The San Jose Earthquakes advanced to the quarterfinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, getting goals from Wade Barrett and Brian Mullan to defeat the USL First Division Portland Timbers 2-0 on Wednesday night at PGE Park.
With the victory, the Earthquakes will now face long-time Open Cup nemesis Los Angeles Galaxy in the quarterfinals. The Galaxy defeated stadium-mates Chivas USA 5-2 on Wednesday. Three successive years -- from 2000 to 2002 -- the Galaxy dumped the Earthquakes out of the competition at the quarterfinal stage.
In the opening minutes, it was the Timbers who looked the stronger side, but the tide began to turn just 10 minutes in after two quality chances failed to produce results.
Scot Thompson sent a header wide in the second minute on a free kick from Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar and Fadi Afash retrieved a ball 20 yards from goal in the middle of the field before hitting a low shot that Quakes goalkeeper Jon Conway went down to save.
A good combination between Alejandro Moreno and Mullan sprung Ian Russell for the Quakes first opportunity 10 minutes into the match. Moreno found Mullan on the right wing and he slipped a ball through to Russell to his right. Russell moved in alone at a bad angle and fired a shot, but Josh Saunders slid out to make the stop.
But the Earthquakes took the lead in the 27th minute when Barrett sent a ball out wide to Brad Davis, whose cross into the box found the streaking defender.
Barrett opened the scoring in the 27th minute with an easy finish off a perfect Brad Davis cross. Davis received the ball on the left wing and whipped a cross to the penalty spot, where Barrett found himself wide open.The Quakes captain calmly slotted the ball to the right corner with a right-footed finish past Saunders.
In the second half, the Timbers nearly hit for the leveller on two different occasions in a minute's span. First Dan Antoniuk was able to free himself for a shot but put it just inches wide of the post in the 58th, then Tom Poltl drove a 30-yard dipping rocket that Conway was forced to tip over the bar.
Mullan gave San Jose some breathing room after latching onto a long ball from Ian Russell and tipping it past a hard-charging Saunders. Russell had the ball on the right wing and drove a ball over the defense to Mullan who beat Saunders to the ball and touched it past him with the outside of his right foot.
Alcaraz-Cuellar nearly struck for a consolation goal in the 83rd when he volleyed a loose ball in the box off the crossbar. But Conway held on to record the sixth shutout in Open Cup play in his career.
U.S. Open Cup Fourth Round
San Jose Earthquakes 2, Portland Timbers 0
August 3, 2005 - PGE Park, Portland, Ore.
Scoring:
SJE -- Wade Barrett 1 (Brad Davis 1) 27
SJE -- Brian Mullan 1 (Ian Russell 1) 63
San Jose Earthquakes: Jon Conway, Kelly Gray, Danny Califf, Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett (Kevin Goldthwaite 46), Ian Russell (Chris Wondolowski 80), Danny O'Rourke, Dwayne De Rosario, Brad Davis (Mark Chung 70), Brian Mullan (Julian Nash 86), Alejandro Moreno.
TOTAL SHOTS: 16 ; FOULS: 20 ; OFFSIDE: 1; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: Conway 5
Portland Timbers: Josh Saunders, Edwin Miranda, Scot Thompson, Lee Morrison, Garrett Marcum, Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar, Tom Poltl (Scott Benedetti 70), Brian Winters, Jarrod Weis, Dan Antoniuk, Fadi Afash (Shaun Higgins 68).
TOTAL SHOTS: 11; FOULS: 13 ; OFFSIDE: 1; CORNER KICKS: 5; SAVES: Saunders 7;
Discipline:
SJE -- Kevin Goldthwaite (caution; reckless foul) 51
