The San Jose Earthquakes showed improvement in 1-1 draw versus D.C. United, which may point towards a budding playoff contender despite a lackluster result at home.
Earthquakes Show Improvement in 1-1 Draw
Pessimists will see the result as two dropped points. D.C. United was winless in four matches, was playing on the road, and was playing back-up goalkeeper Travis Worra. The Quakes had three quality chances to score, but failed to convert on all three until Adam Jahn’s 89th minute equalizer. To make matters worse, the lone goal was scored from a position normally occupied by Clarence Goodson and Jordan Stewart, two injured starters. The “If onlys” and “What ifs” abound, but fans should take heart in how the Earthquakes offense showed remarkable signs of improvement.
Despite missing four starters (Simon Dawkins, Anibal Godoy, Clarence Goodson, and Jordan Stewart), San Jose dominated the attack, something they had failed to do in three previous games. The Earthquakes controlled possession 57%-43%, put up 15 shots with six on target (the first time they out-shot an opponent all season), had 22 crosses, and forced five saves from Worra.
Earthquakes head coach Dom Kinnear was surprised to see his team down after the first 45 minutes due to a Patrick Nyarko goal in the 34th minute. “To come in at 1-0 down was a bit mind-boggling; we were kinda shaking our head as to how that happened,” Kinnear said post-match. “We were creating a lot of chances. I just told the guys to keep the same energy [for the second half].”
Coupled with the statistical dominance, Quakes fans should also be pleased with the performances of several players that jolted the Quakes offense into gear. Saturday’s match marked the emergence of Homegrown midfielder/forward Tommy Thompson. Thompson played a stellar 90 minutes, with two shots, one on goal, created a quality chance early on in the third minute, had 64 touches, and an 88% pass accuracy. Thompson’s speed around the pitch helped free up Matias Perez Garcia, who converted 83% of his 40 passes, had one key pass, and was a few feet away from curling in a back-post shot in the 19th minute. It was the first start of the season for both players, probably the first of many.
Substitutes Shea Salinas (midfield) and Adam Jahn (forward) proved that the Quakes have enough roster depth to produce goals off-the-bench, as both players were not in the starting XI yet were responsible for the late-game heroics. In short, the improvement to the Quakes offense was due to four non-starters, which should be considered a huge positive going forward into 2016.
One glaring problem that might cause concern is the reliability of 33-year-old center-back Clarence Goodson, a player that could make-or-break the Quakes’ season. The Quakes won both the games he started via shut-out. In games he’s missed, the club is winless and has conceded four goals. His veteran leadership and communication are assets the Quakes cannot afford to be without despite the offensive improvement displayed Saturday night.
The Quakes will start a brutal three-games-in-seven-days stretch on Saturday at first-place FC Dallas. They then return home for a midweek engagement with New York Red Bulls, and travel to play the defending MLS Cup Champion Portland Timbers for a second time this season. If the Quakes can emulate last Saturday’s performances and continue to show improvement on offense, don’t be surprised if San Jose ascends to a top-five position in the Western Conference by mid-April.
