Photo by Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports
By AARON CRANFORD
After a dominant performance against Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, the San Jose Earthquakes arguably did one better Saturday.
Coming on the heels of a 5-0 win during the midweek, the Earthquakes showed the league that they are serious about making a push for the 2015 playoffs by defeating Eastern Conference leader D.C. United, 2-0, in the nation’s capital. The two shutout wins over the course of five days earned San Jose recognition as SBI’s MLS Team of the Week.
Chris Wondolowski led the charge for the Earthquakes, scoring his 105th MLS goal just four minutes into the match. The goal was also Wondolowski’s third in his previous two games. Shea Salinas added the insurance tally in the 52nd minute when Quincy Amarikwa picked him out after making a surging run.
The victory not only gave the Earthquakes their longest winning streak of the season, it also moved them to 35 points and in a tie with the Seattle Sounders, who sit in the sixth and final Western Conference playoff spot.
The Earthquakes’ third consecutive victory earned them honors for SBI’s MLS Team of the Week, just beating out the LA Galaxy, Toronto FC and Real Salt Lake.
What do you think about the Earthquakes’ win this week? Agree they were the best team during this round of action or would you have chosen someone else? Think San Jose will qualify for the playoffs?
Share your thoughts below.
Agree Cato is a very good player and hopefully one that San Jose can keep around for a long time. It’ll be interesting to see what they do with MPG once healthy. In his defense, I understand that he’s more comfortable at the wings instead of the center of the field with which The DOM has been playing him at this year.
It seems that the Earthquakes have found their way. I have a hunch that the addition of Amarikwa and Godoy made all the difference. Also MPG might not have been as helpful as he could have been. This became apparent since he is not on the field right now. Also, giving Cato more playing time is a very good idea. I have always thought that Cato was not given enough credit.
You realize MPG has not been on the field because he is injured?
Steve,
I think that’s the point that Birgit was making. Perez Garcia hasn’t been on the field and the Earthquakes have played better. The issue with him is that he isn’t a true central midfielder at least not in MLS. He’s an attacking mid who should play off of the forward(s) or wide in a 4-3-3. That means he has no true role on a Kinnear coached team and I think that he’ll move home at season’s end.
Playing Cato as an outside back was a waste. As a midfielder he ghosts into positions that make him very hard to defend. He needs to improve his technical game a lot though.
I think it’s a good sign that the Quakes have been able to get the results of the past couple games even without MPG on the field. But it comes across as negative to say that his absence during these games (for whatever reason) implies that he is less important to the Quakes success. The DC result included a good amount of luck for the Quakes that MPG might also have countered had he been in the lineup also… It will be interesting to see how Kinnear sets up for LA.
Nearly all wins require an element of good fortune. In the last match San Jose manufactured their “luck” which is what successful teams do.
I simply don’t see where Perez Garcia fits into Kinnear’s square 4-4-2. Its not as if he was the player who led them through July. San Jose was abysmal and he wasn’t any better than anyone else during that stretch.
Who’s place would he take and how would he make the squad that was sent out in the last two matches better? That’s what an effective coach does and effective is probably the best description of Kinnear that I can give.