Photo by Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports
By CLIFF STARKEY
WASHINGTON — With the end of the MLS season fast approaching, the San Jose Earthquakes wasted no time in continuing their late push for a playoff spot.
An early goal by Chris Wondolowski and an insurance score in the second half by Shea Salinas gave the San Jose Earthquakes another important victory in their quest for the playoffs Saturday night against D.C. United in the nation’s capital.
Wondolowski scored just four minutes into the match, when he took advantage of Andrew Dykstra’s inability to parry a save safely out of the box. Dykstra’s save on Quincy Amarikwa’s shot from the left side of the box went directly back into the danger zone, and Wondolowski punished him for it. The goal is Wondolowski’s 12th of the season, and the 105th in his career, moving him ahead of Dwayne DeRosario for sixth-place all time.
D.C. United spent the rest of the half in command of the game while it searched for an equalizer. D.C. United bossed the game in terms of possession — earning eight corner kicks in the first half alone — but despite its efforts, San Jose’s backline was successful in keeping the lead going into halftime.
The second half began with another quick strike by San Jose, when Amarikwa’s long run from midfield in the 52nd minute set up an opening for Shea Salinas to score a second goal for the Earthquakes. Amarikwa found Salinas on the left side of the box, who curled the ball past Dykstra and into the side of the net for San Jose’s second goal of the game, and a vital three points.
After a dominating performance in the midweek at Sporting Kansas City, San Jose entered the game riding high, and Saturday night’s win means that San Jose now has a three-game winning streak. More importantly, the win means that San Jose is now equal on points with the Seattle Sounders for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference.
D.C. United, on the other hand, came into the game firmly in the playoffs race, but the team’s second league loss in a row leaves D.C. United with an even more tenuous grip on the Supporter’s Shield, as both Los Angeles Galaxy and Vancouver Whitecaps could replace D.C. United by the end of the weekend.
Next week, San Jose returns home to host the Los Angeles Galaxy on Friday night, while D.C. United will host Montego Bay United in a CONCACAF Champions League match in midweek, before traveling north to take on the Red Bulls next Sunday.