After coming up empty in their first two outings of the season, the San Jose Earthquakes broke through for a plethora of firsts last week against the Colorado Rapids, including their first goals and first win of the 2008 campaign. With those obstacles out of the way, the Quakes are now focused on fashioning their first winning streak of the season this Sunday against the New York Red Bulls.
It's a game in which the Quakes will carry a fair bit of confidence given their 2-0 victory in Colorado, although according to manager Frank Yallop, the team received just as big a boost after playing well in a 1-0 loss to Chicago the previous week.
"I think there was a spring in our step after we played Chicago, knowing that we can compete in this league and that we're not going to roll over and die every game we play," said Yallop. "I think it showed in Colorado. We played well from whistle to whistle."
Now the team is faced with a cross-country jaunt to New York and a game on an unforgiving and unfamiliar artificial surface. But San Jose will also be facing a Red Bulls team that will be operating at less than full strength after sustaining a few key injuries. A lower back ailment has likely ruled out star forward Juan Pablo Angel, while backup Oscar Echeverry will miss the match with a strained lateral collateral ligament in his right knee.
That still leaves man-child Jozy Altidore in the lineup, a player who looks to be rounding into form following his stunning solo effort last week against New England.
"Altidore is a big boy who has done well for himself," said defender Nick Garcia. "We've got to be aware of him. I don't think we need to pay super-duper special attention to him, but he is a good player who has the potential to change the game."
One key to stopping any good forward is to deny him service, and one of Altidore's primary suppliers will be midfielder Claudio Reyna. The former U.S. international has become a lightning rod for criticism in New York, but Quakes midfielder Joe Vide, who played alongside Reyna last year in New York, has a different take on what the former U.S. international offers.
"I think a lot of what [Reyna] does goes unnoticed," said Vide. "He's just so smart. He sees stuff that as a young guy you don't even see at all. He makes the right decisions and is literally two steps ahead of the game. He's always in the right spots and makes himself available in the midfield."
With Quakes midfielder Ned Grabavoy sustaining a bruised thigh in practice on Wednesday, Vide could yet be called upon to limit Reyna's effectiveness, a chore made more difficult by the New York captain's penchant for dropping deep into midfield to receive the ball.
Another difficulty will be coping with the Red Bulls' five-man midfield. Tactically, the approach is simple. The wide midfielders need to pinch in centrally to negate New York's numerical advantage. Putting it into practice is another matter altogether, although according to midfielder Robbie O'Brien there are weaknesses to be exploited when the ball turns over.
"You can move out wide because the three [defenders] in the back can't get out there to get you," said O'Brien. "You have to find a balance. You have to make sure you can't be broken down easy, but make sure you get out where you can find your space."
Given how effective wide players like O'Brien and Ivan Guerrero were last week against Colorado, a repeat performance would go a long way towards ensuring success against New York. But the Quakes' strength remains their defense. The last two weeks have seen the team eliminate the kind of backbreaking mistakes that cost them in their season-opening loss to Los Angeles. With further progress on that front, San Jose might yet be able to make it two wins in a row.
Jeff Carlisle is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
