Fatai Alashe (27) embraces Adam Jahn (14) in celebration of Jahn’s game tying goal against D.C. United.
On a night where the league celebrated the first MLS match held 20 years ago, the San Jose Earthquakes would get a late equalizer against D.C. United to send the Avaya Stadium crowd home abuzz. Substitute Adam Jahn would be the surprise hero for the Quakes as he tapped home an 88th minute cross from Shea Salinas to equalize a 34th minute goal from Patrick Nyarko.
San Jose was on the offensive early, feeding dangerous balls right in front of goal and testing the United keeper, Travis Worra. Worra was up to the task though, deflecting the first shot wide for a corner and watched the second go wide of the net.
D.C. tried to counter the Quakes attack with high pressure, and force the defenders into mistakes but San Jose’s defense dealt with it well and countered off of it.
Alberto Quintero took off on the United defense in the 16th minute and was bodied off the ball in the box. Shouts for a penalty rained down from the home crowd but no foul was to be given.
Minutes later Matias Perez Garcia would get another chance for the Quakes, using deft footwork to shake a defender and put a shot towards goal but it just wouldn’t curl enough on goal.
San Jose continued to get balls through the D.C. defense and in the 25th minute Quincy Amarikwa would get two chances to put the Quakes on the scoreboard but his first shot was saved and his second off the rebound was skied high over the net.
The breakthrough would come in the 34th minute but it was D.C. who would get the opening tally as Nyarko streaked through the box and met the cross of Lamar Neagle with his head and put it into the back of the net.
San Jose looked to have the equalizer minutes later as Shaun Francis crossed a great ball across the box to Chris Wondolowski who threaded it in front of goal to a wide open Amarikwa for the tap in but the linesman determined Amarikwa to be offside.
The second half started off with a bang as Quintero again cut through the D.C. defense but his cross was denied by Worra, missing an open Wondolowski and Amarikwa.
The wide open play seen at the end of the first half continued into the second as both teams attempted to counter each other’s attacks.
It was almost a 2-0 advantage for D.C. off a corner kick as the cross came straight through the box to two streaking United attackers at the back post, but neither could get a foot on it and the ball went out of play.
Then it was a foul just outside the box that set up a free kick for Neagle that almost added to the lead but his chance glanced off the top of the cross bar and it looked as if David Bingham had his goal covered.
After 65 minutes San Jose still trailed and was pushing hard for an equalizer but the United defense kept the Quakes off the board and managed to win some possession for the D.C. attack.
With the time ticking away and the United defense causing the Quakes issues, the San Jose attack began to fall apart and become desperate.
Kinnear subbed in Salinas for Alberto Quintero in the 71st minute and Innocent for Garcia in the 75th minute to try and inject some life into the attack but it would be the substitution of Jahn into the match that would put the Quakes on the board as the forward put a sliding touch on a Salinas cross to redirect it past the D.C. keeper to tie the match in the 88th minute.
The momentum of the match instantly swung in the Quakes favor as they continued a relentless attack as the crowd desperately cheered them on.
With time ticking away and the energy electric in the stadium, Marvell Wynne put a throw in to the head of Jahn who directed it to the foot of Wondolowski but his shot on goal was just saved by Worra.
The final gasps from San Jose came close to scoring another goal for the home team but it was not to be and the Quakes would have to settle for a 1-1 draw in a game that they felt they could, and maybe should, have won.
Kinnear, Thompson, and Wondolowski all expressed their disappointment in not getting three points at home after the match but were happy with the performance tonight.
Ben Olson was also content with the result tonight, knowing that San Jose is always a tough road match to get a result with their physicality and quality of attacking options but was also somewhat disappointed to give up the late goal and not get all three points.
Lineups:
San Jose: Bingham; Wynne, Bernardez, Imperiale (Jahn 82’), Francis; Quintero (Salinas 71’), Alashe, Thompson, Perez Garcia (Innocent 75’); Wondolowski, Amarikwa
D.C. United: Worra; Franklin, Birnbaum, Boswell, Kemp; Nyarko (Vincent 83’), DeLeon, Jeffery, Neagle (Aguilar 71’); Espindola, Rolfe (Acosta 76’)
Scoring:
San Jose: Jahn 88’ (Salinas)
D.C. United: Nyarko 34’ (Neagle, Rolfe)
Discipline:
San Jose: Francis (Caution 31’), Imperiale (Caution 55’)
D.C. United: Kemp (Caution 59’), Nyarko (Caution 64’), Acosta (Caution 86’)
San Jose Earthquakes
D.C. United
