SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES vs MONTRÉAL IMPACT
BUCK SHAW STADIUM, Santa Clara, Calif.
May 4, 2013 (WEEK 10, MLS Game #83)
1 p.m. PT (CSN-CA; TVA)
The San Jose Earthquakes return home to face a real test in ending a long winless run, meeting the Eastern Conference-leading Montréal Impact on Saturday afternoon at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Quakes are winless in their last five matches, coming off a late 2-2 draw at Chivas USA last weekend. The Impact took over the top spot in the East with a 2-0 home win against Chicago last weekend, then rolled to the Canadian Championship final in impressive fashion at midweek with a dominant win against Toronto FC.
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REFEREE: Drew Fischer. AR1 (bench): Daniel Belleau; AR2 (opposite): Brian Dunn; 4th: Jesus Cisneros
MLS Career: 11 games; FC/gm: 26.6; Y/gm: 2.6; R: 1; pens: 4
DISABLED LIST: none
SUSPENDED: SJ: Alan Gordon (through May 8); Steven Lenhart (through May 8)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: SJ: Victor Bernardez
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (1 meeting): Impact 1 win, 3 goals … Earthquakes 0 wins, 1 goal … Ties 0
AT SAN JOSE: First meeting.
LAST YEAR (MLS):
8/18: MTL 3, SJ 1 (Di Vaio 25; Neagle 61; Bernier 72 – Wondolowski 23)
- This is the only league meeting of the season between the two clubs.
- The Impact won the only meeting between the clubs in Montréal’s inaugural MLS season, a 3-1 victory Aug. 18 at Stade Saputo.
- Coaches record: Frank Yallop vs. MTL: P1 W0 L1 D0 … Marco Schällibaum v SJ: first game
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
The San Jose Earthquakes had their winless streak extended to five matches, despite coming back for yet another late draw in a 2-2 tie with Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center. The Quakes sit in sixth place in the Western Conference with 10 points from 9 matches.
LAST MATCH
- The Earthquakes took the lead in the 40th minute. A free kick from the left was swung in toward the back post and Chris Wondolowski beat defender Joaquin Velazquez to the ball before finishing with aplomb.
- But Chivas USA scored twice in the first five minutes of the second half. In the 47th minute, Mario de Luna leveled the score when he deflecting a centering pass from Jorge Villafaña past San Jose goalkeeper Jon Busch, finishing on the rebound after his first attempt was blocked.
- Just four minutes later, Chivas USA were in the left. Villafaña again set it up with a cross from the left and it came all the way across to forward Tristan Bowen, who slammed the back of the net with a scintillating left-footed strike.
- But the Quakes found an answer in the 76th minute. Shea Salinas sent in a centering pass from the left and substitute Cordell Cato finished it off from inside the penalty area to leave the teams tied at 2-2.
- Quakes head coach Frank Yallop made one change to the team that came back for a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers at Buck Shaw Stadium. Marvin Chavez started in the midfield in place of Ramiro Corrales.
- SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-4-2): Jon Busch - Steven Beitashour, Victor Bernardez, Nana Attakora, Justin Morrow - Shea Salinas, Sam Cronin, Rafael Baca, Marvin Chavez (Cordell Cato 67) - Chris Wondolowski, Steven Lenhart (Adam Jahn 70).
TEAM NEWS
- The Earthquakes are now winless in five games after last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Chivas USA, their longest winless run since their 13-game streak from June 17-Aug. 27, 2011.
- “I think the game plan and how many chances we created tonight was perfect,” Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop said. “Obviously conceding two goals is never good. We had enough chances to win this game. It was a frustrating night and disappointed for the guys. They put the effort in to get the three points and we could not quite do it. We played well but we have to do better on their goals, and it is something to look at.”
- It was yet another late goal for the Quakes to snatch a point. A year ago, 22 of their 72 goals on the season came after the 76th minute; the tying goal vs. Chivas was their fourth (of eight total goals this year) to come after the 76-minute mark.
- “We could have fought a little bit more in the first half. We scored two goals away from home, which is good. The big thing is we should have had three points, but we did not lose the match, and I guess that’s how I have to look at it,” said Yallop.
- Shea Salinas set up both San Jose goals in the comeback draw vs. Chivas, his fourth two-assist game in six MLS seasons.
- “It’s a whole lot of running but it’s fun just running up and down the lanes. I like to say that I’m a really good runner and an OK soccer player, so track-meet games like that are fun for me,” said Salinas. “Just a little disappointed we didn’t get a few more goals on [Chivas USA]. Cato has been playing well. That was a great finish he had – left foot on the side of the net.”
- It was the first league goal for Cordell Cato, acquired in the offseason from Seattle Sounders FC, where he made eight appearances a year ago. He scored one goal in all competitions in Seattle – in the U.S. Open Cup vs. San Jose. “It was a feeling I’ve been missing for a year now,” said Cato. “It’s been long coming.”
- With Marvín Chavez making his first start of the season, Salinas moved to the right flank after his first seven appearances all came on the left side.
- “I don’t really have a preference, left or right,” Salinas said. “I think I have a few more options when I play on the left. I can cut inside a little better and I can still go wide and cross the ball. I like playing on the left, but I don’t mind playing on the right, either.”
MONTREAL IMPACT
The Montréal Impact ended their brief two-game winless run, getting two second-half goals for a 2-0 win against the Chicago Fire on Saturday afternoon at Stade Saputo. The Impact are first place in the Eastern Conference with 16 points from 7 matches.
LAST MATCH
- The Impact finally broke through in the second half. A long pass from Wandrille Lefèvre from the right reached Andrea Pisanu, who fed Romero on the left wing. Romero tricked his way past Chicago right back Logan Pause and curled a beauty to the top right corner for the 57th-minute opener.
- The game then took a turn in the 64th minute, when Fire midfielder Jeff Larentowicz was sent off for tripping up Pisanu on a run toward goal.
- Impact striker Di Vaio wrapped up the game with a low, delicate finish in the 76th minute after newcomer Daniele Paponi served him a ball in the area.
- Impact head coach Marco Schällibaum made three changes to the team that played to a 1-1 draw with the Columbus Crew at Stade Saputo. Dennis Iapichino came into the back four for Karl Ouimette, and Andrea Pisanu and Daniele Paponi started in place of Patrice Bernier and Justin Mapp.
- MONTREAL IMPACT (4-4-2): Troy Perkins - Jeb Brovsky, Alessandro Nesta (Wandrille Lefevre 54), Hassoun Camara, Dennis Iapichino - Andres Romero, Felipe Martins (Patrice Bernier 61), Davy Arnaud, Andrea Pisanu (Justin Mapp 72) - Daniele Paponi, Marco Di Vaio.
TEAM NEWS
- Following the 2-0 defeat in the first leg of the Canadian Championship semifinal, there was a tactical change for the Impact. Daniele Paponi partnered Marco Di Vaio in attack as Marco Schällibaum sent out his team in a 4-4-2.
- “As a coach, you have to send signals that you want to win the game 100 percent,” Schällibaum said. “I fielded a 4-4-2, but it was an attacking 4-4-2, with Felipe behind the strikers. I send them a good signal, and they understood my message. I’m really proud of this team.”
- For Paponi, it was his MLS debut after being acquired the week before from Bologna in Italy’s Serie A.
- “It went very well today,” Paponi said. “We were able to find each other in different spots and now, we just have to build on the positives from today.”
- Marco Di Vaio scored his fourth goal in the last five games. Over his last 15 games dating back to last year, Di Vaio has eight goals.
- •“It’s different, but I’d already played 4-4-2, it’s not difficult. You have less space, but you must look for different spaces since you’re not alone up front,” Di Vaio said. “But we can do well this way. We’re more dangerous, we have more opportunities to score goals and we have more opportunities to win.”
- Impact academy product Wandrille Lefèvre made his full professional debut, coming on in the 54th minute in place of Alessandro Nesta, who suffered an adductor strain.
- “Alessandro had told me that his positional history was similar to mine,” Lefèvre said. “He was a midfielder at first and he played his first pro games in the middle, but for various reasons, including injuries, he moved to the back. He told me my profile could be similar. It’s up to me to develop the qualities to become a decent defender. I take up every one of his pieces of advice.”
- Lefèvre capped his debut by recording his first assist in MLS play, on the opening Impact goal. “I’m a natural midfielder, so playing as a central defender gave me a little bit of time and I was able to find Pisanu in the midfield,” he said. “But as a defender, you have to make the right decision to move the ball up field because you don’t want to lose possession.”
- On Wednesday, the Impact overcame a first-leg deficit with a 6-0 victory against Toronto FC in the second leg of their Canadian Championship semifinal at Stade Saputo, advancing to the final 6-2 on aggregate. Justin Mapp, Daniele Paponi, Marco Di Vaio (twice), Andrés Romero and Andrew Wenger all scored as the Impact equaled the record number of goals scored in an ACC game (Montreal 1-6 Toronto, June 18, 2009).
- “To come back from a game in which we suffered like we did in the first leg, we showed the high level that this team can play at,” said head coach Marco Schällibaum. “Tonight, we wanted to win without a doubt. I am very proud to be the coach of this team and proud of the guys tonight.” Said midfielder Patrice Bernier: “Today was a game about pride and character. We answered the critics from last week and we played a game that the fans will remember for a long time.”
- Here’s the Impact team: Evan Bush; Maxim Tissot, Hassoun Camara, Wandrille Lefèvre, Jeb Brovsky; Patrice Bernier, Justin Mapp, Davy Arnaud (Collen Warner 52'), Andrés Romero (Sanna Nyassi 90+); Daniele Paponi (Marco Di Vaio 38'), Andrew Wenger
