SAN JOSE - Following the San Jose Earthquakes 2-0 victory against the Chicago Fire on Wednesday night, there was plenty of talk about streaks. The Quakes have now won a team record six consecutive matches, they are unbeaten in their last 10 games, and stretched their home unbeaten streak to 16 games.
But there was one streak that was broken in the Quakes' latest victory: With his two goals, Dwayne De Rosario became the first San Jose player this season to enjoy a multiple-goal game.
After watching De Rosario score in the first half with a sublime lob over Chicago goalkeeper Zach Thornton, and then seeing Alejandro Moreno earn a penalty just five minutes into the second half, San Jose head coach Dominic Kinnear knew the streak was about to come to an end.
"I knew as soon as the whistle was blown that Dwayne [De Rosario] was going to run over and get it or wrestle it out of somebody's hands," said Kinnear.
That somebody turned out to be forward Brian Ching, who in a gracious acknowledgement of the season De Rosario is having, allowed his teammate his moment of glory.
"Not many words were exchanged," said De Rosario. "[Ching] just said 'You better score.'"
De Rosario did just that, providing a valuable cushion for the remainder of the half, as the Fire peppered the San Jose goal with 12 second-half shots. Kinnear added that while he wasn't surprised at De Rosario's initiative, he was surprised that his was the first multiple-goal game.
"[De Rosario] is always eager to score," said Kinnear. "But the goals are coming from everywhere. It's kind of a surprising stat considering how many goals we've scored this year. But I'm happy for Dwayne, I think he's having an excellent season."
While the Quakes' Canadian international was pleased to see his double be the team's first of the season, he also spoke with pride about what the just-ended run represents.
"That's a great thing to me," said De Rosario of his side's balance. "It means we're winning and everyone is contributing. It shows that everyone has the capability of scoring on this team."
One player left frustrated on the evening was Ching, who saw Thornton deny him three times with stellar saves.
But in a sign that perhaps the Hawaiian is expanding his game, Ching was involved in the buildup to both goals. His flick-on header sprung De Rosario for his opener, and his through ball in the second half to Alejandro Moreno eventually resulted in Moreno winning the penalty.
"It's just part of me becoming a better player," said Ching. "I would have been happier if I had scored, but I'm happy with the win. We're just keeping the train rolling."
Jeff Carlisle is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
