Photo by Jane Gershovich/JaneG. Photography
By JASON MITCHELL
Winless in their last 16 games, a trip to the Emerald City didn’t seem the most likely setting for the San Jose Earthquakes to break a nearly 500-minute scoreless streak. Especially after giving up a goal less than 30 seconds into the match.
Cue an old standby and a shiny new toy.
The Earthquakes rode a brace from club icon Chris Wondolowski and an insurance goal from Innocent Emeghara, the club’s newest Designated Player, to a stunning 3-2 upset over the Seattle Sounders in front of 39,175 at CenturyLink Field on Saturday.
Wondolowski broke a 1-1 tie in the 48th minute, stepping into a loose ball in the penalty area and wasting no time burying a shot past goalkeeper Stefan Frei for the 2-1 lead and his second goal of the night. Brad Evans, playing just his second match since moving to center back, whiffed a back-header to Frei, leaving the ball at Wondolowski’s feet for the open look.
The Earthquakes went to 10 men in the 53rd minute when referee Baldomero Toledo issued a red card to Victor Bernardez for a rough tackle. Despite going down a man, San Jose found an insurance goal in the 70th minute through Emeghara. The Nigerian midfielder worked a crisp give-and-go with Adam Jahn, cut back on Evans after receiving the return pass, and easily beat Frei for the 3-1 lead.
With a man advantage, the Sounders nearly equalized multiple times in a flurry of attacks around the hour-mark. Dempsey sent a close-range header off Bingham’s thigh. Moments later Leo Gonzalez forced a Bingham save with a long-distance rocket. Finally, Dempsey narrowly missed connecting at the far post with a low driven cross from Lamar Neagle.
Obafemi Martins finally managed to pull the Sounders within 3-2 in the 84th minute, tapping in a short cross from late substitute Andy Rose. Marco Pappa forced Bingham into a diving save with a long-range shot just a minute later. Despite earning five more corner kicks, Pappa’s shot was a close as the Sounders came to equalizing.
San Jose entered the match scoreless in 484 minutes, and had not won on the road since May 2014.
Dempsey opened the scoring in just the 18th second, capping a frenzied Sounders’ opening by heading in a rebound off goalkeeper David Bingham. Defender Tyrone Mears sent in the initial shot from distance, a rocket that deflected off Bingham for Dempsey’s third goal in two games.
But despite the bright start, the Sounders — who looked razor sharp in running the New England Revolution off the field last week — struggled with sloppiness on both ends of the pitch, slipping, tripping, and sending simple passes rolling out of bounds.
Minutes after whipping a header off the crossbar, Wondolowski equalized from the penalty spot in the 13th minute, finding himself wide open on the end of a Marvell Wynne cross.
San Jose nearly went ahead twice in the first half. Emeghara got on the end of a cross in 38th minute, but sent a glancing header well past the far post. In first-half stoppage time, Matias Perez Garcia wove through a gaggle of Sounders to create space for himself in the box, but sent a left-footed shot past the left post.
The Sounders were without head coach Sigi Schmid, who missed the game to attend his eldest son’s wedding. Assistant Brian Schmetzer filled in for Schmid, falling to 2-1 as Schmid’s substitute.
The Earthquakes are back in action next weekend, opening their new home, Avaya Stadium, against the Chicago Fire. The Sounders host Club Tijuana of Liga MX in a friendly on March 24 before returning to league play on the road against FC Dallas on March 28.
Here are the match highlights:
Don’t sleep on the Quakes, Kinnear is just starting to put the pieces together.
Outstanding performances from Emighara and Wondo are why Seattle lost- let’s give them credit. Let’s not forget why Wondo has been playing for the Nats the last couple years and made it to Brazil.
Much easier to remember when he’s on an MLS field than w/ the Nats. Shame that.
Wondo and Davis should have been swapped for Donovan and EJ.
I appreciate the outpouring of sentiment for my SSFC every time we play down to the competition, You guys must really know what it’s like to be lose.rs
Brad Evans is awful.
Or due to his history of quiet service and adaptability, Sigi got a bit carried away and put Evans in a pretty thankless, unreasonable position. That was hard to watch.
As a USMNT fan I wish Brad Evsns well he’s been a good servant.. Plus I was interested in the experiment to put him in the middle and thought he had the chops but tonight was rough. If he’s not the answer could be interesting in Seattle.
Point2 what a nice 3rd goal / clinic that was.
point3 wynne deserves mad credit for goal 1 with that hustle save of the ball and nice delivery ..
I remember when sounders where the team getting all love and hate from the fans but you can tell MLS is growing on them and they might need a tune up soon. They can start with getting a new coach next year and not pay Alonso DP money. Also their artificial turf is terrible and they are second to Seahawks and it sucks there is “no land for their own stadium.” Huskies stadium practically got remade like citrus bowl and where is that arena land that can be use for sounders, and why not do something with memorial stadium for their fans.
Just in case I’m not hating, I’m just stating that MLS always grows on teams as the league expands and league gets newer stadiums.
New stadiums coming in are Orlando, San Jose, Toronto 2.0, possibly Sacramento-Minneapolis-Miami and if you are a big team like sounders, then a stadium if yours would be perfect to stay in touch of MLS growth.
they missed Alonso something fierce last night! I’d argue he’s their most important player
True true, goodpoints NASL in El….. I mean expansion ge….. er, rather Mr Taco
Alonso is probably the most important player to that team – why would they cut his pay?
Hopefully the fan base there will insist it. It really is tough to watch games on that plastic. It just feels second rate.
Incredible win for SJ
that Innocent dude is fun to watch. I haven’t gone to a quakes game in years, but I’ll definitely go now.
Sounders have an Incredibly slow back line and midfield. Innocent Emeghara was able to waltz through the defenders even while cramping. Evans was rubbish as CB, kept falling down when turned. After watching Sounders for a few years, I’m convinced they don’t practice on that dreadful surface, as they often have more trouble staying upright than the visitors.
Why can’t they put down grass at least until Football season?
Sounders fans will grow up one day and ask for their own stadium.
For now, they are still growing and once they mature and get tired of being the second child, then they might cry for a new stadium.
It’s impossible to have grass since Seahawks rule clink and hopefully sounders will do something with memorial stadium or the land where the new arena should be made.
A new modern stadium occupying the footprint of Memorial would be sickness, especially with the Space Needle in the background. I don’t known if they can get something 30K or bigger on the location, but Seattle just might need a 40K stadium. Ultimately, they will need to move, unless they get so popular they fill their current stadium every week.