center circle. A spinning Moreno then slipped a perfectly weighted through ball between the San Jose centerbacks to Rogers, who again had managed to slip away from the defense. The 20 year old Rogers is known for his pace and he used it to make sure he beat Cannon to the ball at the top of the box and then used his next touch to coolly slip the ball into the net. Garcia nearly managed to catch up with it for another of his trademark goalline clearances but he could not reach it. 2-1.

Then a mere 2 minutes later Crew first half sub Brad Evans struck. This time a long Frankie Hejduk throw in was controlled and flicked on in a flash by the Crew’s Argentine Designated Player, Guilermo Barros Schelotto, who fittingly gets the credit for the assist on the winning goal. Evan’s picked up the simple through ball, which again fractured the Quakes’ defense right down the middle, left Garcia in his wake, and smashed his shot past Cannon with his fourth touch. 3-1.

Thankfully for the home fans, after the dust settled, the Quakes showed some fight as they produced some shots and chances, which culminated in another goal. This, like their first, also came off a corner and was powered home by impressive substitute Ryan Johnson who easily shook Ezra Hendrickson and put his header into the Crew net via Hejduk’s attempted clearance. The score was 3-2 but it was the 88th minute and San Jose could not find another and left Buck Shaw empty handed and the home fans, who’d really been cheering on the team, brokenhearted.

The reaction by the players and coaches was what you would expect. Yallop looked exasperated. He was shocked that his team had let in three goals so late in the match with victory so close. “We didn’t play particularly well tonight,” Yallop conceded and the disappointment was clearly etched on his face. “We worked on a lot of finishing. Both goals came off of corners but we got to be dangerous in open play as well,” continued Yallop when reporters brought up the end to the goal drought, which was of little consolation since the once solid defense had been split apart.

In the San Jose locker room the mood was somber. Jason Hernandez spoke about the Crew catching the Quakes on three breaks with great runs. “We were a half step behind,” he stated about the goals. “We got to be better at home,” said captain and fellow centerback Nick Garcia. “I just think we feel asleep. We were not anticipating the second ball.”

The mood in the visitor’s locker room was festive. “Gone Daddy Gone” by the Violent Femmes blasted on the boombox. Crew and American International veteran Frankie Hejduk was beaming ear to ear. “Coming out for the second half there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that we were gonna score,” he confidently stated. He spoke about how close they’d been to getting a goal in the beginning of the game and how well the Crew’s effort has been so far this season. “We had a couple of good counterattacks,” he said in matter of fact fashion about the Columbus goals as he prepared to leave his home state for the flight back to the Midwest.

 “He’s got five goals now in six games and that’s what you got to do. You got to stick the ball in the back of the net,” said longtime San Jose foe and current Columbus coach Sigi Schmid about two-goal hero Rogers. “We talked at halftime about getting Robbie back in the game because I thought in the first twenty minutes we were very effective at attacking down that left hand side.” Clearly the plan worked.

Next up for the Earthquakes is a tough match in Massachusetts against last year’s MLS cup runner up New England. The same core of players has started every game so far for San Jose but one may wonder if Frank Yallop might not find a way to get Shea Salinas and Ryan Johnson on the pitch for more minutes. Also it’s expected that Ryan Cochrane will return to the backline. If the Quakes can eek out a point back east then they will have some confidence going into the emotionally charged game against Houston back at intimate Buck Shaw Stadium. If not than a tough season only gets tougher for this year’s MLS expansion team.

Ben Sizemore (email)

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Officials:

Referee: Jair Marrufo- Assistants: Emiliano Monje; Greg Boles- 4th official: Richard Heron

Attendance: 9,318

Yellow cards: 

SJE: James Riley (Professional foul, 4)

Lineups:

San Jose Earthquakes: Joe Cannon - Eric Denton, Nick Garcia (C.), Jason Hernandez,  James Riley -  Ned Grabavoy, Ivan Guerrero (Ryan Johnson, 66), Ramiro Corrales, Ronnie O'Brien (Gavin Glinton, 82) -  Kei Kamara, Jean-Philippe Peguero (Shea Salinas, 64).

Columbus Crew: Will Hesmer - Ezra Hendrickson (Andy Iro, 90), Danny O'Rourke, Chad Marshall, Frankie Hejduk - Robbie Rogers, Brian Caroll, Stefani Miglioranzi (Brad Evans, 31st), Eddie Gaven (Emmanuel Ekpo, 69) - Aljandro Moreno, Guillermo Barros Scheletto.