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MLS San Jose Earthquakes

Earthquakes Come from Behind to Earn 1-1 Draw on the Road against Sounders FC

August 21, 2014 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
San Jose Earthquakes News Release


SEATTLE, Wash. - The San Jose Earthquakes earned a crucial point on the road with a 1-1 draw against Western Conference leaders Seattle Sounders FC on Wednesday at CenturyLink Field. Chris Wondolowski provided the equalizer in the 65th minute, polishing off a cross from Cordell Cato for his team-leading ninth goal of the season.

The Earthquakes created problems for their hosts in the first half. Chris Wondolowski had one of the first good chances for either team in the 19th minute after a combination on the wing by the Quakes. After some quick passing, Tommy Thompson found some room and hit Wondolowski with a pass outside the box. The Quakes captain blasted a right-footed shot that just missed the near post.

Thompson nearly scored one himself in the 30th minute after a pass from Wondolowski. Wondolowski received the ball inside the box and dropped one back for Thompson. The rookie 19-year-old took a touch and fired a low shot, but Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei sprawled to make the stop.

Seattle came right out of the gate in the second half, scoring the game's first goal less than a minute into the final stanza. Obafemi Martins took the ball at midfield and rolled a perfect through ball for Chad Barrett, who took a touch and finished past Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch for a 1-0 lead.

Wondolowski equalized for the Quakes in the 65th minute after some great work on the left wing by halftime substitute Cordell Cato. Cato eluded two defenders on the left side of the box before firing a low cross to the back post, where Wondolowski guided the ball over the line with his thigh.

With the result, San Jose is 6-2-1 in their last nine games against Seattle. The draw also sealed San Jose's third Heritage Cup in club history.

The Earthquakes continue their weeklong road trip on Sunday, Aug. 24 against the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park. The game begins at 5 p.m. PT and will air live on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, 1590 KLIV and 1370 KZSF.

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SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH MARK WATSON

On game:

"It was a great point. We talked about having a good response to our last game. That was a good point because Seattle is a tough place to play. They're a quality team and I thought we played well. We created some chances, remained disciplined and had a great mentality. We had to withstand some pressure at times, but it was a very good performance on the road and an important point for us."

On Chris Wondolowski:

"He has such an instinct for the goal. He makes something out of nothing, he knows where to be - he just has that instinct to find goals. We really needed that goal."

On Tommy Thompson:

"I thought Tommy played well tonight. I think it's clear to see that he's a real quality player. We wanted to be smart with how we brought him into the team. He started the season recovering from a knee injury, so we brought him along slowly, made sure he had fitness and was ready to play. Overall, it was a great performance. He just turned 19 and didn't seem intimidated by the situation at all. I thought he had a great night. He worked hard, had a couple great moments and started a couple dangerous attacking opportunities for us."

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES FORWARD CHRIS WONDOLOWSKI

On goal:

"Cordell did a great job of making space for himself on the left and he put a perfect cross in and I just had to tap it in. He did all the hard work and I was able to finish it off."

On getting a point:

"Last game was embarrassing to be honest so it was good to come in here and have a solid performance. We will take the point, but we really need to get on a run of getting three points every time out if we want to make a playoff push. We always want to get three points so we are not satisfied, but we will take it tonight."

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES FORWARD TOMMY THOMPSON

On making first career start:

"I thought it went well. I thought the team started well and got after them with the attitude we needed after a tough loss. Besides Buck Shaw, there's no better place to have your first MLS start than here in Seattle. I was excited for that and I thought I made a good first impression."

On partnering with Chris Wondolowski:

"Me and Wondo [Chris Wondolowski] have built some chemistry over the last month from playing with each other in practice. He's a great guy to have with you up top and I thought that showed in today's game."

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES MIDFIELDER CORDELL CATO

On Wondo's goal:

"The defender gave me a lot of space so I did what a wing is supposed to do. I made a couple of step-overs to make some room and I got the cross in. And Wondo [Chris Wondolowski] did what he always does, he put it in the net."

On the result:

"Coming off a tough game over the weekend, this was a good result tonight. We will take the point now, but we need to start getting three. The team played well tonight and we need to go on to Philadelphia and get another result on the road."

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