Quakes fall to Sounders FC on road

San Jose drops 2-0 match in first visit to Qwest Field

Bobby Convey and the San Jose Earthquakes fell in their first visit to Seattle. (Getty Images)

The Earthquakes couldn't find the net and yielded an MLS-high 10th and 11th goals of the season in a 2-0 loss to Seattle Sounders FC Saturday night in a Western Conference match at Qwest Field.

It marked the fourth consecutive sellout to begin Sounders FC's inaugural campaign, but it was a forgettable night for struggling San Jose. Rookie Steve Zakuani scored a first-half goal and provided an assist on Brad Evans' early in the second half for Seattle.

The Earthquakes haven't won a road game since a 2-0 win at Columbus on June 7, 2008. They're 0-6-5 during that span, having been outscored 14-5.

San Jose entered having played just one match on the road in its first five contests, losing 2-0 at the Kansas City Wizards on April 5.

Sounders FC are off to the best start for an expansion team in MLS history at 4-2 despite coming into the game off two consecutive losses. Goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who returned after missing one match for an April 11 red card, set an MLS record by starting the season without allowing a goal in 389 minutes.

Keller eclipsed the old mark of 375 shutout minutes to start the season by Ronald Waterreus of New York in 2007.

The Earthquakes put the heat on early with shot attempts in the fourth minute, the last of which came off the foot of Shea Salinas but it was blocked point-blank by Seattle's Jhon Kennedy Hurtado. Salinas wheeled and fired from the middle of the penalty area 13 yards away, but came up empty.

San Jose averted doom in the 14th minute when defender Nick Garcia cleared a ball off the back line after Cannon booted a clearance off teammate Eric Denton and back toward Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon's goal.

Garcia headed a dangerous cross out of bounds at the far right post in the 21st minute. Then, the Earthquakes came back in the 23rd minute as Johnson blasted into the arms of Keller on a run up the right side.

The Earthquakes dodged a Sounders FC scoring chance in the 29th minute as Freddie Ljungberg caromed a shot through traffic and off teammate Jaqua. Ljungberg's 15-yard shot glanced off Jaqua and trickled just outside the left post.

Fredy Montero squandered what appeared to be a certain scoring opportunity in the 35th minute, getting behind the San Jose defense with an open net. With Earthquakes defender Garcia alone in front of the net, Montero shot wide into the outside netting as Cannon was caught away from the goal.

Garcia was issued a yellow card in the 41st minute for a hard tackle from behind on Ljungberg, who raced up the right side.

Less than a minute later and after a free kick, Sounders FC rookie Zakuani nailed a header at the right post for a 1-0 lead after a cross from Tyrone Marshall.

Jaqua nearly knocked in another Seattle goal in the 43rd minute, just missing wide right on a header off a long cross from Zakuani.

Down 1-0, the Earthquakes nearly knotted the score when Ryan Johnson forced Seattle goalkeeper Kasey Keller to bat away a header on a corner kick in the 48th minute. Johnson almost snuck the ball into the upper right corner of the net on the corner from Arturo Alvarez.

Then, no more than two minutes later, Seattle went up 2-0 in the 50th minute on Brad Evans' second goal of the season. Evans buried a 14-yard chance with Cannon drawn out to defend after passes from Steve Zakuani and Nate Jaqua.

Matt Massey is a contributor to MLSnet.com.

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