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 San Jose Earthquakes

Earthquakes Weekly Update

November 5, 2012 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
San Jose Earthquakes News Release


The San Jose Earthquakes will host the second leg of their Western Conference Semifinal, presented by Kaiser Permanente, on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at Buck Shaw Stadium (8 p.m. PT / ESPN2). The Earthquakes hold a 1-0 advantage in aggregate heading into the match and can advance with a win or a tie. Overtime will be played if the series aggregate is tied at the end of regulation with a shootout to follow should the match remain tied.

Injury Report

Out: Mehdi Ballouchy (L - torn ACL), Jacob Hustedt (L - ankle surgery), Tim Ward (L - non - specific soft tissue injury); Probable: Cesar Diaz Pizarro (R - groin strain); Probable: Alan Gordon (R - ankle sprain).

Earthquakes All-Time in MLS Cup Playoffs

Overall: 12-10-1 (36 GF, 29 GA)

Home: 6-2-1 (20 GF, 8 GA)

Away: 4-8 (10 GF, 18 GA)

Neutral: 2-0-0 (6 GF, 3 GA)

In Quarterfinals: 7-8-1 (22 GF, 22 GA)

In Semifinals: 3-2-0 (8 GF, 4 GA)

In MLS Cup: 2-0-0 (6 GF, 3 GA)

LA Galaxy Information

Earthquakes' Last Game vs. LA Galaxy

Earthquakes 1, LA Galaxy 0; Nov. 4, 2012; The Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.

Victor Bernardez blasted a free kick from 40 yards out in second-half stoppage time to send the San Jose Earthquakes past the LA Galaxy 1-0 in the first leg of their Western Conference Semifinal series at The Home Depot Center. Bernardez struck his shot low through the LA Galaxy wall and past goalkeeper Josh Saunders for the decisive goal. The Earthquakes set an MLS record for second-half stoppage-time goals in the regular season with eight and stayed true to form in the postseason with their sixth added-time winner of the year on Sunday. The goal wasn't Bernardez's only contribution on the night. The Honduran international keyed a defensive effort that kept the league's second-most potent offense off the scoreboard for San Jose's eighth clean sheet of the year. Goalkeeper Jon Busch made two saves, including a diving parry in the 66th minute to deny a dipping shot from Galaxy right back Sean Franklin. With the win, the Earthquakes improved to 12-10-1 all time in the MLS Cup Playoffs. Heading into the second leg, San Jose is 6-2-1 during postseason play at home. The Earthquakes and LA have met in five times during the MLS Cup playoffs - in 1996, 2001, 2003, 2005 and now again in 2012.

LA Galaxy Scouting Report

The LA Galaxy (16-12-6, 54 pts.) advanced to the Western Conference Semifinal thanks to a 2-1 win against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Oct. 31 at The Home Depot Center. They dropped Sunday's Western Conference Semifinal first leg 1-0 after Victor Bernardez scored in the 94th minute. The Galaxy are 4-4-1 all time against the Earthquakes in postseason play and hold a 13-11 goal advantage. The two sides have met in the MLS Cup Playoffs on five separate occasions - 1996, 2001, 2003, 2005 and now again in 2012. Counting the regular season, the Galaxy are 0-3-1 against San Jose in 2012. The offensive-minded club finished the season with the second-most goals in MLS (59) while conceding 47 times. Robbie Keane led the way with 16 goals and nine assists while Landon Donovan chipped in with nine goals and 14 assists.

History of the Quakes - LA Galaxy Rivalry

San Jose is 17-25-9 all-time against the LA Galaxy, including 12-9-6 at home and 1-0-1 at Buck Shaw Stadium ... As the two original MLS teams in California, the Earthquakes (then known as the Clash) and the Galaxy met for the first time on April 28, 1996, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. ... In front of a crowd of 40,347, the Clash fell to the Galaxy, 2-1 ... From 1996-2005, the in-state rivals matched up more than any other teams in the league ... Along with playing each other 48 times in the regular season, the Quakes and the Galaxy have also faced off eight times in the postseason and four times in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup ... The teams squared off in the playoffs in 1996, 2003 and 2005, as well as the 2001 MLS Cup ... The Galaxy captured the 1996 conference semifinal series, two games to one, taking the final two contests at the Rose Bowl by identical scores of 2-0 ... In 2001, the sides met in the MLS Cup, with the Quakes producing a come-from-behind 2-1 triumph at Columbus Crew Stadium as Dwayne De Rosario scored the winner in overtime ... The 2003 Western Conference Semifinal series produced one of the most memorable games in league history ... After dropping the road leg of a two-game set, 2-0, San Jose fell behind by that same score after just 13 minutes of the home return to trail the series, 4-0 on aggregate ... The Quakes responded with a four-goal explosion in regulation to level the aggregate, 4-4, getting the fourth from Chris Ronér in the 90th minute just moments after he had come into the game ... Fellow second-half substitute Rodrigo Faria then struck six minutes into sudden-death overtime to send San Jose to the Western Conference Finals, and ultimately its second MLS Cup ... In 2005, having lost the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinals, 3-1, at The Home Depot Center, the Quakes needed another two-goal comeback to win the series ... After going up 1-0 on a Brian Ching goal in Game 2 on Oct. 29, 2005, Ned Grabavoy scored for the Galaxy to end the Quakes' hopes ... That match marked the Quakes' final game before the team was relocated to Houston on Dec. 15, 2005 ... Since the Earthquakes rejoined MLS in 2008, the teams have met 10 times ... San Jose has gone 3-4-3 during that stretch, including a 1-0 win in front of what was then a stadium-record crowd of 10,799 at Buck Shaw Stadium on Aug. 21, 2010, thanks to a fourth-minute goal by Chris Wondolowski ... The sides played to a scoreless draw in front of a new Buck Shaw record crowd of 10,872 in last year's first meeting on June 25, with the Quakes unable to find a goal despite out-shooting the Galaxy, 25-8, and playing with a man advantage for 47 minutes ... The return fixture in Carson resulted in a 2-0 victory for LA as Robbie Keane scored the winner on his MLS debut ... The Earthquakes were 2-0-1 against the Galaxy in 2012, rallying from two-goal deficits to knock off their Southern California rival on May 23, 3-2, at The Home Depot Center and June 30, 4-3, in front of 50,391 at Stanford Stadium. San Jose again came from behind in their final meeting of 2012, equalizing a pair of one-goal deficits for a 2-2 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium ... The Earthquakes defeated the Galaxy 1-0 in the first leg of their Western Conference Semifinal thanks to a 94th-minute free kick by defender Victor Bernardez.

Earthquakes - LA Galaxy Connections

Quakes head coach Frank Yallop was the head coach of the LA Galaxy from 2006-07, compiling a record of 18-21-12 ... Galaxy midfielder Landon Donovan began his MLS career with the Earthquakes, producing 32 goals and 29 assists over 87 appearances from 2001-04 and helping lead San Jose to both of its MLS Cup titles in 2001 and 2003 ... Quakes forward Alan Gordon played for the Galaxy from 2004-10, scoring 16 goals in 99 games ... David Beckham made his Galaxy debut in a friendly against Chelsea as part of the World Series of Soccer at The Home Depot Center on July 21, 2007, entering the game for Gordon in the 78th minute ... Quakes assistant coach Ian Russell played three games for Frank Yallop with the Galaxy in 2007 ... Galaxy defender Todd Dunivant was San Jose's first-round selection in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft (No. 6 overall) out of Stanford, and played 46 games for the Earthquakes from 2003-04, producing one goal and six assists ... Current Galaxy starting goalkeeper Josh Saunders was also a member of that Earthquakes draft class (Round 4, No. 36) out of California (2001-02), and was on the roster of the 2003 MLS Cup champions, but did not appear in any games for the franchise ... Galaxy assistant coach Curt Onalfo played in six matches for San Jose in 1997 ... First-year Galaxy assistant coach Jovan Kirovski played in nine matches for the Quakes in 2008 ... Quakes defenders Jason Hernandez and Galaxy midfielder Mike Magee played for the MetroStars in 2005 ... Quakes goalkeeper David Bingham (2008-10) and Galaxy midfielder Hector Jimenez (2006-10) were teammates at Cal ... Galaxy forward Chad Barrett played with Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch in Chicago in 2007-08 and Quakes midfielder Sam Cronin in Toronto from 2009-10 ... Quakes midfielder Simon Dawkins is on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, where second-year Galaxy forward Robbie Keane played from 2002-08 ... Quakes defender Ike Opara and Galaxy midfielder Michael Stephens were teammates on the U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team during CONCACAF Olympic qualifying in March 2012, as well as the U.S. squad at the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup.

Earthquakes Leaders vs. LA Galaxy

Chris Wondolowski has three goals in nine career appearances ... Alan Gordon has scored three goals in four matches against his former club including the stoppage time game winner for the Quakes against the LA Galaxy on May 23 as the Quakes rallied from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 at the Home Depot Center ... Steven Lenhart has four goals in eight appearances (four with San Jose), including goals on May 23 and June 30 ... Ramiro Corrales has three assists in 30 appearances with the most recent coming on June 30 ... Jon Busch is 9-7-5 with six shutouts over 21 career appearances, including a 3-1-3 record with two shutouts in a Quakes uniform.

LA Galaxy Leaders vs. San Jose

Forward Edson Buddle has nine goals in 15 appearances, including six in seven games with the Galaxy ... Midfielder Landon Donovan has six goals and five assists in 11 games against his old club ... Midfielder David Beckham has one goal and four assists in five games ... Forward Robbie Keane has two goals in three appearances ... Goalkeeper Josh Saunders is 1-0-1 with one shutout over three appearances

Community Update

Kaiser Permanente Hospital Visit in San Jose

Who: Earthquakes player Rafael Baca

What: Visiting patients in the oncology unit at Kaiser Hospital San Jose

Where: Kaiser San Jose, 250 Hospital Parkway, San Jose, CA 95119

When: Tuesday, Nov. 6 at 2:30 p.m.

Details: Rafa will be walking through the oncology unit at Kaiser Hospital San Jose and visiting with patients. The Earthquakes midfielder will be signing autographs and taking photos.

Miscellaneous Notes

Wondolowski Wins MLS Player of the Month for October

Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski was named MLS Player of the Month for October by the North American Soccer Reporters, his fourth time winning the award in 2012. Wondolowski scored five goals in three games to tie the all-time MLS single season goals record and help the Earthquakes to their second Supporters' Shield. He opened the month with a hat trick against the Colorado Rapids on Oct. 6 and tacked on game-tying goals against the LA Galaxy on Oct. 21 and the Portland Timbers on Oct. 27. Wondolowski finished the season with 27 goals, matching Roy Lassiter's record set in 1996.

Busch Among All-Time Postseason Leaders

Jon Busch is one of the best goalkeepers in MLS postseason history. He ranks No. 4 all-time in goals-against average for keepers with five or more MLS Cup Playoff games played at 0.80 and is seventh with six shutouts. Busch is also No. 8 on the all-time postseason appearances list among goalkeepers with 17.

Bend it Like Bernardez

Victor Bernardez blasted a free kick from 40 yards out in San Jose's 1-0 win in LA on Sunday, the second time he's connected on a long-range effort this season. He previously netted the game winner in a 4-0 win against Chivas USA on Sept. 2 at Buck Shaw Stadium, swerving a free kick around the wall and into the net from 40 yards out. The Honduran international has scored two of his three goals this season against the LA Galaxy.

MLS Cup Playoff Debuts

Six Earthquakes players made their MLS Cup Playoff debuts on Sunday at The Home Depot Center. The list includes: defenders Steven Beitashour, Victor Bernardez and Justin Morrow and midfielders Rafael Baca, Simon Dawkins and Shea Salinas.

Postseason Goonies

The Earthquakes continued their trend of late-game heroics during Sunday's 1-0 win against the LA Galaxy as Victor Bernardez connected on a free kick in the 94th minute. Including the regular season, the Earthquakes have scored 10 second-half stoppage-time goals - six game winners and three equalizers. The club's nine regular season goals in second-half stoppage were an MLS record.

Goonies Timeline

Below is a table charting each of the Earthquakes 10 stoppage-time goals in 2012:

Date Opponent Result Goonie Minute

4/21 Real Salt Lake W 3-1 Simon Dawkins 90+2

4/21 Real Salt Lake W 3-1 Chris Wondolowski 90+3

4/28 Philadelphia Union W 2-1 Steven Lenhart 90+3

5/23 LA Galaxy W 3-2 Alan Gordon 90+4

6/20 Colorado Rapids W 2-1 Chris Wondolowski 90+2

7/28 Chicago Fire T 1-1 Steven Lenhart 90+8

8/11 Seattle Sounders FC W 2-1 Steven Lenhart 90+3

9/19 Portland Timbers T 2-2 Chris Wondolowski 90+2

9/29 FC Dallas T 3-3 Steven Lenhart 90+5

11/4 LA Galaxy W 1-0 Victor Bernardez 90+4

MLS Cup Playoff Shutouts

Sunday's shutout was San Jose's sixth in postseason play and the first by Jon Busch in his four MLS Cup Playoff games with the Earthquakes. The club's last MLS Cup Playoff shutout came on Oct. 24, 2004 in a 2-0 first leg win against Kansas City.

First Home Playoff Game Sold Out; Game Two Now on Sale

The club's first home playoff game is sold out, but fans can still secure a seat by placing a $50 deposit on 2013 season tickets. For more information, visit www.sjearthquakes.com or call 408-556-7700. Tickets are also on sale for the Western Conference Final, presented by Kaiser Permanente, at www.sjearthquakes.com or by calling 1-800-225-2277. Groups of 10 or more should call the Earthquakes Front Office at 408-556-7700 or email grouptickets@sjearthquakes.com .

Over 300 Attend Western Conference Semifinal Viewing Party at San Pedro Market

Over 300 fans packed into the standing-room-only viewing party at San Pedro Market on Sunday. Clad in blue wigs and "Never Say Die" headbands, the group celebrated San Jose's first leg win in grand fashion. Should the Earthquakes advance, they will host another viewing party for the first leg of their Western Conference Final with the time and location to be decided.

Wells Fargo Goals for Education

Wells Fargo has again pledged to donate $250 for each goal the Earthquakes score in 2012 through the Goals for Education program. The Earthquakes added to their total haul with a goal against the LA Galaxy on Sunday, upping the amount raised to $18,250. Thanks to 40 goals in 2011, the partnership raised $10,000 for local youth soccer and athletic development programs a year ago.


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