we let ourselves down -- two times we were in the game and we could have come home with three points and there at the end we could have come home with zero points," said Dwayne De Rosario. "... We are very disappointed we got a point and we still aren't out of it yet. We put ourselves in another tough position where we have to have three wins in three games. We need to get those results."
• After being shut out in four of their last five games, TFC scored a pair of goals, the second time in three games they have hit for multiple goals. The other was the 3-2 home win vs. Colorado on Sept. 12, one of just two wins for the Reds since mid-July.
• "I think we had a purpose tonight. There were some sloppy spells tonight where we gave the ball away cheaply and it's going to happen but Chad Barrett deserved his goal through his effort and his work rate," Cummins said. "We could have had a couple more goals as well, but De Rosario had a terrific effort and they had a couple good efforts as well. A draw is probably a fair result."
• For Barrett, his goal in Chicago was his first since hitting for a brace in the 3-1 win at San Jose on July 11 in the first meeting between the clubs this season. "It was good to get back on the scoresheet," he said. "I haven't been back here in a year. The fans were receptive. I had a good time while I was here."
• TFC suffered a blow in training during the week when midfielder Carl Robinson suffered a fractured facial bone in a collision with another player and will miss the remainder of the regular season. Robinson was due to undergo surgery on Thursday and expected to be sidelined 6-8 weeks.
• The game against Chicago was the last one for TFC against any of the teams they are directly in contention with for a playoff spot, though they have a favorable run-in for the remainder of the season. The Reds can eliminate San Jose from postseason contention with a victory; they then take on Real Salt Lake (one point behind) and New York (already eliminated to conclude the campaign.
• "We needed to come here and get the (win)," Barrett said. "We did well to fight hard, but we did not do a good job of managing the game. But maybe this point is the one that will get us into the playoffs."
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
The San Jose Earthquakes were officially eliminated from playoff contention, seeing their four-game unbeaten streak come to an end with a 2-1 loss to FC Dallas on Wednesday night at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Earthquakes have 28 points from 27 matches on the year, still in eighth place in the Western Conference.
LAST MATCH
• Both the Earthquakes and FC Dallas had kept alive their slim playoff ambitions with back-to-back wins in their two previous games.
• Dario Sala made a trio of top-notch saves late in the first half to keep the match scoreless, then FCD took the lead four minutes after the break. Jeff Cunningham played provider, flicking a pass into the area for David Ferreira. The Colombian rounded goalkeeper Joe Cannon and slotted the ball home for his eighth goal.
• But the Quakes leveled the score in the 73rd minute. Shea Salinas launched a ball down the right touchline and Quincy Amarikwa latched onto it before cutting into the area, chipping the ball over an onrushing Sala for his first career MLS goal.
• Yet FC Dallas regained the lead in the 81st minute. With San Jose holding a high line, Ferreira played a through ball, sending Dax McCarty in alone on goal. He went wide of Cannon then laid the ball square for Cunningham to dribble into the goal for his league-leading 17th goal of the season.
• The Quakes nearly stayed alive with a stoppage-time leveler. Cannon went forward for a corner kick and got his head on a loose ball, but Sala was able to swat at it and Jair Benitez headed off the line.
• With his team decimated by international call-ups and injuries, San Jose head coach Frank Yallop made four changes from the side that beat New York 1-0 last Saturday with Bobby Burling, Mike Zaher, Shea Salinas and Antonio Ribeiro all entering the lineup.
• Here's Yallop's team (4-4-2): Joe Cannon - Chris Leitch, Bobby Burling, Brandon McDonald, Michael Zaher (Cornell Glen 87) - Shea Salinas, Ramiro Corrales, Antonio Ribeiro (Quincy Amarikwa 61), Bobby Convey - Ryan Johnson, Chris Wondolowski. Substitutes Not Used: Aaron Pitchkolan, Jamil Roberts, Andrew Weber
• "I am disappointed with the result. We should have at least tied the game to be honest. We had chances, but we didn't play real well. Our general play, especially in the final third, was poor tonight," Yallop said. "We had chances at 1-1 to go and break and score a goal. We couldn't even muster a cross or a shot, which is tough."
TEAM NEWS
• All told the Quakes were missing six players due to either injury or international commitments. The reduced numbers also meant that the Quakes had just five available substitutes.
• "I don't think you saw our team. Any time you change a lot of players in your lineup it's tough for the players coming in. I don't make excuses, but it was difficult," Yallop said. "I think we should have still won the game with the chances (we had). We kind of huffed and puffed but didn't blow any houses down in this game."
• With the Quakes the only team to play twice during the international weekend, things will not improve for the trip to Toronto.
• "It might be difficult, but we're going to go to Toronto and try and win, and obviously go to Chivas and to LA and try to do the same thing," Yallop said. "We are a good team, I think. We've got to make sure that we look at the whole thing, and we were starting to really play well, and we get a few injuries, (and) that really hurt us."
• In his 21st appearance of his rookie season (his 20th coming off the substitutes' bench), rookie Quincy Amarikwa finally broke through for his first professional goal.
• "It feels good to finally get in there and score my first goal this season. It was not always in the back of my mind, but more as a way to find my rhythm and keep it going for the whole night," he said. "Right when I hit the shot, I knew it was going in. I've seen Chris (Wondolowski) hit those same shots at practice, so when I saw the goalie commit to the ground, I went for the chip."
