The San Jose Earthquakes remained perfect on the season, as they came from two goals down to defeat the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-2 on Saturday at Avaya Stadium.
The scoring started early, as Erik Hurtado put the Whitecaps up just two minutes in, then set up the second goal, that was converted by Nicolas Mezquida. David Ousted was sent off a few minutes later, putting the Whitecaps down to 10 men. Chris Wondolowski then opened the scoring for the Earthquakes before the break, and rookie Nick Lima tied up the game after halftime, before Anibal Godoy completed the comeback with a golazo.
Goals
- 2' – VAN – Erik Hurtado Watch
- 17' – VAN – Nicolas Mezquida Watch
- 32' – SJ – Chris Wondolowski Watch
- 54' – SJ – Nick Lima Watch
- 79' – SJ – Anibal Godoy Watch
Three Things
- RED CARD TURNS GAME: The exact turning point of this game was Ousted's red card in the 23rd minute, after he ventured out of his box and tripped Wondolowski on a breakaway. It's impossible to know for certain if the Whitecaps would have held onto a lead with 11 men, but they looked very much the better side until the red card, and the tables completely flipped after Ousted left and Paolo Tornaghi replaced him in Vancouver's goal.
- GODOY, LIMA IMPRESS AGAIN: Godoy and Lima received plaudits after the season-opening win against Montreal last week, and the duo were standouts again vs. Vancouver. Not only did they both notch goals -- Lima opened his MLS account in just his second game, while Godoy scored his second game-winning goal in as many weeks -- but they also put in strong performances on the defensive side of the ball, too. If the Earthquakes are going to have a successful season, one figures Godoy and Lima are likely to be in the middle of that success.
- HURTADO DOES WORK: It will get lost in the shuffle given the red card and result, but Hurtado played a major role in the Whitecaps racing out to the 2-0 lead. In addition to capitalizing on Florian Jungwirth's mistake in the back to score the opener, he also set up Mezquida's goal. With the Whitecaps set to play their hardest game of the year on Tuesday, in CONCACAF Champions League semifinal action in Monterrey, Mexico against Tigres UANL, they'll need every player at his best. Perhaps Hurtado is finding a rich vein of form at the most crucial time.
Next Up
- SJ: Saturday, March 18 – at Kansas City (8:30 pm ET | MLS LIVE)
- VAN: CCL: Tuesday, March 14 – at Tigres UANL (10 pm ET | UDN, CONCACAF's Facebook page)
