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MLS San Jose Earthquakes

Earthquakes Weekly Update

August 25, 2014 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
San Jose Earthquakes News Release


THIS WEEK

The Earthquakes host Real Salt Lake on Saturday, Aug. 30 at Buck Shaw Stadium, presented by City of San José Environmental Services. The Earthquakes will give away 2,500 reusable water bottles at the gates. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. PT on Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, 1590 KLIV and 1370 KZSF.

Last MLS Game

Earthquakes 2, Philadelphia Union 4; Aug. 24, 2014; PPL Park in Chester, Penn.

The Earthquakes fought back from an early 2-0 deficit to tie the game, but gave up two late goals to fall 4-2 to the Philadelphia Union. Sam Cronin and Chris Wondolowski scored second half goals for the Quakes in the defeat. With the goal, Wondolowski became just the third player in MLS history to score at least 10 goals in five consecutive seasons. The Union struck first with a goal from Andrew Wenger on a well-executed counter attack. Sebastien Le Toux got free on the left wing and slid a low pass to Wenger, who made a diagonal run into the box. After a touch to free himself, Wenger blasted a shot to the far post upper corner for a 1-0 advantage. The Union quickly stretched the lead to two goals off the foot of Le Toux after a short clearance in front of the Quakes goal. A cross into the box was redirected away from goal and Le Toux volleyed home the Union's second goal of the night. Busch kept the Union's lead at two with an incredible stop on Conor Casey front point blank in the early stages of the second half. Casey got free for a header and appeared to have found the Union's third, but Busch dove to his left and made the save. Sam Cronin brought the Quakes to within a goal with a great hit from outside the box just under 15 minutes into the second half. Jordan Stewart sent a free kickinto the box and the knockdown fell to Cronin. He then volleyed a shot into the upper corner past a diving Mbolhi. Wondolowski knotted the game at two goals apiece with a volley at the back post in the 70th minute. Salinas beat a man on the left wing and curled a pass to the back post for Wondolowski, who calmly put the ball past Mbolhi to the near post for his 10th goal of the season. Sheanon Williams immediately hit back for the Union with a header at the near post. Le Toux whipped in a free kick to the near post and Williams flicked it past Busch for a 3-2 advantage just two minutes after Wondolowski's goal. Wenger scored the fourth for Philadelphia with a strong individual effort. He won the ball at midfield and then broke behind the Quakes defense before finishing at the near post in the 79th minute.

Earthquakes in August

The Earthquakes are 36-31-11 all-time in MLS play in the month of August.

REAL SALT LAKE INFO

Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake All-Time

MLS Regular Season: 7-7-6

Home: 4-4-2 (20 GF, 16 GA)

Away: 3-3-4 (9 GF, 15 GA)

Playoffs: 0-0-0; US Open Cup: 0-0-0; US Open Cup Play-In: 0-2-0

All-Time Scoring: San Jose - 32, Real Salt Lake - 38

Last Game vs. RSL

Earthquakes 3, Real Salt Lake 3; March 15, 2014; Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

The Earthquakes rallied from a two-goal first-half deficit to tie Real Salt Lake 3-3 in the club's MLS opener. Honduran center back Victor Bernardez provided the spark with a pair of second-half goals, the latter of which came in the 95th minute. Chris Wondolowski put San Jose on top early with a close-range finish from his thigh. Shea Salinas whipped a free kick into the box where Bernardez flicked the ball toward goal and right in front of Wondolowski, who calmly directed a shot past Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando. Real Salt Lake came roaring back with three straight goals. The first was a blast from long range via Kyle Beckerman. RSL's captain struck his shot from 30 yards out with his left foot, banging it off the post and in. Joao Plata was the next RSL player to find the scoresheet, working a give-and-go with Luis Gil in the area. Plata fed Gil, who returned the pass to Plata who was running horizontally across the box. Plata whiffed his first attempt, but collected and fired to the near post to make it 2-1 RSL. Luke Mulholland capped the scoring for RSL with a put-back attempt from close range in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage. Ned Grabavoy tried his luck from just inside the box, but Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch punched the ball away. Unfortunately for Busch, Mulholland found the blocked shot first and fired from the doorstep to give the visitors a 3-1 advantage. Bernardez pulled one back in the 75th minute, smashing a header past Rimando. Salinas picked up the assist with another set piece, this time providing service from a corner kick. Bernardez wriggled himself free at the near post and powered his shot into the net for his first goal of the season. The Honduran national teamer scored the game-tying goal in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Shaun Francis sent a high-arching cross into the mix, forcing Rimando to try and bat the ball away from trouble. However, Rimando wasn't able to send the ball where he wanted thanks to pressure from Alan Gordon. Bernardez was the benefactor, taking one touch before booting his shot to the lower corner.

History of the Quakes-Real Salt Lake Rivalry

Real Salt Lake joined MLS as an expansion side prior to the 2005 campaign ... The two teams played to a 2-2 draw in their first-ever meeting on April 30, 2005, at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, with Alejandro Moreno providing a late equalizer for San Jose ... After going 2-0-2 over their first four MLS regular-season meetings, the Quakes dropped their first league tilt to RSL, 3-1, on May 31, 2008, at Rice-Eccles ... The Quakes suffered two straight home defeats in league play in shutout fashion in back-to-back season openers in 2010 (3-0) and 2011 (1-0) ... On March 19 the Quakes and RSL kicked off the 2011 season at Buck Shaw Stadium in a match later dubbed The Great Deluge as RSL took a 1-0 decision in a driving rainstorm through a 64th-minute Kyle Beckerman strike from 25 yards out that glanced off the left post and went in ... That game marked Simon Dawkins' MLS debut for the Quakes as a 66th-minute substitute ... Real Salt Lake swept the 2011 season series with a 4-0 triumph in Utah on July 23 ... The Quakes win against RSL on April 21, 2012 snapped a six-game winless streak in all competitions, including an 0-3-2 mark in the five prior MLS regular-season match-ups, and a loss via penalty-kick shootout in a 2010 US Open Cup play-in contest at Buck Shaw Stadium ... The Quakes again beat RSL on June 23, 2012 by a 2-1 scoreline behind late goals from Alan Gordon and Chris Wondolowski for their first-ever win at RSL's Rio Tinto Stadium ... RSL was the last Quakes opponent to play a regular-season match at Spartan Stadium, earning a 2-2 tie on Oct. 8, 2005 ... San Jose was 3-0-0 against RSL in 2012, outscoring them 9-2 in the process ... The Earthquakes dropped their first two games of 2013 against RSL, losing 2-0 on March 3 at Buck Shaw Stadium and 3-0 on June 1 at Rio Tinto Stadium, but bounced back for a key 2-1 win at Rio Tinto on Sept. 21 thanks to a brace from Steven Lenhart ... Victor Bernardez scored twice to rally San Jose from a two-goal deficit and draw RSL 3-3 on March 15, 2014, the first MLS regular season game of the year for the Quakes.

Earthquakes - Real Salt Lake Connections

Quakes forward Chris Wondolowski and Quakes defender Clarence Goodson have played with RSL midfielder Kyle Beckerman and RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando for the U.S. Men's National Team ... Quakes forward Chris Wondolowski suited up alongside RSL defender Tony Beltran in the USMNT's 0-0 draw against Canada on Jan. 29 at Houston's BBVA Compass Stadium ... RSL midfielder Ned Grabavoy appeared in 24 games for San Jose in 2008 ... Grabavoy was a teammate of Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch with the Columbus Crew in 2006 ... Busch also played alongside RSL defender Chris Wingert with the Crew in 2004-05 ... Wingert (St. John's) and Quakes defender Jason Hernandez (Seton Hall) played against each other in the Big East Conference from 2001-03 ... Earthquakes midfielder Atiba Harris started his MLS career with Real Salt lake in 2006 and 2007, notching four goals and two assists in 43 appearances during his stay ... Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski played alongside RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando and midfielder Kyle Beckerman at the 2014 FIFA World Cup ... Earthquakes midfielder Matias Perez Garcia and RSL midfielder Javier Morales were members of Argentina's CA Lanus in 2003 ... Both players were born and raised in Argentina.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Final Countdown at Buck Shaw Stadium

The Earthquakes have just four MLS regular season games remaining at Buck Shaw Stadium before they move into their new home at the beginning of the 2015 season. The club hosts Real Salt Lake on Saturday, Aug. 30, the LA Galaxy on Sunday, Sept. 14, the Portland Timbers on Saturday, Oct. 4 and Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday, Oct. 18. Tickets are available to those matches by calling 1-800-225-2277, visiting www.sjearthquakes.com or www.tickets.com. Groups of 10 or more should call the club's Front Office at 408-556-7700 to ask about group rates.

Wondolowski Makes MLS History

Chris Wondolowski became the third player in MLS history to score at least 10 goals in five consecutive seasons with his strike against the Philadelphia Union on Sunday. Wondolowski joined Juan Pablo Angel (2007-11 with NY, LA and CHV) and Carlos Ruiz (2002-06 with LA) as the only players to achieve the feat. Wondolowski burst onto the scene with 18 goals to win the Budweiser Golden Boot in 2010. He followed that performance up with 16 in 2011, tying Dwayne De Rosario for the league lead. The Danville native took his second Budweiser Golden Boot in 2012, tying the MLS record for goals in a single season with 27 and then posted 11 in 2013. He has a team-leading 10 goals in 17 games so far this season for San Jose.

Wondolowski Heating Up

Chris Wondolowski is one of the hottest players in MLS since returning from the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Since his first appearance after United States Men's National Team duty, Wondolowski has five goals and three assists in eight games. He has also scored in back-to-back games for San Jose, recording the game-tying goal against Seattle in a 1-1 draw on Aug. 20 and tallying in a 4-2 loss against Philadelphia on Sunday.

Salinas Moves Closer to Career Mark in Assists

Shea Salinas recorded his seventh assist of the season in San Jose's 4-2 loss against Philadelphia on Sunday. He found Chris Wondolowski open at the far post to rally the Quakes from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game at 2-2, before their hosts capped the night with two more goals. Salinas' career high for assists in a season is eight, which he reached in 2013.

Cronin Nets Golazo

Sam Cronin scored his first goal of 2014 in brilliant fashion, crushing a half-volley from outside the box to the top corner in Sunday's 4-2 loss against Philadelphia. Union defender Carlos Valdes tried to clear a cross heading for Chris Wondolowski, but his attempt bounced to Cronin. The rangy midfielder sliced his shot off the bounce, drilling it past a diving Rais Mbolhi to cut San Jose's deficit to 2-1 at the time. The goal was Cronin's fifth in his six-year MLS career. Cronin's blast is up for AT&T MLS Goal of the Week. Fans can vote here.

Cronin Enters Club's Top-10 List

Sam Cronin made his 122nd career start for San Jose on Sunday, tying him with Troy Dayak for No. 10 in club history. Cronin is also one appearance away from tying Ian Russell (131) for No. 10 on that list.

Thompson Makes First Career Start

Earthquakes forward Tommy Thompson became the first Homegrown Player in club history to start an MLS match, standing alongside Chris Wondolowski at forward in San Jose's 1-1 draw against Seattle on Aug. 20. Thompson, 19, played 87 minutes against Sounders FC and then saw another 90 minutes of action in the Quakes' match against Philadelphia on Sunday.

Thompson Second Youngest to Start in Club History

Tommy Thompson became the second-youngest player to start a game in Earthquakes history when he took the field against Seattle on Aug. 20. At 19 years, 5 days, Thompson is the fifth player under 20 to start a game for San Jose. Here's the full list:

1. Arturo Alvarez - 17 years, 351 days on June 14, 2003

2. Tommy Thompson - 19 years, 5 days on Aug. 20, 2014

3. Devin Barclay - 19 years, 47 days on May 26, 2002

4. Landon Donovan - 19 years, 55 days on April 28, 2001

5. Ramiro Corrales - 19 years, 57 days on May 8, 1996

Busch Among League Leaders

Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch is having another stellar season for San Jose. He leads the league with 87 saves and is third in saves percentage among goalkeepers with at least 10 starts at 71 percent.

Wondolowski vs. Real Salt Lake

Chris Wondolowski has been red hot against Real Salt Lake with six goals in his last seven games against the Western Conference contenders. He scored his first career goal against RSL on April 21, 2012 and went on to score four more over his next two games, including a hat trick on July 14, 2012. Wondolowski also recorded the opening salvo in a 3-3 affair against RSL on March 15, 2014.

Second Half Lockdown

Despite yielding two second-half goals in a 4-2 loss against Philadelphia on Sunday, the Quakes are still tied for first in the league for goals allowed in the final stanza. They have allowed just 13 goals in the second half all season, tied with the LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders FC and D.C. United for top honors. The Earthquakes are also second in goals allowed over the final 15 minutes of games with four, one behind Seattle.

Krazy George to Debut Book on Aug. 30

Local legend and inventor of the wave Krazy George will debut his book "Still Krazy After All These Cheers" at the San Jose Earthquakes' match against Real Salt Lake on Saturday, Aug. 30 at Buck Shaw Stadium. Krazy George will be available in the Epicenter Fan Zone before kickoff from 5:30-7:15 p.m. to sign copies of his 311-page biography, written by himself and his wife Patricia Timberg. He will also be in the stands during the game to get fans riled up with his trademark drum.

Perez Garcia Undergoes Successful Arthroscopic Knee Surgery

Earthquakes attacker Matias Perez Garcia underwent successful arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee on Aug. 20. The surgery was performed at Stanford Hospital & Clinics by Dr. Zack Vaughn. Perez Garcia is expected to miss 4-6 weeks. The injury occurred during the club's match against FC Dallas on Aug. 16. Perez Garcia signed with the club as a Designated Player on July 31, 2014. He scored in his Quakes debut against the LA Galaxy on Aug. 8 at the StubHub Center, helping San Jose pull off a 2-2 draw on the road and made his second-straight start against FC Dallas.

#MilestoEpicenter Goes Global

Earthquakes fans around the world will soon be able to gauge their distance to the Epicenter of soccer after the club announced an expansion of its #MilestoEpicenter campaign. Billboards will be placed in a number of locations depicting the distance to San Jose's new stadium, including: multiple places around the Bay Area, New England, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, Route 66, New York City, Miami and Las Vegas. The international boards include Mexico, Brazil, London, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador and other locations around Europe.

Enter to Win #MilestoEpicenter

In addition to the billboard campaign, fans have a chance to win 2015 Earthquakes season tickets through the #MilestoEpicenter contest. To enter for a chance to win the grand prize of two 2015 Earthquakes season tickets, fans can either pick up a "Miles to the Epicenter" sign at the Quakes Front Office or download and print a paper one from the team's official website at sjearthquakes.com. Using the sign, fans can then write their distance from the Quakes New Stadium on the sign and take a photo of themselves with the sign. To enter the contest, fans have the option of emailing the photo to milestoepicenter@sjearthquakes.com or uploading the photo through the club website, sjearthquakes.com. All of the photos will then be displayed at sjearthquakes.com and the team's official Facebook page, facebook.com/sanjoseearthquakes. Fans can then share their submission with the hashtag #milestoepicenter and vote for their favorite photo. The photo that receives the most votes will win a pair of 2015 Earthquakes season tickets. The contest will run through the end of the 2014 MLS regular season on Sunday, Oct. 26.

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