Top Stories

Chris Wondolowski hopes historic away win boosts playoff push

MLS: San Jose Earthquakes at Sporting KC

Photo by Denny Medley/USA TODAY Sports

By SKYLAR ROLSTAD

For a team that had just overwhelmingly ended the opposition’s 15-game home win streak in all competitions with a 5-0 win over Sporting KC at Sporting Park, the San Jose Earthquakes were remarkably focused.

Chris Wondolowski was the star of the night, scoring two goals. His second goal, a header from approximately 15 yards away off an in-swinging cross, was his 100th in his Earthquakes career and lifted him to sixth place on MLS’ all-time scoring list.

“I’m hoping we can reach the playoffs and I’ll be able to reflect on that in the offseason, but (moving to sixth place in scoring is) a really cool thing,” Wondolowski said.

Despite his rise in the record book, Wondolowski remains focused intently on helping his team make the playoffs. The win moved the Earthquakes up to seventh in the Western Conference, three points behind the sixth-place Seattle Sounders, who are in a playoff spot but with one game in hand. The win for San Jose was their second in a row after a 1-0 win over the Colorado Rapids, but before last weekend, the team hadn’t won since June 27.

“The accolades keep coming for that kid. He’s scored goals in many different fashions and in many different stadiums around the league,” San Jose coach Dom Kinnear said. “Congratulations to him, he deserves every single accolade he gets.”

Kinnear said it was San Jose’s pressure on Sporting in the midfield that won the match. His team broke quickly after winning possession to score most of their goals.

“It made good sense to come here, against a really good team, have some good balance in the midfield and it helped,” Kinnear said. “I thought every one of our players had a good game tonight. Sometimes during the season, that doesn’t happen all of the time.”

The loss was Sporting’s worst since 2001. Only a 7-0 loss to Chicago goes down as Kansas City’s worst home loss.

“It’s a very difficult place to win and Kansas City is a very good team,” Wondolowski added. “I think we caught them at a good time tonight—they’ve had a lot of games in a short amount of time.”

Comments

    • Adding Godoy shows the importance of having a stable midfielder who does a lot of things well. He reads the game very well. Obviously a small sample size, but I also noticed him for the same reason in the Gold Cup and thought that he had a lot to do with Panama’s great performance. I don’t know what SJ are paying him, but he’s worth DP money based on what he’s done already.

      Reply
    • He certainly did. I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but his teammates have been trying to set him up in the last two matches. Against Colorado Amarikwa drop a couple at his feet that could have been put away. Wondo’s intensity has become a bit of a curse. He’s hitting his shots with power but no placement (which used to be his strength). Its coincidence that his goal from the run of play was with his head.

      Reply
  1. There were a lot of factors last night.

    1.) SKC did look flat. They also clearly viewed the match as a “gimme.”

    2.) SJ was motivated

    3.) SJ changed lineups went with a 4-4-2 that makes the best use of their talent and exploits the width that SKC’s narrow 4-3-3 concedes. This is why SKC’s outside backs were getting spun and twisted.

    4.) Related to #3, Kinnear has a clear plan on how to beat Vermes’ teams.

    5.) Godoy ia really good.

    Reply
  2. A lil perspective helps here:

    From MLS Recap: “…playing their fourth match in 12 days. Kansas City looked worn out in the back all night…”

    “… who were coming off Saturday’s emotional 4-3 comeback win over Vancouver”

    Reply
    • Eric…..Wondolowski added. “I think we caught them at a good time tonight—they’ve had a lot of games in a short amount of time.”

      But yea, who needs to read nowadays.

      Reply
  3. That was fun. Too bad we need Portland and Dallas to lose most of the rest of their games… assuming we somehow win 7 or 8 out of the next 10… with 7 out of the 10 teams already in a playoff spot… Or maybe a Seattle choke job? I’m torn there, because while everyone loves watching Sounders fans squirm, a healthy Seattle deserves the post-season. So yea. See ya next season Wondo.

    Reply

Leave a Comment