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Earthquakes and Whitecaps play to scoreless draw at Buck Shaw

Jay DeMerit

By KEVIN KOCZWARA

Despite a few good chances for both sides, neither the Vancouver Whitecaps or the San Jose Earthquakes were able to get on the score sheet in their, 0-0, draw at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday night.

The former Major League Soccer Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski had his fair chair of chances to get the Earthquakes on the scoresheet, but was unable to get past Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted. And Vancouver’s Darren Mattocks had a chance late to steal the game with a goal but was unable to convert.

Wondolowski’s first opportunity came in the 3rd minute when he was able to get on the end of a Cordell Cato cross from the right-wing with his head, but he steered the header wide of the Vancouver post.

The best chance of the game came to the Earthquakes in the 19th minute from a corner. Alan Gordon won the initial header and did well to get it low and on frame, but Ousted was there to parry the chance away. The Whitecaps goalkeeper pushed the rebound back into the six-yard-box and to the feet of San Jose defender Clarence Goodson. Goodson was clear on goal, but he blasted his attempt over the bar from five yards away.

There was controversy in the 24th minute as the Earthquakes continued their assault on the Vancouver goal when Ramiro Corrales appeared to be tripped in the box while trying to dribble through the Whitecaps defense. Referee Jair Marrufo ran to Corrales in the box and looked like he was going to blow for a penalty, but, instead, the referee urged play on.

There was a bit of good and bad news later in the first half for Vancouver. Defender Brad Rusin went down injured int he 31st minute and had to come off, but he was replaced by Jay DeMerit, who returned to action for the first time for the Whitecaps after being injured in the first six minutes of their season opener.

Kenny Miller had the best chance for the visitors in the first half when he was able to get around the San Jose defense in the 45th minute and get a shot off from just outside the six-yard-box, but the tight angle allowed Jon Busch to make the save. Miller was given a second chance on the play, though, as the the rebound fell to him, but he put the chance over the net.

Wondolowski enjoyed another good chance in the second half to add to his goalscoring tally when in 61st minute Sam Cronin hit a free kick into the penalty area for Wondolowski to get on the end of. The Earthquakes forward got a touch on the ball but the chance went straight to Ousted.

In the dying moments of the game San Jose continued to create chances for themselves. In the 81st minute a free kick confused everyone in the box and hit the far post before trickling out of play.

Mattocks and Vancouver tried to steal the game in the closing moments. The forward found space on the edge of the San Jose penalty area in stoppage time, but pulled his shot wide.

The draw left both teams tied for seventh place in the Western Conference, two points behind FC Dallas and five points behind the Portland Timbers for the fifth and final playoff spot. Vancouver will head to Montreal next Saturday to take on the Impact. San Jose will host Montreal on Tuesday before visiting Real Salt Lake on Saturday.

Here are the match highlights:

http://player.ooyala.com/iframe.js#pbid=1217310cfc944c6abc338a459554666&ec=1tdDVrZToU6fpfsfFS82z2712DMVt3GV

Comments

  1. The refereeing was again substandard. Ousted elbowed Wondolowski in the neck which snapped back like in a whiplash. Ousted should have gotten a red card for that and the Earthquakes should have had a penalty kick. Otherwise the game was pretty even on both sides. But let’s call fouls when they need to be called. I have played soccer and I know when something is done on purpose. Clumsiness is also no excuse for dangerous play.

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  2. Teams figured out this year that the way to stop Chris Wondolowski is to surround him with two or three defenders and stick to him like glue. With Lenhart injured and on limited minutes (I’d guess he’ll be looking at another knee operation after the season), Gordon regressing to the mean, and Chavez having a steep dip in form, goals have been hard to come by. The coaching hasn’t helped. Whether it’s Watson or Yallop, the “lump-it-into-the box” strategy has been an exercise in futility.

    Already looking toward next season (sorry, but let’s get realistic), contracts are expiring for several of the Quakes best players (Beitashour, Bernardez). With the new stadium and extra revenue postponed to 2015, will Lew Wolff be willing to foot the bill for resigning or upgrades in those positions?

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  3. Credit the Whitecaps, their back line played great D…their CBs took Gordo completely out of the game. We never came close to being able to hold the ball up top. We really needed Lenny for this one. Interesting call by Watson inserting Corrales centrally. Quakes playoff hopes are on fumes…Portland will get in, so the only chance is if Colorado starts dropping points.

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  4. Thanks to the rest of the Western Conference for giving my Sounders a relatively uncontested path to the Supporter’s Shield. Everyone dropped points this weekend except Seattle and FC Frisco. We got some pretenders in the house.

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