VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC vs SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
BC PLACE, Vancouver, B.C.
May 5, 2012 (WEEK 9, MLS Game #80)
7 p.m. ET (SNET Pac; CSN-BA)
Vancouver Whitecaps FC and San Jose Earthquakes meet for the second time this season in a huge clash at the top of the Western Conference. Whitecaps FC have won back-to-back games by 1-0 scorelines, last against FC Dallas, as they return to their record-setting defensive performance of the start of the season. All the Earthquakes have done is move to the top of the MLS overall table, extending their unbeaten streak to seven with a third straight win at midweek, a 5-3 defeat of D.C. United at home.
REFEREE: Chris Penso. SAR (bench): Chris Strickland; JAR (opposite): Colin Arblaster; 4th: Paul Ward
MLS Career: 17 games; FC/gm: 22.9; Y/gm: 3.3; R: 5; pens: 10
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INJURY REPORT:
- VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC - OUT: FW Darren Mattocks (R shoulder burn); GK Brian Sylvestre (R knee surgery); PROBABLE: MF Jun Marques Davidson (R adductor strain); FW Etienne Barbara (groin strain); FW Camilo Sanvezzo (R quad strain)
- SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES - OUT: DF Victor Bernardez (L knee MCL sprain); MF Joey Gjertsen (R knee surgery); FW Alan Gordon (L hamstring strain); MF Shea Salinas (L clavicle fracture); DF Tim Ward (L non-specific soft tissue injury)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: SJ: Steven Lenhart
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: VAN: Eric Hassli
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (3 meetings): Earthquakes 1 wins, 6 goals ... Whitecaps 0 wins, 4 goals ... Ties 2
AT VANCOUVER (1 meeting): Earthquakes 0 wins, 1 goal ... Whitecaps 0 wins, 1 goal ... Ties 1
FUTURE MATCHES: 7/22: Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 4 p.m. PT
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. San Jose claimed a 3-1 victory April 7 at Buck Shaw Stadium, Vancouver's first loss of the season after season-opening unbeaten and shutout streaks.
- It was the first victory for either team in the all-time series; they played to a pair of draws last year in Vancouver's inaugural season in MLS.
- Chris Wondolowski has scored five of San Jose's six goals vs. Vancouver.
- Coaches record: Frank Yallop vs. SEA: P3 W1 L0 D2 ... Martin Rennie vs. SJ: P1 W0 L1 D0
LAST MEETING (MLS):
- 4/7: SJ 3, VAN 1 (Wondolowski 68, 78; Gordon 72 - Le Toux 49)
- Whitecaps FC opened the scoring four minutes after the break, Eric Hassli posted up inside the box and played a pass back to Sebastien Le Toux off a throw-in, and Le Toux knocked it inside the far post.
- Five minutes after the 'Caps broke the MLS record for most minutes to start a season without conceding a goal, the Quakes pulled even. Chris Wondolowski got behind the Vancouver defense, held off defender Jay DeMerit, then ran onto a throw-in from left back Ramiro Corrales and chipped 'Caps goalkeeper Joe Cannon.
- Then, in the 72nd minute, Corrales dialed a cross into the box, and second-half substitute Alan Gordon answered with a diving header to give San Jose the lead.
- Wondolowski hammered the final nail into the coffin in the 78th minute. Tressor Moreno found the striker at the back post with a cross from a free kick, and Wondolowski simply redirected it into the net on the volley.
- SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-5-1): Jon Busch - Steven Beitashour, Justin Morrow, Victor Bernardez, Ramiro Corrales - Marvin Chavez (Tressor Moreno 38), Rafael Baca, Simon Dawkins (Alan Gordon 52), Sam Cronin (Khari Stephenson 68), Shea Salinas - Chris Wondolowski.
- VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC (4-4-2): Joe Cannon - Lee Young-Pyo, Jay DeMerit, Martin Bonjour, Jordan Harvey - Davide Chiumiento, Gershon Koffie, Jun Marques Davidson (Camilo 76), John Thorrington (Matt Watson 79) - Sebastien Le Toux, Eric Hassli.
VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC won yet another 1-0 game, this time knocking off the Columbus Crew on Saturday evening at Columbus Crew Stadium. Whitecaps FC are in fourth place in the Western Conference with 14 points from 8 games.
HIGHLIGHTS: Vancouver stun Columbus at Crew Stadium
LAST MATCH
- The game's lone goal came after 74 minutes. Young-Pyo Lee lined up 25 yards out from goal on the right side and looped a free kick toward the far post. Crew goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum misread the ball as he backpedaled and tried to deflect the shot with his left hand but the ball settled into the upper left corner.
- Whitecaps FC goalkeeper Joe Cannon was called upon to make two saves for the shutout, both testing efforts in the first half from Eddie Gaven and Aaron Schoenfeld.
- Whitecaps FC head coach Martin Rennie made one change to the team that defeated FC Dallas 1-0 at BC Place. Eric Hassli returned to the side in place of Camilo.
- VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC (4-3-3): Joe Cannon - Lee Young-Pyo, Jay DeMerit, Martin Bonjour, Jordan Harvey - Gershon Koffie, Jun Marques Davidson, Matt Watson - Sebastien Le Toux, Eric Hassli (Atiba Harris 74), Omar Salgado (John Thorrington 83).
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SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
The San Jose Earthquakes stretched their unbeaten streak to seven games in impressive fashion, rolling to a 5-3 win against D.C. United on Wednesday evening at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Quakes are now in first place in the overall MLS table with 22 points from 9 games.
HIGHLIGHTS: Vancouver stun Columbus at Crew Stadium
LAST MATCH
- United took the lead in the eighth minute. After Danny Cruz was halted on a long run through midfield, Dwayne De Rosario rushed in unchecked for a loose ball, delivering a scalding shot from all of 30 yards high to the left side of helpless San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch.
- But the Quakes exploded to take the lead before halftime. In the 19th minute, Steven Lenhart walked onto the rebound after a Tressor Moreno attempt was blocked and lashing it home from just outside the area.
- Chris Wondolowski doubled the lead two minutes later, after a series of one- and two-touch passes from Khari Stephenson to Moreno and Simon Dawkins concluded with the Englishman feeding Wondolowski a step inside the penalty spot for a cool finish.
- Justin Morrow widened the gap in the 31st minute after his shot from a deflected corner kick was deflected by United midfielder Danny Cruz, leaving 'keeper Joe Willis no chance.
- United pulled a goal back in the 64th minute, when De Rosario sprung Andy Najar on the right endline, and his cross to the back post was met with a diving header by Daniel Woolard.
- But Wondolowski got his second of the night in the 69th minute, snapping home a header from a Steven Beitashour cross from the right flank. Lenhart then recorded the final San Jose tally in the 74th, chesting in a rebound after Marvin Chavez pinged the crossbar.
- United scored a late goal when Hamdi Salihi then ran onto De Rosario's lead pass in the 88th minute and chipped the ball over Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch.
- Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop made three changes to the team that claimed a 2-1 win against Philadelphia Union at PPL Park. Ramiro Corrales came into the back for Ike Opara, and Marvin Chavez and Steven Lenhart came in for Rafael Baca and Sam Cronin.
- SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-3-1-2): Jon Busch - Steven Beitashour, Jason Hernandez, Justin Morrow, Ramiro Corrales (Ike Opara 83) - Marvin Chavez, Khari Stephenson, Simon Dawkins (Sam Cronin 72) - Tressor Moreno (Rafael Baca 63) - Steven Lenhart, Chris Wondolowski.
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