Vancouver Whitecaps vs. San Jose Earthquakes | MLS Match Preview

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC vs SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
BC PLACE, Vancouver, B.C.
Sept. 10, 2014 (WEEK 27, MLS Game #255)
7 p.m. PT (TSN/RDS2; CSN-CA+)

A crucial match in the Western Conference playoff chase is ahead at midweek as Vancouver Whitecaps FC continue their homestand against the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday evening at BC Place. Whitecaps FC haven’t scored in nearly seven hours, seeing their winless run continue in a scoreless draw with D.C. United last weekend that left them a point out of the playoff places. The Quakes are a farther seven points back, their winless streak also extended at the weekend in a 3-3 road draw with the Portland Timbers.

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REFEREE: Jose Carlos Rivero. AR1 (bench): Mike Rottersman; AR2 (opposite): Jeff Hosking; 4th: Alejandro Mariscal
MLS Career: 32 games; FC/gm: 27.1; Y/gm: 3.8; R: 9; pens: 18

SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: SJ: Victor Bernardez, Shaun Francis, Steven Lenhart
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: VAN: Jordan Harvey, Gershon Koffie, Sebastian Fernandez, Andy O’Brien, Pedro Morales, Mauro Rosales … SJ: Sam Cronin, Jordan Stewart, Shea Salinas
DISABLED LIST: VAN: Caleb Clarke (season-ending injury) … SJ: Tommy Muller
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: VAN: Johnny Leveron (Honduras, Copa Centroamericana) … SJ: Atiba Harris (St. Kitts and Nevis; Caribbean Cup)

HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (9 meetings): Whitecaps FC 4 wins, 14 goals … Earthquakes 1 win, 11 goals … Ties 4
AT VANCOUVER (5 meetings): Whitecaps FC 4 wins, 10 goals … Earthquakes 0 wins, 4 goals … Ties 1
FUTURE MATCH: 10/18: San Jose Earthquakes vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, 7:30 p.m. PT

2014 (MLS)
5/3: VAN 3, SJ 2 (Manneh 10; Morales 19, 20 – Wondolowski 45, 91+)

• The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Pedro Morales scored twice as Whitecaps FC took an early 3-0 lead; Chris Wondolowski netted twice for the Quakes, but Vancouver still took the 3-2 victory May 3 at BC Place.
• The Earthquakes have never won in Vancouver, as Whitecaps FC have won their last four home meetings between the clubs.
• Whitecaps FC have never won at Buck Shaw Stadium. But in four meetings all-time in Santa Clara, the Quakes have won only once – a 3-1 win in 2012.
• Coaches record: Mark Watson v VAN: P3 W0 L2 D1 … Carl Robinson vs. SJ: P1 W1 L0 D0

LAST MEETING

• Whitecaps FC scored the opening goal 10 minutes in when Kekuta Manneh ran into the box and crashed his first effort off the near post before recovering the rebound and curling it in off the far post for his third goal of the season.
• The home side then made it 3-0 by the 20th minute when Pedro Morales scored twice in the space of a minute. He first converted a 19th-minute penalty – drawn by Darren Mattocks – and quickly followed that up 54 seconds later with a low, 20-yard effort that beat goalkeeper Jon Busch and nestled in the bottom left corner.
• The Quakes pulled a goal back through a Chris Wondolowski penalty on the stroke of halftime after Jay DeMerit was called for a foul against Alan Gordon.
• Wondolowski finished from close range a minute into second-half stoppage time to bring San Jose back to within a goal, but the home side saw out the rest of time for a vital three points.
• VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC (4-2-3-1): David Ousted - Steven Beitashour, Andy O'Brien, Jay DeMerit, Jordan Harvey - Gershon Koffie, Matias Laba - Kekuta Manneh (Kenny Miller 57), Pedro Morales, Sebastian Fernandez (Nicolas Mezquida 69) - Darren Mattocks (Erik Hurtado 30).
• SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-4-1-1): Jon Busch - Brandon Barklage (Billy Schuler 78), Clarence Goodson, Victor Bernardez, Jordan Stewart - Cordell Cato (Atiba Harris 73), JJ Koval, Sam Cronin, Shea Salinas - Yannick Djalo (Alan Gordon 14) - Chris Wondolowski.

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC
Vancouver Whitecaps FC has their winless and shutout streaks extended, reaching a scoreless draw with D.C. United on Saturday evening at BC Place. Whitecaps FC sit in sixth place in the Western Conference with 34 points from 26 games.

LAST MATCH

• Each goalkeeper was credited with three saves in reaching the goalless deadlock. Whitecaps FC goalkeeper David Ousted did well to tip over a long-range Fabian Espindola shot in the first half, while Vancouver's Darren Mattocks had a close-range blast tipped over by United 'keeper Bill Hamid in the second half.
• Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson made three changes to the team that fell 3-0 to the Portland Timbers at BC Place. Ethen Sampson came into the back four for Steven Beitashour, and Sebastian Fernandez and Darren Mattocks came in up top in place of Kekuta Manneh and Erik Hurtado.
• VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC (4-3-1-2): David Ousted - Jordan Harvey, Kendall Waston, Andy O'Brien, Ethen Sampson (Sam Adekugbe 54) - Mauro Rosales (Mehdi Ballouchy 69), Matias Laba, Russell Teibert - Pedro Morales - Sebastian Fernandez (Kekuta Manneh 68), Darren Mattocks.

TEAM NEWS

• Whitecaps FC were shut out for a fourth consecutive game in the scoreless draw against D.C. United. They have gone 411 minutes since scoring last, the third-longest drought in MLS this season and the longest streak in the club’s four-year MLS history.
• “I think Russell Teibert put the ball up two or three times on the edge of the box and rather than take a chance, buy a lottery ticket and take a shot on goal, he would pass back. You know when you put Kekuta Manneh on and you pass it to Kekuta on the edge of the box and Kekuta passes it to Russell on the edge of the box maybe you think it might not be your day,” said Whitecaps FC head coach Carl Robinson. “But you’re right, I think we do need to take more shots on goal. And hit the target.”
• The Earthquakes match concludes a three-match homestand at BC Place, which has started with a loss and a draw. Vancouver heads to back-to-back away games at FC Dallas and Portland.
• Ethen Sampson made his Whitecaps FC and MLS debut, playing 54 minutes at left back. “He was excellent on his debut. No fear. I think he showed what he’s about, he’s competitive and I love players like that in my squad …you know where it means everything to play for Vancouver Whitecaps. I think Ethen showed that in his 50 odd minutes that he played,” said Robinson.
• Darren Mattocks returned to the starting lineup after a one-match absence, and again played a full match in a striker role.
• Sebastian Fernandez also returned to the starting lineup after a one-match absence, partnering Mattocks in attack before coming off at the three-quarter mark of the match.
• Mauro Rosales made his second consecutive start in the midfield, playing 69 minutes. “He was excellent, he’s been excellent since he’s come. The 45 minutes with LA, last week with Portland he was probably our best player. And [vs. D.C. United] he was excellent as well. With three games in a week I have to keep an eye on Mauro because he is going to be a big player for us,” said Robinson.
• Said Rosales: “We didn’t have much time to work together as we have many games ahead, but we can see in the game that we can connect and we can also connect with the forward, and just trying to make offensive plays and to just give to the strikers, to give them the option to score, to give them the option to the team to connect and to make good possession of the ball, and we have to improve and to keep moving. We know we are on the good way. I just feel sorry that we just have eight games left.”
• Fullback Steven Beitashour was not able to feature in the match, after starting 10 consecutive league games following his return from the World Cup.
• “He’s still got the hip problem he had last week prior to the Portland game. I wanted to play him for the Portland game because it was such a big game, but after 50 minutes he picked up a little niggle. I don’t think it’s a major thing but it’s an annoying thing,” said Robinson. “I could say he will be fit for Wednesday but you know he might not be fit for the following Saturday. It’s one of them that you just don’t know because we tried all week, he was 99 percent yesterday and then he pulled out. So it’s a tough one to take with Gershon Koffee being out and Beitashour being out, but it gives other players opportunities and they’ll be more players getting opportunities on Wednesday.”

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
The San Jose Earthquakes saw their winless run extended to six games in cruel fashion, the Portland Timbers hitting for a late equalizer for a 3-3 draw Sunday afternoon at Providence Park. The Quakes are in eighth place in the Western Conference with 27 points from 25 games.

LAST MATCH

• The opening goal came in the 21st minute. Timbers’ keeper Donovan Ricketts saved the first shot from Shea Salinas, but he collected the rebound and fired off another shot that banged off the goalpost straight to Chris Wondolowski for an easy tap-in.
• San Jose was opportunistic again in the 48th minute. Cordell Cato crossed to Wondolowski in the box. Timbers center back Pa Modou Kah’s clearance attempt in the direction of Ridgewell fell right back to Cato, and he slammed home from the right side of the box.
• The Timbers pulled a goal back in the 54th minute when Diego Valeri chipped a perfect ball down the right to Alvas Powell, who brushed off two defenders and popped a shot into the upper far corner. The game was then tied 75th minute thanks to another brilliant feed by Valeri. He sent a cross across the goalmouth that Kalif Alhassan was unable to reach, but was ball was bundled across the line by Liam Ridgewell at the back post.
• But the Quakes regained the lead in the 85th minute when Salinas floated a long cross from the left to an unmarked Wondolowski, who easily nodded home a clear header.
• Yet a minute later, the Timbers had one more answer. Powell collected the ball to the right of the San Jose goal and played it back to Kalif Alhassan, and he stabbed home game-tying goal from the edge of the six-yard box.
• Quakes head coach Mark Watson made one changes to the team that reached a 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake at Buck Shaw Stadium. Cordell Cato came into the side with Atiba Harris on international duty.
• SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-4-1-1): Jon Busch - Shaun Francis, Jason Hernandez, Victor Bernardez, Jordan Stewart (Ty Harden 80) - Cordell Cato, Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi (JJ Koval 77), Sam Cronin, Shea Salinas - Tommy Thompson - Chris Wondolowski.

TEAM NEWS

• The Quakes saw their winless run reach six games, matching the club’s longest since going 13 games without a victory in the 2011 season, their longest winless run in club history.
• “We need to stay positive. We’re disappointed. We’ll look at the video and the things we need to improve upon. We’ll get rested up and go again Wednesday in Vancouver,” said Quakes head coach Mark Watson. “We all know we need wins right now. Everyone is well aware of that. We go over the game. We try to learn from some of the mistakes we made and letting a team back into the game and we push forward.”
• Chris Wondolowski scored a pair of goals. It was his second multiple-goal game this season, and the 15th multiple-goal game of his MLS career. In the first 13 games, the Quakes were 11-0-2 when they had two or more goals; this year they are 0-1-1, with a 3-2 loss at Vancouver on May 3 despite two Wondolowski goals.
• Wondolowski now has 12 goals this season, seven of those (along with four assists) coming since his return from the World Cup (in a 10-game span).
• “His second goal was just good movement, really,” Watson said. “He’s in between the center backs. He wanted that indecision from them. That’s just Wondo. He can be quiet for large parts of the game, but he can strike at any time. It’s disappointing that we scored three goals and didn’t get the result.”
• Said Wondolowski: “I don’t know what to say. I’m a bit speechless right now. Just again, to a man in the locker room, we know it’s not good enough right now. Hasn’t been good enough all season. We end up just shooting ourselves in the foot. It hurts.”
• Shea Salinas collected his sixth assist of the season, his third over the last six matches.
• “This game, we knew going in, was a huge game. We play Portland two more times. We know if we want to get above the red line, we have to start picking up points and to do that, we have to win these games,” said Salinas. “So we’re not happy with the tie. The locker room is very upset with the tie, but we have to look at it and know we worked really hard. We have two more games against them and hopefully we can get six points off them.”
• Cordell Cato scored his third goal of the season, his second in the last eight matches. He was making his second start in the last three matches after going seven games without a start.
• The Timbers took a total of 32 attempts at goal – the third-highest total in MLS history – in the match.
• “I think we could have gotten more out of the match, even though Portland had a bunch of good chances. They had possession, especially early on,” said Watson. “We scored two great goals and were up at halftime. I think we need to do a better job of seeing out the game. I don’t want to comment on the specifics of the goals, but it’s disappointing. Then to go 3-2 later in the game, we need to be more disciplined in those moments.”