All things considered, the San Jose Earthquakes should have won their road game at Toyota Park Saturday.
Playing like they were at home instead of thousands of miles away, the Earthquakes had the run of play in the second half but could not muster a shot on goal in the second half out of six shots taken. Kei Kamara's rebound opportunity from 18 yards out in the 86th minute that went wide left, after John Cunliffe hit the base of the post, was the most glaring and painful of the missed opportunities.
But for a team with a 2-5-1 mark on the road going into the contest, and only six goals scored in those eight games, a tie is an acceptable result.
"I thought we created some real good chances," San Jose coach Frank Yallop said. "It felt that our final pass or finish was not good. We really did not make the 'keeper make a save, and if we had done that, we would have scored a goal tonight.
"I think to come here and play like we did was terrific," Yallop continued. "I felt we deserved a point, if not the win."
Kamara, who had missed the last five Earthquakes games while playing in World Cup qualifying for his native Sierra Leone, had the team's lone shot on goal, had three shots on the night, and was disconsolate that he failed to turn the game in his club's favor.
His best chance, the one in the 86th, was off a shot by second-half sub Cunliffe from the far right side that glanced off the far post and right out to Kamara at the middle of the 18-yard box. Kamara danced with the ball for a moment, then sent it hard but wide left.
"I saw the ball coming out but I didn't want to hit it first time because I saw everybody shifting to that (right) side. I tried to take a touch, but when I took that touch, it led me to another touch because it would not have been clean enough. So I just have to hit that on frame.
"To come away with a point, it is OK, but we had chances and we have to stick one in the back of the net so we can come away with three points," he said. "We had chances, chances we have been complaining we have not been getting in front of the goal."
"He played good, but he had two great chances to score," Yallop said. "He was a little rusty with us, but he was dangerous all night. That chance in the 86th, you've got to hit the target there."
Cannon faced four shots on goal on the night, two in each half. The Fire had a corner kick in the 71st minute, and the ball eventually popped out to Mapp on the left wing. His shot was punched up and over by Cannon. Yallop said it was Cannon's best save of the night.
"I thought it was the toughest save because it came through a crowd," Cannon said. "I picked it up last minute and hit it pretty good."
The Earthquakes, 3-8-3 overall, have scored only one goal in their last four league games, going 0-2-2 in that period. Despite those poor results and their last-place standing in the Western Conference, they played with an enthusiasm and desire that was greater than that of the home team.
Before Cunliffe's post late, in the 52nd minute, Kamara was dragged to the ground by Fire defender Bakary Soumare after a misaimed header by Fire defender Brandon Prideaux set Kamara up just atop the penalty area. Ramiro Corrales took the free kick but it glanced off the crossbar and out.
"At this point, we are just trying to get a point everywhere, and we feel we can win anywhere we play," said defender Kelly Gray, a former Fire player. "We thought we matched up pretty well against them, and I thought we outplayed them. We got a point but we lost two. We are playing solidly defensively but we can't score goals. It's encouraging we got as many chances as we did. We just need to get them in the net."
Yallop had two familiar names to reinsert in his starting lineup, defender Nick Garcia, who was playing his first game since May 31 because of a right MCL sprain, and Kamara.
The return of Kamara was key to the Earthquakes, who have lost the services of forward Peguero Jean Philippe and Gavin Glinton to injury issues. They also lost forward Jovan Kirovski, recently acquired from Colorado, when he suffered a right foot injury in a practice collision and will be out for six weeks.
Besides Cunliffe, Yallop also substituted Shea Salinas for Jason Hernandez in the 82nd minute.
Kent McDill is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
