Who will be saved and who will be left unprotected for San Jose? (Getty Images)
I am back on the expansion draft list bandwagon this afternoon. I've been working here and there
this week on compiling several club's lists. Currently I am only working on teams that are
eliminated from playoff contention though next week we'll have plenty more as teams fail to advance
in the post season will be up to eight and then up to 12 when the wildcard round ends.
San Jose Earthquakes (6-11-11) vs. Houston Dynamo (9-9-12)
September 17, 2011 -- Robertson Stadium
Attendance: 18,129
Scoring Summary:
SJ -- Khari Stephenson 4 (Steve Beitashour 5, Joey Gjertsen 3) 40
HOU -- Brad Davis 4 (penalty kick) 47
HOU -- Will Bruin 5 (Luiz Camargo 1, Danny Cruz 3) 79
San Jose Earthquakes -- Jon Busch, Steve Beitashour, Nanna Attakora, Bobby Burling,
Ramiro Corrales, Joey Gjertsen (Jacob Peterson 63), Sam Cronin (Maxwell Griffin 82), Rafael Baca,
Simon Dawkins (Matt Luzunaris 83), Khari Stephenson, Chris Wondolowski.
Source: Getty Images
By JOSE M. ROMERO
For three months, the San Jose Earthquakes either lost or drew in 13 consecutive MLS
matches.
The cherished three points were not to be had, time after time.
Chivas USA's second Wednesday night game of the season did not prove a crowd crushing experience
driving into Home Depot Center tonight.
And if it hadn't been for the way to many parking lot attendants and unnecessary barriers
preventing you from finding a spot easily and quickly I would have been through the gates even
quicker.
Buck Shaw was packed yesterday for the Northern California leg of the Clasico and the 1906
Ultras and the Casbah were out in force. The game provided plenty of drama as Donovan Ricketts was
injured, sub Josh Saunders was ejected, and midfielder turned replacement goalie Mike Magee proved
strong enough to stave off San Jose's attacks.
Weather: 61 degrees, 13 mph winds with light rain. Otherwise known as sucky.
Surface: Natural Grass
Location: At a monument to the dominant Japanese automaker in Bridgeview, IL
Referee: Abiodun Okulaja
Line Judges: Brian Poeschel; Peter Balciunas
4th Official: Allen Chapman
Attendance: 11,926
Lineups:
Chicago Fire
Coach: Carlos de los Cobos
GK: Sean Johnson
D: Gonzalo Segares
D: Cory Gibbs
D: Yamith Cuesta
D: Bratislav Ristic
LM: Marco Pappa
RM: Dominic Oduro
CM: Logan Pause (C)
CM: Daniel Paladini
F: Diego Chaves
F: Cristian Nazarit
Bench:
F: Orr Barouch
M/F: Gaston Puerari
M: Baggio Husidic
M: Corben Bone
D: Pari Pantazopoulos
D: Dasan Robinson
GK: Jon Conway
San Jose Earthquakes
Coach: Frank Yallop
GK: Jon Busch
D: Steven Beitashour
D: Ike Opara
D: Jason Hernandez
D: Bobby Convey
M: Joey Gjertsen
M: Brad Ring
M: Khari Stephenson
M: Ramiro Corrales (C)
F: Steven Lenhart
F: Chris Wondolowski
Bench:
M: Anthony Ampaipitakwong
M: Sam Cronin
M: Brandon McDonald
D: Bobby Burling,
F: Ellis McLoughlin
D/M: Justin Morrow
GK Andrew Weber
- Lenhart gets lose down the left side but Cuesta is there to take the ball away and kick it long
towards Nazarit.
Facing a two-goal deficit and the possibility of missing out on the U.S. Open Cup final field
for the first time in club history, the Chicago Fire turned it up another notch.
Orr Barouch and Yamith Cuesta scored second-half goals to counter Ellis McLoughlin and Justin
Morrow's first-half strikes, and the Fire outlasted the San Jose Earthquakes, 2-2 (5-4 in
penalties), to win their Open Cup play-in match Tuesday night.
It looked like the story was going to be more dreary gloom and doom as the Chicago Fire and San
Jose Earthquakes entered the halftime locker rooms with San Jose up 2-0. Instead the Chicago Fire
showed their best lead this year is being down 0-2. Led by goals from Orr Barouch (61') and Yamith
Cuesta (76'), the Fire took San Jose into overtime and then to penalty kicks.
Sebastien Le Toux scored his first goal of the season, doing so from the penalty spot, and the
10-man Philadelphia Union held off the San Jose Earthquakes for a 1-0 result at PPL Park Saturday
afternoon.
Philadelphia was gifted the penalty when Earthquakes centerback Jason Hernandez went to ground
to block an Amobi Okugo cross by the end-line, and referee Mark Geiger deemed that Hernandez
handled the cross.
I got a feeling this is what everyone envisioned would happen when this team was assembled.
That game exemplified just how good New York can be as they dominated in all facets of the game.
Oh, and Thierry Henry finally got on the scoreboard. A sign of things to come?
One can only hope.
Toronto FC hit the road to face San Jose Earthquakes and came away with their first away point
this season. It wasn't always pretty, but there were some notable strong passages of play. Some of
our new acquisitions are starting to show real promise on the pitch as well. Points away from home
are few and far between for most MLS teams and TFC have always been poor on the road, but for some
reason we seem to do well when we play away to San Jose.
Yesterday, March 3, the Earthquakes began the 12 week process of demolishing the old FMC building
near the San Jose Norman Y. Mineta Airport that will become the site of the future stadium. To
commemorate the occasion there was a little ceremony with members of the organization and city
taking part.
