only to surrender the leads and settle for disappointing draws. Saturday night at Soldier Field was even more disheartening, as the Quakes allowed a stoppage-time goal and lost 2-1 to the Chicago Fire. A Craig Waibel own goal gave the Fire the lead, but this time it looked like the Earthquakes would provide the late-game heroics as substitute Alejandro Moreno provided an equalizer. But after the full 90 minutes were complete, Thiago turned home a cross to give the Fire the victory in their home opener. In the 58th minute the Fire finally broke through San Jose's defense on an own goal by Waibel. Quakes 'keeper Pat Onstad came rushing out to challenge for a cross into the box from the left side by Fire forward Justin Mapp. Unfortunately for the Quakes, the ball skimmed off Waibel's head and deflected over the 'keeper and into the goal. San Jose finally flashed the offensive flair that had been so prevalent in their first two matches. In the 82nd minute Ronald Cerritos drove a ball deep into the center of the box to Brian Ching. Ching was immediately bundled to the turf by Fire defender Jim Curtin, but Ching popped right back up while retaining possession, and touched a soft pass to substitute Moreno. With the hard work having been done by Ching and Davis, Moreno drove the ball underneath Fire 'keeper Matt Pickens to tie the game. Unfortunately for the Quakes, they allowed a stoppage-time goal as Fire newcomer Thiago ran onto a perfectly placed cross coming from the right hand side from Fire substitute Chad Barrett. Thiago slid in and sent a slight touch past Onstad to give the Fire their first victory of the season and keep the Quakes still winless on the campaign.
Last Match vs. Wizards
Wizards 3, Earthquakes 0; Saturday, October 30, 2004; Arrowhead Stadium; Kansas City, MO
The San Jose Earthquakes fell 3-0 in Game Two of their Western Conference Semifinal series to the Kansas City Wizards and lost the two-game aggregate goal series 3-2. The Wizards scored two second half goals, including one in the 92nd minute by Jack Jewsbury to overcome a 2-0 first leg deficit and win the series. The Wizards scored the first goal of the match and cut the total goal deficit to 2-1 in the 26th minute. Davy Arnaud started the play on the right side of the box by beating his defender and then dropping a pass back to Jewsbury at the top of the 18-yard box. Jewsbury drove a low ball into the middle of the box, where it found Khari Stephenson, who beat one defender and fired a shot past Onstad. The Wizards took a 2-0 lead in the game and tied the series on aggregate in the 48th minute on an own goal. Jewsbury scored in the 92nd minute after a pass from Igor Simutenkov got him free at the edge of the penalty box. Jose Burciaga Jr. started the scoring sequence with a pass from the left wing that found Simutenkov, who touched the ball through to Jewsbury. Jewsbury then slammed a shot off the near post and into the net for the winning goal.
Reserve League
Fire 3, Earthquakes 1; Sunday, April 17, 2005; Soldier Field; Chicago, IL
The Chicago Fire Reserves (1-1-0, 3 pts.) defeated their counterparts from the San Jose Earthquakes (0-2-0, 0 pts.) via a 3-1 score in an MLS Reserve League match Sunday morning at Flames Field on the campus of the University of Illinois - Chicago. Two goals from Chad Barrett and a late goal by Will Johnson sealed the victory for the Fire, while James Twellman tallied the lone goal for San Jose. The deadlock was broken in the 23rd minute as Barrett connected with an incoming cross from the right side from Fire newcomer Jared Montz. John was also credited with an assist for the play, as he sent Montz into the outskirts of the penalty area with a well placed through ball. In the 32nd minute, Earthquakes defender Chris Aloisi was issued a yellow card caution for bringing down John deep in the attacking third. Moments later, Barrett would score his second goal of the game on the ensuing free kick with a scorching 23-yard shot into the right upper ninety, resulting in a 2-0 score line that would stand until halftime. The second half would start out slowly, but in the 62nd minute a strong cross from Earthquakes midfielder Ian Russell connected with forward James Twellman to create a point blank shot on goal. Fire goalkeeper David Mahoney would make the save to keep the lead of two goals intact. Twellman would get another chance in the frantic late minutes of the game, as he collected a well-placed pass from Julian Nash in the 89th minute that he put past Mahoney to put the outcome in doubt. Tighe Dombrowski also assisted on the play. It seemed as though the match would become even as stoppage time arrived as the Earthquakes put steady pressure on the Fire goal, but San Jose's best chance, a Wes Hart attempt on goal, was deflected and then cleared out of the box by Fire midfielder Scott Buete. A streaking Johnson collected at midfield and, with Conway cheating well up-field, took two touches before comfortably sliding a shot from long distance into the empty net, giving the game its final scoreline of 3-1.
Scoring Summary:
CHI - Chad Barrett (Jared Montz, Will John) 23; CHI - Chad Barrett (unassisted) 33; SJ - James Twellman (Julian Nash, Tighe Dombrowski) 89; CHI - Will Johnson (Scott Buete) 91.
Lineups
Chicago Fire Reserves - David Mahoney, Jack Stewart, Tony Sanneh (Kenneth Robinson 46), Gonzalo Segares, Jared Montz, Scott Buete, Logan Pause (Capt.) (Larry Sunderland 88), Will John, Leonard Griffin, Will Johnson, Chad Barrett (Adam Jones 83).
San Jose Reserves - Jon Conway, Wes Hart (Capt.), Chris Aloisi, Brett Rodriguez, Kevin Goldthwaite, Ian Russell, Tighe Dombrowski, Dwayne DeRosario (Chris Wondolowski 46), Orlando Ramirez (James Twellman 46), Roger Levesque, Alejandro Moreno (Julian Nash 46).
Quakes assistant coach John Doyle, on reserve league game: "It was good for our young players to get a game in. We came out a little flat in the first half, but I thought that the team really played well in the second half and we had some good chances to score. The guys really worked hard to get back in the game and they nearly pulled out a good result at the end."
Misc. Notes
Ching Makes it Two in a Row
Despite not scoring against the Chicago Fire on Saturday, Brian Ching continued his strong play as he recorded an assist on Alejandro Moreno's tying goal in the 83rd minute. He now has scored a goal or notched an assist in all three games this season.
Moreno Nets First Goal
Forward Alejandro Moreno netted his first goal in an Earthquakes uniform on Saturday against Chicago, as he scored the tying goal in the 83rd minute after entering as a sub in the 77th minute. Moreno scored six goals with Los Angeles in 2004.
Cerritos Adds to Assist Total
Ronald Cerritos recorded his first assist of the 2005 season for San Jose and his first as a member of the Earthquakes since July 21, 2001. The San Salvador, El Salvador native now has 39 assists in his San Jose career, placing him second in team history, five behind Richard Mulrooney. He leads San Jose all-time in goals scored with 56 in a San Jose uniform and he has scored 66 goals all-time in MLS, good for seventh in league history.
League Leaders
Mullan's Yellow Card
Quakes midfielder Brian Mullan did not receive a yellow card against Chicago on Saturday and will not be suspended for a game if he receives a yellow card this weekend.
Fouls Committed, Fouls Suffered
San Jose has played in three tough contests so far in the 2005 season and the Quakes now lead MLS in both fouls committed (69) and fouls suffered (69) by wide margins. The Quakes have committed 18 more fouls than the Chicago Fire, who are second in that category and have suffered 14 more fouls than the Fire, who are second in that category also. In their season opener against New England on April 2, San Jose set the team record with 30 fouls committed. Individually, Brian Ching leads MLS in fouls committed and is third in fouls suffered. Brian Mullan and Brad Davis are fourth and sixth respectively in fouls suffered.
Quakes All-Time in April
The Quakes are now 17-17-8 all-time in the month after the Quakes 2-1 loss on Saturday.
Quakes in the Community
Who: Brian Mullan
Location: Macy's Men's & Home Store at Valley Fair Mall
Date: Wednesday, April 20th
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Details: Brian Mullan will be at Macy's Men's & Home Store at Valley Fair Mall on Wednesday, April 20th from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. signing autographs and promoting the The Game of Their Lives movie.
Who: Dwayne De Rosario
Location: Colombia Middle School in Sunnyvale, CA
Date: Thursday, April 21st
Time: 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Details: Dwayne De Rosario will be at Columbia Middle School on Thursday April 21st to speak with the kids participating in the City Year Middle School Camp about soccer. Afterwards, Dwayne will be signing autographs and answering questions.
Who: Brian Ching, Brad Davis, Orlando Ramirez and Brett Rodriguez
Location: Century Capitol 16 Theaters, San Jose, CA
Date: Thursday, April 21st
Time: 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Details: Brian Ching, Brad Davis, Orlando Ramirez and Brett Rodriguez will be signing autographs prior to the San Jose Earthquakes private screening of The Game of Their Lives.
Who: Q
Location: Dorsa Elementary School, San Jose, CA
Date: Wednesday, April 20th
Time: 4:00 p.m.
Details: Students at Dorsa Elementary School will be participating in Q's Safety School featuring San Jose Earthquakes mascot Q on Wednesday, April 20th. Q's Safety School educates children on the importance of Street Safety, Stranger Danger, and of course, Earthquakes Safety.
Who: Q
Location: Plaza de Cesar Chavez
Date: Saturday, April 23rd
Time: TBD
Details: San Jose Earthquakes mascot Q will be at Earth Day on Saturday, April 23rd at Plaza de Cesar Chavez in San Jose.
Series of Streaks
Despite dropping three of their last five matches to the Wizards, including MLS Cup playoff games, San Jose remains ahead in the all-time series. Prior to two straight defeats, including playoffs, in Arrowhead Stadium to close out 2004, the Quakes had gone unbeaten in eight of their last 10 matches at Arrowhead Stadium. The Wizards have struggled in San Jose, last recording a win at Spartan Stadium on Aug. 16, 2000 in a 3-0 win.
Top Wizards Players vs. Quakes
Wizards midfielder Preki has scored a total of 10 goals and recorded nine assists in 26 regular season games against the Quakes...Chris Klein has one goal and six assists in 24 regular season games vs. the Quakes...Jose Burciaga Jr. has scored one goal in five appearances against San Jose.
Top Quakes Performers vs. Wizards
Ronald Cerritos has scored nine goals and registered two assists in 14 regular season games...Dwayne De Rosario has two goals and four assists in 11 games...Brian Mullan has scored one goal and registered three assists in eight games against Kansas City.
Quakes vs. Wizards History
The Quakes lead the all-time regular season series between the two teams 16-14-6...The Earthquakes eliminated the Wizards from the 2003 Western Conference Championship game in overtime on Nov. 15, 2003 on a Landon Donovan goal...The Wizards then ousted the Quakes from the 2004 MLS Cup Playoffs in the first round after rallying from a 2-0 aggregate-goal deficit by winning Game 2 3-0 on a late Jack Jewsbury goal...Earthquakes defender Eddie Robinson scored his first career MLS goal against the Wizards on July 27, 2002... Brian Ching scored his first career goal and notched his first career assist against the Wizards on June 13, 2001 while with the Galaxy...Landon Donovan scored the Quakes first-ever hat trick on Sept. 20, 2003 in a 4-1 win at Arrowhead Stadium.
Earthquakes vs. Wizards Match-Up
The Earthquakes and Wizards split the season series in 2004 1-1-2...The Earthquakes own a 9-4-5 all-time record over the Wizards at Spartan Stadium...Kansas City last won a game at Spartan Stadium on August 16, 2000 in a 3-0 win... Since 1996, San Jose has out-scored Kansas City 45-41 in regular season games...The Earthquakes out-scored the Wizards 6-2 in four regular season games in 2003...The Wizards topped the Quakes in the semifinals of the 2004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup 1-0 on August 24.
Earthquakes - Kansas City Connections
Earthquakes forward Dwayne De Rosario played for the A-League's Richmond Kickers in 1999 under current Wizards General Manager Curt Johnson, who served as the GM for the Kickers...Kansas City defender Jimmy Conrad played in 84 games in four seasons with San Jose before joining the Wizards in a trade in January, 2003...The Wizards Justin Detter played at Notre Dame with the Quakes Kevin Goldthwaite.
Quakes Set Unbeaten Streak Record At Home
The Earthquakes set an MLS record with their August 7, 2004 win against D.C. United, extending their unbeaten streak at home to 46 games when scoring first. That streak now stands at 48 games after San Jose's tie with the New England Revolution on April 2, 2005. It started on April 3, 1999.
Quakes Closing In On .500
The Earthquakes are closing in on bringing their all-time regular season MLS record to the .500 mark. The Quakes all-time regular season MLS record is 116-122-39.
Halftime Success
Despite relinquishing a halftime lead on April 2 against the New England Revolution in a game that ended 2-2, the Earthquakes remain amongst the best in league history in holding on to a half-time lead. Since the beginning of the 2000 season, the Earthquakes are 42-0-6 in games when leading at the half, including 8-0-1 in 2003 and 7-0-1 in 2004.
Making The First One Count
The Earthquakes were 25-2-2 in 2001 and 2002 when finding the back of the net first. The Quakes only gave up leads two times in 2002, losing 2-1 to Los Angeles on July 4 and falling 2-1 to Kansas City on July 27. The team continued that trend in 2003, possessing an 11-0-1 mark in the regular season when they scored the first goal. In 2004, the Quakes went 8-1-1 when scoring first, the top mark in MLS. The Quakes gave up their lead to Los Angeles on July 4, 2004 for the first time since July 27, 2002 against Kansas City. Dating back to the 2000 season, the Earthquakes own a 47-3-5 record in their last 55 matches when they score the first goal of the game. The Quakes are also impressive in the playoffs when scoring first, posting a 6-0-0 record.
Individual Tickets Now on Sale
Individual tickets for 2005 San Jose Earthquakes games are now on sale. Individual ticket prices for the Earthquakes 2005 regular season are $45 (VIP), $30 (West Sideline), $16 (East Sideline and Corners) and $13 (Endzone). Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Earthquakes Ticket Office at 100 North Almaden Ave., by logging onto www.sjearthquakes.com, or by calling Ticketmaster at 408-998-TIXS, 415-421-TIXS, 510-625-TIXS, 925-685-TIXS, or by visiting any Ticketmaster outlet, including Tower Records, Rite Aid and Ritmo Latino. Discounted tickets for groups of 15 or more are available by calling 408-985-GOAL.
Season Tickets on Sale Now
San Jose Earthquakes season ticket packages for the 2005 season at Spartan Stadium are now on sale. The Earthquakes 2005 season ticket package features all the regular season games plus two bonus games. Tickets can be purchased by visiting the Earthquakes Ticket Office at 100 North Almaden Ave., by logging onto www.sjearthquakes.com or by contacting the Earthquakes Ticket Office at (408) 985-GOAL.
