[ngg_images source=”galleries” container_ids=”319″ display_type=”photocrati-nextgen_basic_imagebrowser” ajax_pagination=”0″ template=”default” ngg_triggers_display=”never” order_by=”sortorder” order_direction=”ASC” returns=”included” maximum_entity_count=”500″]
SAN JOSE, Calif. — As a subdued announced crowd of 16,478 at Avaya Stadium looked on, the San Jose Earthquakes lost 1-0 to the Seattle Sounders.
Seattle’s latest big-money addition, Peruvian forward Raul Ruidiaz, scored on his first start for the Rave Green, capitalizing on an Earthquakes turnover in the 62nd minute to net the only goal of the game, giving the Sounders (6-9-5, 23 points) consecutive wins for the first time all season.
“It was a big result,” Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer said. “It wasn’t the most attractive game, but sometimes winning away from home, you can’t always win pretty. …We have certainly talked about momentum, but it is simply about collecting enough points to make the playoffs.”
For the Earthquakes (2-12-6, 12 points), it was another disappointing result at home, their fifth loss this season at Avaya Stadium, and their winless streak now stands at 11 games. San Jose’s last clean sheet came 25 league games ago, back in September against the Houston Dynamo — a 1-0 victory.
“That’s on the top of my mind and on the tops of the players’ minds, every single day,” Earthquakes head coach Mikael Stahre said. “It is really hard to deal with these kinds of things, but that’s our job.”
The Quakes’ third straight loss, the last two without a goal, left captain Chris Wondolowski with some choice words to say about himself and his teammates.
“We’re not good enough, all across the board,” Wondolowski said. “Not even close enough, not even remotely enough to get a tie. We deserved all three losses. …We have to be ruthless and lethal when we are in the final third, and we are nowhere near that.”
Wednesday night’s lineup wasn’t a completely new look for the Quakes, but a couple of changes to the starting XI did give the home side something to build on. Georgian national team captain and centerback Guram Kashia, San Jose’s big summer signing, and midfielder Luis Felipe, filling in for the suspended Anibal Godoy, made their MLS debuts, but together they couldn’t keep Seattle off the scoreboard.
In the first half, the game featured little for either side to show for its efforts. Both defenses looked content to let their opponent possess the ball harmlessly in midfield. The Earthquakes had the better of the scant scoring chances, notably Valeri “Vako” Qazaishviki’s outside-of-the-boot attempt in the 40th minute, but it was easily collected by Stefan Frei.
The first goal of the game, not surprisingly, came as a result of a mistake, as Danny Hoesen sent an errant backpass right to the feet of Ruidiaz at the center line. The Peruvian seemed shocked to find the ball, but he quickly turned and initiated a counterattack that left the Earthquakes back line scrambling to cover. His curling strike on a return pass from Cristian Roldan beat a diving Andrew Tarbell to give the Sounders a 1-0 lead.
The Quakes shoulders slumped at the deficit, and Stahre soon went to bench in an effort to reinvigorate the squad. Attacking players Quincy Amarikwa and Tommy Thompson entered the game in the 69th minute for Hoesen and Florian Jungwirth as the hosts looked for fresh legs to unlock stingy Sounders defensive wall.
“We conceded a goal from out of the blue,” Stahre said. “We tried to sub in some players to bring in some energy and change the shape up a little bit, but we hardly created any chances. Tonight we lacked quality in the final third of the field.”
But Seattle survived every Earthquakes foray into the attacking third, giving up shots from outside the area that posed no trouble to Frei. An 80th minute flick-on shot from Chris Wondolowski nearly equalized the score, but the captain’s effort hit side netting.
Down but not out, the Quakes continued to press for a goal, as Magnus Eriksson entered late to provide another offensive option. The visitors, however, absorbed every advance, and when a stoppage time free kick was cleared from danger and with Tarbell up field for the play, Clint Dempsey hit the post on a long shot attempt, denying Seattle a second goal, but sealing the result in the Sounders’ favor.
“The players gutted it out,” Schmetzer said. “We got the timely goal, and we were able to hang on. We were hanging on for dear life at the end. San Jose was putting us under a lot of pressure.”
The Earthquakes next play Real Salt Lake this Saturday evening at Avaya Stadium. For Stahre, his coaching staff, and every player on the squad, it is back to the drawing board to find something to break San Jose from its extended slump.
“To be honest, right now we are playing for our jobs,” Wondolowski said. “We have two wins right now. We’ll be lucky if any of us are around next year. If that’s not motivation, I don’t know what is.”