by Eric Maestas
Photos by Lyndsay Radnedge
Conor Casey, the 34 year-old journeyman player, came off the bench to score two goals, leading the Philadelphia Union to a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes. In front of yet another sellout crowd at Avaya Stadium, and riding a four-game win streak, the Quakes failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity to solidify a playoff position in the Western Conference.
The Earthquakes entered the game having not allowed a goal for 374 minutes. However, they were missing Anibal Godoy, Marc Pelosi, and Sanna Nyassi due to international team duty. With a starting lineup that included Cordell Cato, fresh off playing for Trinidad & Tobago in their recent 3-3 draw against Mexico, the Quakes started slow. Errant passing in the final third prevented any meaningful chances early in the game. In fact, C.J. Sapong created an early chance for the Union in the 3rd minute.
A free kick by Philly’s Tranquillo Barnetta in the 6th minute, the result of a Clarence Goodson foul, bounced off the Quakes wall, and a Union corner kick in the 9th minute resulted in a routine save by David Bingham. The Quakes first threatened in the 10th minute, when a blazing run by designated player Matias Perez Garcia led to a pass toChris Wondolowski, whose shot on goal was wide left.
A Quakes corner kick in the 13th minute led to chaos in the Union box, resulting in Clarence Goodson putting a head on the ball after Union goalkeeper John McCarthy had punched the ball back out into the field of play. The Union countered in the 17th minute, when a Barnetta shot hit the side netting, and the resulting deflection led to a corner kick. In large stretches of the first half, the Quakes left a significant amount of room in the midfield, allowing the Union the space to mount both attacks and counterattacks.
A Union corner kick in the 21st minute yielded nothing, and the ensuing Quakes counter ledto a Quincy Amarikwa chance. On a throw-in from defender Marvell Wynne, the 27 year-old Bakersfield native put a head on it, just missing the Union goal. Again, inaccurate passing from the home team resulted in turnovers. A Union shot in the 33rd minute almost broke the 0-0 deadlock. The San Jose Earthquakes suffered a significant setback in the 39th minute, with defender Victor Bernardez having to come off for an apparent hamstring injury. JJ Koval was subbed in, and a mistake from Koval almost led to a Union goal.
A Koval defensive lapse led to a C.J. Sapong ending up with the ball within the Quakes 18-yard box, and desperate defending from the Quakes player led to contact. Sapong took a tumble, but there was no call from referee Ismail Elfath for a penalty kick.
The Earthquakes produced an opportunity in the 43rd minute, when Perez Garcia crossed the ball to Quincy Amarikwa, whose flying kick caused the ball to go wide-left of the net. A lack of rhythm from the home team, coupled with the defensive mentality of the away team, led to a 0-0 halftime score.
The pace of the game accelerated right from the start of the 2nd half, with Clarence Goodson almost heading in the ball in the 45th minute. Quincy Amarikwa hit the post w/yet another header in the 46th minute, but he was found to be in an offside position. Sebastian Le Toux responded with a shot of his own for the Union in the 49th minute.
Ismail Elfath elected to call an apparent foul on Quincy Amarikwa in favor of Philadelphia, yet quickly carded Clarence Goodson in the 52nd minute. The Goodson booking was strange, especially when replay revealed that there was no contact between Clarence and the opposing Union player.
A Shea Salinas run down the left-hand side of the pitch led to a corner, taken by Matias Perez Garcia. Koval connected with the corner kick, but it collided with Amarikwa. A handball by Philadelphia’s Fabinho in the 63rd minute led to a Quakes penalty kick, which was coolly slotted home by San Jose’s Wondolowski. Wondo’s PK proved to be the 106th goal of his MLS career.
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Conor Casey came on for Sebastian Le Toux late in the second half, and quickly made his presence known with an equalizer for the Union in the 74th minute. Lax defense on the part of the Earthquakes compounded the situation. Perez Garcia attempted to put the Quakes back ahead in the 76th minute, only to see his effort sail over the goal. Quincy Amarikwa attempted an almost identical shot in the 78th minute, but his effort was equally fruitless.
Dominic Kinnear attempted to spark his team by subbing off Matias Perez Garcia, and putting on Tommy Thompson. This substitution proved ineffective, as well as the substitution of Adam Jahn for Quincy Amarikwa. In fact, Jahn had just set foot on the pitch when Casey struck again, bagging his brace to put the Union ahead for good. Three minutes of stoppage time did not allow for “Goonie Time”, and the San Jose Earthquakes missed a chance to leapfrog ahead of their bitter rivals in the Western Conference.
The Quakes go into their match against the Seattle Sounders with their backs against the wall. They will have to summon that fluid style of play that has seen them beat the Sounders twice this season. If they are to christen the inaugural season at Avaya Stadium with a postseason playoff run, then they will have to win out, plain and simple.
