Photo Credit: SJ Earthquakes Twitter
The San Jose Earthquakes earned a 4-1 victory against San Francisco Stompers FC at the Earthquakes Training Facility on Wednesday.
San Jose got on the board first in the 10th minute. Forward Mike Fucito played a through ball to forward Adam Jahn, who fought through a tough challenge and created a window of space for himself. His shot deflected off of a Stompers defender and into the back of the net. It marked Jahn’s sixth goal of the preseason.
Just one minute later, the Earthquakes created another scoring opportunity. Defender Shaun Francis played a ball from the end line back into the box and onto the foot of Jahn. With nifty footwork, Jahn beat two defenders and had a shot on goal, missing just wide left.
In the 18th minute, Quakes midfielder Leandro Barrera delivered a well-placed corner kick into the box, where midfielder Fatai Alashe rose to meet it. Alashe made solid contact on the ball, but narrowly missed wide left.
San Francisco created their first scoring opportunity of the game in the 22nd minute with a strike from outside the penalty area. The ball skipped along the grass and seemed destined for the corner of the net, but Earthquakes goalkeeper Bryan Meredith was up to task and made a diving save to his right.
San Jose doubled their lead in the 26th minute on the left foot of Barrera. Taking a free kick just outside the 18-yard box, Barrera curled the ball around the wall and into goal off the near post.
The Earthquakes made their first substitution of the game in the 38th minute, with midfielder Khari Stephenson replacing defender Ty Harden on the backline.
In the 49th minute, Barrera whipped in another corner kick, which glanced off Jahn’s head and fell to Alashe at the back post. Looking for his second goal of the match, Alashe had a strike on net, but his shot missed wide left.
In the 50th minute, Meredith was called into action again. San Francisco did well to create space and have a hard shot on target, but Meredith made a diving save, extending far to his right and deflecting the ball over the net.
Adam Jahn nearly scored again in the 60th minute. Midfielder Tommy Thompson played a through ball to defender Brandon Barklage, who delivered a cross into the box from the right side. Jahn’s glancing header slipped past the Stompers keeper, but ricocheted off the back post and out of danger.
In the 61st minute, the Quakes brought in nine substitutes, with defenders Marvell Wynne, Victor Bernardez and Jordan Stewart, midfielders Sanna Nyassi, Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi, Matias Perez Garcia and Shea Salinas, and forwards Chris Wondolowski and Trialist #3 entering the game. Goalkeeper Bryan Meredith was the Quakes’ lone player to see action in all 90 minutes.
San Francisco got a goal back in the 65th minute. Defender Joel Castillo had space just inside the penalty area and his shot snuck into the bottom-left corner of the net.
In the 73rd minute, San Jose doubled their advantage. Salinas dribbled down the left side, got past his defender and into the box, before being dragged down from behind, drawing a penalty. Wondolowski took the penalty kick, delivering a hard strike to the upper-left corner of the goal.
The Earthquakes extended their lead to 4-1 on the foot of Francis in the 79th minute. A Shea Salinas corner kicked bounced through the box and found Francis at the back post, who fired a shot with his left foot and past the keeper.
The final scoring opportunity for either team came in the 89th minute by Quakes midfielder Matias Perez Garcia. Garcia dribbled to the edge of the box and curled a left-footed shot to the far post, but was denied by the woodwork.
The Earthquakes return to preseason action against the LA Galaxy on Saturday, Feb. 28 at 2:00 p.m. PT in the first-ever game at Avaya Stadium.
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