MLS San Jose Earthquakes

Earthquakes Introduce Candidates for MLS Year-End Awards

Published on October 22, 2012 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
San Jose Earthquakes News Release


SAN JOSE, Calif. - The San Jose Earthquakes clinched their second-ever Supporters' Shield and set a Guinness World Record for largest participatory groundbreaking over the weekend. Now, they have four prime contenders for year-end MLS awards, including: Chris Wondolowski for Volkswagen Most Valuable Player, Frank Yallop for Coach of the Year, Alan Gordon for Comeback Player of the Year and Victor Bernardez for Defender and Newcomer of the Year.

Wondolowski has put together one of the finest campaigns in MLS history. He leads the Budweiser Golden Boot race with 26 goals, nine more than his next-closest pursuer, and more than doubled his career high with seven assists. The gaudy goal total is one off of Roy Lassiter's all-time MLS record for a single season, a mark that has stood since the league began in 1996. Earlier in the year, Wondolowski broke the MLS mark for game-winning goals with a running total of 11, two more than the previous record he shared with former LA Galaxy striker Carlos Ruiz. In addition to timely strikes, he managed a staggering 12 goals in 11 games against playoff-bound Western Conference opponents. He has racked up two hat tricks and six multi-goal games, two short of the league record for a single season. For his efforts, Wondolowski has been recognized as MLS Player of the Week four times and MLS Player of the Month on three occasions - the first player in league history to pick up three or more monthly honors in the same season. His efforts have helped the Quakes break a the club record for points in a season. He also netted the MLS' first goal in the AT&T MLS All-Star Game, a 3-2 MLS victory over Chelsea FC.

Yallop has marshaled one of the biggest turnarounds from one season to the next in MLS history. At 19-6-8, Yallop's squad has improved by 27 points and a league-record 11 wins from their 2011 finish. San Jose's 65 points sets a club record and is No. 3 all-time in league history. Yallop engineered an 8-0-1 record against the three next-best teams in the Western Conference in 2012 - Real Salt Lake, Seattle Sounders FC and the LA Galaxy. Additionally, Yallop's Earthquakes have churned out one of the top offensive outputs in league history. With 71 goals through 33 games, San Jose has shattered its previous single-season record of 55, set in 1997. The Earthquakes are the first team since the LA Galaxy and Miami Fusion in 2001 to average more than two goals per game. Even with three talented strikers in the fold, Yallop has found a way to integrate Wondolowski, Gordon and Steven Lenhart; that trio is the first in MLS to score 10 or more goals apiece since 2002 and the first in club history since 1997. Yallop has also been key to the development of third-year defenders Steven Beitashour and Justin Morrow, both of which made the 2012 MLS All-Star squad.

Gordon bounced back from a pair of potentially career-ending surgical procedures at the end of 2011 to post the best season of his nine-year MLS career. Shortly after joining the Earthquakes midway through the 2011 season thanks to a trade with Toronto FC, Gordon was diagnosed with a labral tear in his right hip as well as tears in his rectus abdominis and right and left hip adductors. He was told the extent of the damage might prevent him from ever playing soccer again. Nearly 10 months later, the target man has 13 goals - three-times his previous career high - and seven assists - tying his previous career high. Gordon has scored at a league-leading rate of 0.90 goals per 90 minutes. The Supporters' Shield winners are 13-3-6 with Gordon on the field. He has four game-winning goals and two game-tying assists, including a momentous stretch of back-to-back-to-back late-game tallies in May; that series featured 88th and 90th minute equalizers against Chivas USA and the Columbus Crew, respectively, as well as a 94th-minute game winner against the LA Galaxy. His accomplishments have earned the striker two call-ups to the U.S. Men's National Team, including a recent stint for crucial 2014 World Cup Qualifiers against Antigua & Barbuda and Guatemala; he tallied the game-winning assist in the Americans' 2-1 defeat of Antigua & Barbuda.

Bernardez signed with the Earthquakes on Dec. 21, 2011 and has since been a crucial part of San Jose's back line. Despite an attack-minded approach, which has translated into one of the league's most prolific goal-scoring outputs since 1996, Bernardez has helped the Earthquakes to a No. 8 ranking in goals allowed. The Honduran national team center back has been on the field for each of the Earthquakes' seven shutouts in 2012. The club is 13-4-6 with him on the field, including a 7-0-1 slate against the next three-best teams in the Western Conference - Real Salt Lake, Seattle Sounders FC and the LA Galaxy. He scored a clutch goal to spark a dramatic 4-3 comeback against the LA Galaxy on June 30 at Stanford Stadium, a match that drew reviews as the best in MLS regular season history. He also scored a brilliant free kick winner against Chivas USA on Sept. 2 at Buck Shaw Stadium. Additionally, his lone assist of the year was a crucial one, a driven ball toward goal that Wondolowski tapped in for a 2-1 win against Sounders FC at CenturyLink Field on Sept. 23. Bernardez has been a mainstay on the Honduran national team during the year, suiting up in each of Los Catrachos' 2014 World Cup Qualifiers.

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