MLS San Jose Earthquakes

Earthquakes Weekly Update

Published on September 12, 2011 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
San Jose Earthquakes News Release


Last Game

Earthquakes 2, Chicago Fire 0; Sept. 10, 2011; Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.

The Earthquakes picked up three points to remain in the thick of the MLS Cup Playoff race, defeating the Chicago Fire 2-0 at Buck Shaw Stadium thanks to goals by Chris Wondolowski and Ramiro Corrales. The win snapped San Jose's 13-game winless streak and moved them within five points of the final playoff spot. Wondolowski got on the board in the 10th minute, volleying home a perfect pass over the Fire back line by rookie midfielder Rafael Baca. The goal was Wondolowski's 10th of 2011 and the 31st of his career with the Earthquakes, moving the Danville native to within one of Landon Donovan for No. 2 on the club's all-time scoring list. Corrales doubled San Jose's lead in the 69th minute, tapping home a shot from inside the area after Wondolowski sprung the veteran defender with a pass near the top of the box.

Last Game vs. Houston Dynamo

Earthquakes 2, Houston Dynamo, 0; June 4, 2011; Buck Shaw Stadium, Santa Clara, Calif.

The Earthquakes won their third straight home match with a 2-0 win over the Houston Dynamo on June 4 at Buck Shaw Stadium. Steven Lenhart broke a scoreless tie with a diving header into the lower corner in the 69th minute and Simon Dawkins sealed the game in stoppage time with his third goal of the year. The win stretched San Jose's unbeaten run to five games. After another scoreless first half, the Quakes again found their offensive touch in the second stanza. Steven Beitashour found Lenhart with a well-placed cross for the first goal and, with time winding down, Sam Cronin slipped a through ball to Dawkins, who finished to the near post. The Quakes have now scored nine second-half goals in the past four games.

Misc. Notes

Quakes in the Community

What:

El Grito Mexican Independence Day

Who:

Street Team

Location:

PAL Stadium, San Jose

Date:

Thursday, September 15

Time:

6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Details:

The Street Team will be at the La Bamba Tent handing out schedules, flyers, and giveaways while mingling with participants.

What:

Santa Clara University Get Organized Fair

Who:

Street Team

Location:

500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara

Date:

Saturday, September 17

Time:

8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Details:

The Street Team will be at the La Bamba Tent handing out schedules, flyers, and giveaways while mingling with participants.

Wondolowski Nears Donovan for No. 2 on Quakes' All-Time Scoring Chart

Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski continues to inch up the franchise's all-time scoring charts. Wondo added to his total with a goal against the Chicago Fire in a 2-0 win on Sept. 10 at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, giving him a total of 31 in 67 games with the Quakes. The Danville, Calif. native passed Dwayne De Rosario, who scored 27 for the team from 2001-2005, for No. 3 on the all-time list. Next up is Landon Donovan, who scored 32 goals in 87 games in his Earthquakes career. The career leader for the Quakes is Ronald Cerritos, who notched 61 from 1997-2001 and in 2005.

Wondo Keeps Firing

Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski returned to the scoresheet on Aug. 27 with a crucial 87th-minute equalizer against Toronto FC at BMO Field and struck again on Sept. 10 with a 10th-minute volley off a cross-field feed from rookie midfielder Rafael Baca against the Chicago Fire at Buck Shaw Stadium. San Jose's leading scorer has found the back of the net 10 times in 2011. Last season, he scored 10 goals in the final eight games to win the MLS Budweiser Golden Boot.

Baca Records First Career Assist

Earthquakes rookie midfielder Rafael Baca recorded his first career assist against the Chicago Fire on Sept. 10 when he collected a throw-in on the left wing and sent a cross soaring over the Fire's back line to the far post. Chris Wondolowski met the pass with a volley into the net from eight yards out. The Quakes went on to win 2-0.

Corrales Scores Second Goal of 2011

Earthquakes veteran defender Ramiro Corrales scored his second goal of 2011 and the 14th goal of his storied career when he doubled San Jose's lead in the 69th minute of a 2-0 victory over the Chicago Fire on Sept. 10. Corrales tapped home a shot from inside the area after forward Wondolowski set up the defender with a pass near the top of the box.

Wondo Nominated for MLS Goal of the Week

Chris Wondolowski made the MLS Goal of the Week ballot after volleying home a perfect pass from first-year midfielder Rafael Baca in a 2-0 win against the Chicago Fire on Sept. 10. Wondo is up against Roger Torres (PHI), Davide Chiumiento (VAN), Sebastien Le Toux (PHI) and Andres Mendoza (CLB). Voting is open from Monday evening until 11:59 p.m. PT on Thursday. To vote for Wondo text goal code to 22442 or online at http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/09/12/vote-att-goal-week-wk-26 .

MLS Budweiser Golden Boot Update

With a goal on Sept. 10, Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski moved into a three-way tie for No. 3 on the MLS leaderboard, just two behind co-leaders Thierry Henry of New York and Landon Donovan of the LA Galaxy. Wondo has 10 goals with seven games remaining. Brek Shea (FCD) and Eric Hassli (VAN) are tied with Wondolowski, Shea with nine games to go and Hassli with seven. In the No. 2 slot with 11 goals and nine games remaining is Charlie Davies (DC). Tied for No. 1 with 12 goals each is Henry (NY) with seven games left and Donovan (LA) with 10 games to go.

Record Sellout Streak

The Sept. 10 match against the Chicago Fire saw the fourth consecutive sellout at Buck Shaw Stadium with 10,525 fans. The current sellout streak is the longest in franchise history. Two home games remain for the Earthquakes in regular season play, on Oct. 1 against Sporting Kansas City and on Oct. 22 against FC Dallas.

Honoring 9/11

In honor of the 10-year anniversary of Sept. 11, 2001, everybody in attendance at Buck Shaw Stadium observed a moment of silence and watched a video tribute prior to kickoff against the Chicago Fire on Sept. 10. The Earthquakes borrowed an excerpt from the Gettysburg Address to pay homage to the many lives affected by that tragic day, reminding everyone that we will always remember. In addition to the pre-game tribute, Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch auctioned off his commemorative game-worn gear to benefit the Navy SEAL Foundation.

Busch Auctions Gear for Navy SEAL Foundation

Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch honored all United States servicemen and women by wearing commemorative gloves and cleats during the match on Sept. 10 against the Chicago Fire. At the game, fans participated in a silent auction and winner Stephanie Hawk took home the game-worn gloves for $500 and cleats for $1,000. Busch's jersey, gloves and cleats from the second half will be auctioned on eBay starting on Tuesday, Sept. 13. All proceeds from the auctions will go to benefit the Navy SEAL Foundation.

Hernandez Earns Humanitarian Award for September

As part of Childhood Cancer Awareness month, MLS W.O.R.K.S. awarded Earthquakes defender Jason Hernandez as well as New York's Mehdi Ballouchy, Chivas USA's Michael Lahoud and Chicago's Logan Pause the Humanitarian of the Month for September. Hernandez visited St. Jude Children's Research Hospital long with the other players as MLS Ambassadors to the Goals for St. Jude program, which is part of the league's "Soccer Kicks Cancer" initiative. The visit and their support in the fight against cancer earned the players recognition as Humanitarians of the Month. Hernandez and Pause met with the young patient, Stephanie, before the kickoff on Sept. 10 when the Earthquakes hosted the Chicago Fire at Buck Shaw Stadium.

Vote for the Next Krazy George

The Next Krazy George Contest is down to three finalists: The Jester, Vinsanity, and MC Quake. Fans can log on and vote as often as they would like for their favorite entrant until Monday, Sept. 26 at midnight PT. The winner will perform alongside Krazy George at Buck Shaw Stadium on Oct. 1 when the Quakes host Sporting KC. To watch the audition videos and to vote, visit

http://www.sjearthquakes.com/vote-next-krazy-george

Hernandez Moves Up All-Time Starts List

Hernandez moved to within five starts of No. 8 on the Earthquakes' all-time starts list on Sept. 10 with his 61 minutes played against the Chicago Fire. The defender has started 95 games since joining San Jose at the outset of the 2008 campaign. Next on the list is Eddie Lewis who started 100 games during his Quakes career from 1996-1999.

Busch the Shot Stopper

Twenty-seven games into the season, Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch is No. 3 in the league in saves with 94. Next on the list is Toronto FC's Stefan Frei with 100 saves in 27 matches. New England Revolution keeper Matt Reis leads the pack with 106 saves in 24 matches.

Quakes Resume Road Stretch

The Earthquakes are in the midst of a road-heavy stretch. Five of the Quakes' final 7 games will be on the road, including trips to face Houston Dynamo, Portland Timbers, Colorado Rapids, New England Revolution and Seattle Sounders FC.

History of the Earthquakes - Houston Dynamo Rivalry

The history of the Earthquakes-Dynamo rivalry pre-dates their first meeting on the field. The original San Jose Earthquakes moved to Houston following the 2005 season. MLS eventually returned to San Jose in 2008 ... The Earthquakes own a 4-3-1 all-time record against the Houston Dynamo ... The first meeting between the two clubs came on May 22, 2008 when the Earthquakes defeated the Dynamo 2-1 at Buck Shaw Stadium on the strength of goals by Kei Kamara and Ivan Guerrero ... On Sept. 15, 2008, the Earthquakes and Dynamo battled to the lone tie in the all-time season series between the two clubs, a 1-1 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium ... Later that season the Dynamo would return the favor, handing the Earthquakes a 2-1 loss on October 15 at Robertson Stadium ... In 2009, the Earthquakes and Dynamo would split the regular season series, with the Earthquakes winning 3-2 at Buck Shaw Stadium on March 28, and the Dynamo earning a 3-1 victory on May 23 at Robertson Stadium ... With a 2-1 victory over Houston at Robertson Stadium on September 5 this season, San Jose became the first of the two clubs to record a win on the road ... Earthquakes midfielder Khari Stephenson and forward Geovanni each scored the first goals of their MLS careers in San Jose's 2-1 win on September 5 ... On June 4, 2011, San Jose earned a 2-0 victory over Houston at Buck Shaw Stadium with goals by Steven Lenhart and Simon Dawkins.

Earthquakes - Houston Dynamo Connections

Following the 2005 MLS season, the San Jose Earthquakes relocated to Houston where the team became the Houston Dynamo ... Houston forward Brian Ching played for the Earthquakes from 2003-2005, scoring 25 goals in 56 appearances ... Houston forward Will Bruin played with Earthquakes midfielder Brad Ring at Indiana University ... Houston forward Jason Garey played with Earthquakes forward Steven Lenhart for three seasons (2008-2010) with the Columbus Crew ... Houston defender Kofi Sarkodie played with Earthquakes midfielder Anthony Ampaipitakwong at the University of Akron. They won a national championship together in 2010 ... Houston midfielders Corey Ashe and Alex Dixon, goalkeeper Tyler Deric, defender Eddie Robinson and San Jose defender Chris Leitch all attended at the University of North Carolina ... Houston midfielder Brad Davis and Earthquakes defender Tim Ward both attended Saint Louis University ... Houston forward Calen Carr and Earthquakes goalkeeper David Bingham both attended the University of California ... Houston midfielder Brad Davis played with the San Jose Earthquakes for 2005 season, scoring two goals and notching eight assists in 18 games ... San Jose midfielder Steven Beitashour and Houston goalkeeper Tally Hall played two seasons together at San Diego State University (2005-2006) ... Houston midfielder Je-Vaughn Watson and defender Jermaine Taylor played with San Jose midfielder Khari Stephenson with the Jamaican National Team ... Houston defender Eddie Robinson played with the Earthquakes from 2001-2005, making 70 appearances ... Houston forward Cam Weaver played with the Earthquakes for nine games in 2009, scoring one goal and tallying two assists ... San Jose forward Chris Wondolowski played for the Dynamo from 2006-2009, scoring four goals in 37 games ... Wondolowski and Weaver were traded for each other on June 9, 2009 ... Weaver and San Jose midfielder Joey Gjertsen are both from Tacoma, Washington ... Houston coach Dominic Kinnear coached the Earthquakes for two seasons (2004-2005), amassing an overall record of 27-14-21.

Earthquakes All-Time Leaders vs. Houston Dynamo

Forward Scott Sealy has one goal and one assist in seven matches vs. the Dynamo ... Forward Steven Lenhart has one goal in three matches vs. the Dynamo ... Midfielder Simon Dawkins has one goal in one match... Midfielder Khari Stephenson has one goal in two matches ... Defender Chris Leitch has two career assists in eight games against the Dynamo ... Goalkeeper Jon Busch is 2-5-0 and has one shutout in seven career games.

Houston Dynamo All-Time Leaders vs. Earthquakes

Former Quakes forward Brian Ching has netted three goals in six games against his former team ... Midfielder Brad Davis has two goals and five assists in 17 games against San Jose ... Defender Andrew Hainault has one goal in three career games against the Quakes ... Goalkeeper Tally Hall is 0-1-0 in his lone appearance.

Fourth Annual Soccer Silicon Valley Community Foundation Banquet

Tickets to the Fourth Annual Soccer Silicon Valley Community Foundation Banquet are now on sale. The event features a ceremony to induct former Earthquakes defender Troy Dayak into the club's Hall of Fame as well as the premier of a History of San Jose Exhibit, "City of Champions: 2001, A San Jose Soccer Odyssey." The event kicks off at 6 p.m. PT at the San Jose City Hall Rotunda on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011. Individual dinner tickets are $100 with a $25 discount for Earthquakes Season Ticket Holders. Table sponsorships are also available for $1,500. For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.sjearthquakes.com/ssvcf-dinner .

Early Bird Special for 2012 Earthquakes Season Ticket Deposit

Fans who place a $50 deposit on 2012 Earthquakes Season Tickets before Oct. 22 will receive a complimentary NASL Quakes Throwback Jersey.

In addition to the jersey, Season Ticket Holder benefits include: Special invitations to private Season Ticket Holder events, first priority to purchase Earthquakes playoff and international game tickets, a personal Fan Relations Representative to provide excellent customer service, and flexible ticket exchange policies for games they are unable to attend. For more information, call 408.556.7700 or visit www.sjearthquakes.com/2012-season-tickets .

Wells Fargo Soccer Mom of the Match

Wells Fargo will feature a Soccer Mom of the Match for each Earthquakes home game in 2011. The promotion kicked off on Saturday, June 25 with Tina Castaneda of San Jose taking home the award. One nominated mom will be selected for on-field and video-board recognition prior to kickoff each week. The winner will also receive four match tickets to an Earthquakes home game, a parking pass, and a jersey. They will also have the special privilege to watch pre-game warm ups from the field. If you know somebody who goes above and beyond for their soccer team or league who you think deserves the honor of being our "Soccer Mom of the Match," make their case by filling out the nomination form. To nominate a mom, visit: www.sjearthquakes.com/soccermom

San Jose Earthquakes on Twitter

@SJEarthquakes - Official account of the San Jose Earthquakes

@ChrisWondo - 2010 MLS Budweiser Golden Boot Winner Chris Wondolowski

@AnthonyAmpai - Rookie from NCAA Champion Akron University Anthony Ampaipitakwong

@bobbyburling - Veteran central defender and sports trivia guru Bobby Burling

@BradRing87 - Third-year central midfielder Brad Ring

@J_Hernandez_21 - Veteran center back and social maven Jason Hernandez

@awebs13 - Witty goalkeeper Andrew Weber

@MattLuzu32 - First-year striker Matt Luzunaris

@jacob__peterson - Patriotic midfielder Jacob Peterson

@EMacMac25 - First-year midfielder Ellis McLoughlin

San Jose's Record in September

The Quakes are 28-22-6 all-time in September in MLS play.

Check out the San Jose Earthquakes Statistics

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Major League Soccer Stories from September 12, 2011


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