Quakes can't keep pace with D.C.
San Jose drops first visit to Washington
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- Highlights DC 3, SJ 1
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It was the second of four consecutive road games for the Quakes, who are one of only two teams in the Western Conference with multiple road wins.
After a lackluster first half, the Quakes gave up two goals in a five-minute span to Clyde Simms and Gonzalo Martinez, wrapped around a John Cunliffe equalizer handed from a poor effort by United goalkeeper Zach Wells.
San Jose played the last seven minutes of the match shorthanded after James Riley was sent off for a lunging tackle on United's Devon McTavish. Luciano Emilio capitalized on the man advantage for his eighth goal of the season, extending his goal-scoring streak to five games.
It was San Jose's first trip to RFK Stadium since returning to MLS. Their last visit was a dismal 3-0 loss to United on July 15, 2005, but ironically won the remainder of their regular season games that year before bowing out in the first round of the playoffs to Los Angeles, who went on to win MLS Cup.
Yallop chose the same starting 11 that earned a scoreless draw with Real Salt Lake last Wednesday. Ivan Guerrero played 51 minutes in the match after missing the Quakes' last three games on duty with the Honduran national team. Forward Kei Kamara is also away and played 90 minutes for Sierra Leone in a scoreless draw with South Africa on Saturday.
Ronnie O'Brien was hobbling slightly from an apparent groin injury but it didn't keep him from trying to catch Wells napping off his line in the sixth minute. O'Brien picked up the ball more than 40 yards from goal and immediately turned and fired, but his shot sailed high and wide of the left post.
United clearly had the possession advantage in the early going, working both sides of the field equally, but had trouble providing the finishing touch against the Quakes, who, along with Real Salt Lake, lead the Western Conference in goals allowed with 17.
United had the game's first real scoring threat the 16th minute but Emilio's slow shot from the left side of the penalty area hit the right post. Marcelo Gallardo sprung Emilio with a crafty ball, after the Brazilian made a strong, well disguised diagonal run across the top of the penalty area.
Cunliffe combined nicely with Riley to generate a decent opportunity in the 28th minute but Riley's shot from a severe angle went high and wide of the near post. Guerrero had the Quakes best chance a minute later, driving deep into the left side of United's penalty area before unleashing a left-footed shot that Wells got his right hand to, directing it off the inside of the goal post just under the crossbar before bounding away.
Joe Cannon, who played his first ever MLS match against United at RFK Stadium in 1999, made a splendid diving save denying Gallardo from 19 yards out to keep the game scoreless in the 41st minute. Emilio played a nifty one-two combination to free Gallardo at the top of the penalty area but his right-footed shot headed for the lower right corner was corralled by the veteran goalkeeper.
Canon could do nothing to save a Simms' shot from 27 yards out that deflected off two defenders inside the penalty area and trickled slowly into the open net to give United the lead in the 50th minute.
The Quakes responded immediately as Cunliffe pounced on a poorly handled ball by Wells to equalize a minute later. Wells bobbled an easy ball sent into the penalty area from the right flank by Ryan Johnson, which Cunliffe stretched to flick toward the open goal. Bryan Namoff cleared it away but not before it had clearly crossed the goal line to make the score 1-1.
The goal kept United as the only team in MLS to not record a shutout in league play this season.
Martinez was menacing the entire match from his left back position the entire match and his work paid dividends, scoring a brilliant goal to surge United ahead for good just four minutes later. After collecting a benign pass from Gallardo at the top left corner of the penalty area, Martinez turned O'Brien with a strong cut back into penalty area before bending a superb right-footed shot around a diving Cannon and off the far post to make the score 2-1.
Play opened up but United continued to have the better opportunities. Second-half substitute Dominic Mediate sent a waist high cross back to the top of the penalty area from the right side that was met by a full volley from Gallardo, but the blast was smartly blocked by Riley.
The Quakes responded in the 72nd minute but McTavish got to Shea Salinas' shot before it crossed the goal this time after he beat Wells from the right side of the penalty area. Salinas replaced Cunliffe in the 56th minute.
Riley was sent off by referee Alex Prus in the 83rd minute for a rash tackle on McTavish, who reached a loose ball first in the midfield. The result damage was felt five minutes later when Emilio turned Guerrero in the penalty area and his left-footed shot from 12 yards out hit Kelly Gray before sliding past Cannon inside the near post to close the scoring.
Corrales beat Wells but hit the post again in second-half stoppage time off a free kick, but by then United were safe.
Chris Snear is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
