FC Dallas defeated the SJ Quakes 2-1 at Buck Shaw Stadium in the Quakes last home match of the season, a thriller that accelerated until the final whistle. FCD’s Jeff Cunningham added a goal and assist to his tally atop the MLS Golden Boot leader board, and Quakes rookie Quincy Amarikwa netted his first regular season goal. FCD moves forward with their playoff hopes still alive, while the Quakes are now mathematically eliminated.

A crowd of 9,000 slowly filled the stadium on this cool school night, but the game simmered from the kick-off.

It quickly became clear the Quakes defense was not up to their recent standard. FCD had little trouble getting behind the Quakes defense, Joe Cannon sprinting beyond the penalty area several times to thwart goals, and Brandon McDonald clearing a muffed shot out of the empty goal mouth to keep the score 0-0 through the first 30 minutes. The Quakes defense of recent weeks was nowhere to be seen.

It was, of course, a very different line-up. Speedy center back Jason Hernandez is out injured, while central midfielders Simon Elliot and Ramon Sanchez are on international duty, and center midfielder Andre Luiz is out as well, injured. Ramiro Corrales and Antonio Ribeiro filled into the center midfield roles this evening, while a fit, but sore, Brandon McDonald started with Bobby Burling behind them at center back. This was a chemistry and coordination not proven in match play.

“Any time you change a lot of players in your lineup it’s tough for the players coming in,” Yallop explained. “You want to win in your last game at home, but maybe it was wishful thinking with the line-up we had.”

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It also became clear that speed would matter in this match, as no one could keep up with FCD’s Jeff Cunningham when he attacked at full pace, and blistering runs from Dax McCarty and David Ferreira showed how vulnerable the Quakes backline might be if the right pass got through.

As the Quakes warmed into the game, they pressed high and created, their positive build-up play forcing a series of free kicks.

Bobby Burling headed just wide in the 29th minute, and then 10 minutes later headed on to Shea Salinas at the back post. Salinas volleyed venomously on target, but FCD keeper Sala made the save. Two minutes later Bobby Convey’s free kick picked out Chris Wondoloski but Sala’s great reaction saved the point blank header. San Jose looked to have the momentum going into the half time break, the score 0-0.

Kicking off the second half, FCD turned up the pressure and within minutes they broke the game open. Cunningham’s flick put a racing David Ferreira through on goal to round Joe Cannon and score. 1-0 FCD in the 49th minute.

San Jose pushed to get back in the game. They looked to tie it up, but Sala pushed Antonio Ribeiro’s low shot just wide of the post. In the 56th minute Ryan Johnson fired a header to the top right corner, only for Sala to make another incredible diving save. Corrales took his turn with a shot on target, only to find Sala there again.

The game had become a frenetic mix of chances, half chances, and excellent goal saves at each end of the pitch by the time Quincy Amarikwa came on in the 61st minute. FCD Coach Schellas Hyndman described it.

“Both teams were going at each other, taking a lot of shots and making great saves and it was a competitive game with two warriors battling to knock the other one out.”

One of those warriors was Jeff Cunningham, and the Quakes were having a real problem defending him. Play him tight and he’s past you on goal in a heartbeat; give him room and he shoots.

But it was Quakes rookie Quincy Amarikwa, 11 years his junior, who used his pace to change the game. Salinas set Amarikwa free in the 73rd minute with a high, long ball, and Quincy raced onto it and into yards of open space. When Sala committed to smother the ball, Quincy deftly chipped him like an old pro.

Quincy’s had waited all season to get his first MLS goal and he came up with a brilliant one.

“It feels good to finally get in there and score my first goal this season. Right when I hit the shot, I knew it was going in. I’ve seen Chris (Wondolowski) hit those same shots at practice, so when I saw the goalie commit to the ground, I went for the chip.”

Yallop acknowledged the goal as the bright spot out of the match, and FCD’s Schellas was impressed as well.

“I think our (FCD) defense is a hard defense to break because of their athletic ability and their skill so for them (San Jose) to come in and score, I thought it was a pretty good goal. I was very nervous about the second goal.”

San Jose spirits restored, they looked to pressure for another goal; but it was a young FCD pro, Dax McCarty, who had his turn in the 81st minute. Dax made a long blazing run straight through the middle of the Quakes defense to beat the offside trap. McCarty tapped the ball over to Cunningham, and Jeff rolled it into the empty net behind Cannon, the Quakes defense back in a different zip code, stunned.

Down a goal and time running out, the Quakes went looking for a goal with a fervor that saw every Quake getting forward on attack at one time or another, except of course their keeper Cannon. Pressing into the FCD Penalty Area, there were a couple Quakes calls for a penalty, for foul or handball in the area, but the referees, who had already booked Ribero in the first half by appearances for simulation, would have none of it.

Cornell Glen came on in the 87th minute for defender Zaher, giving the Quakes four forwards and two wingers on the pitch.
Desperate, the Quakes relentlessly bombarded FCD’s 18 yard box with the ball, but chances are hard to force, and harder in a hurry.

Now time all but gone, even Joe Cannon came forward for the corner kick, and deep into stoppage time, Joe came forward for another corner, just about the last kick of the game. Shea Salinas took the last corner kick.

“I didn’t even know Joe Cannon was in the box until I saw a white jersey fly in front and I thought ‘Oh my gosh, Joe Cannon is about to score a goal’ and somehow it didn’t stay in. I mean I had my arms up like we’d scored a goal,” Shea recounted.

In a crazed scramble, a Quake knocked the cross down in front of goal, it bounced, and Joe Cannon headed it on frame. A bit of the Sala’s hand, perhaps, kept it momentarily from crossing the line, and FCD’s Benitez reacted to boot it clear.

Schellas spoke of Joe Cannon after the match.

“I didn’t think any one of our guys wanted to mark him (Cannon),” Schellas joked, but he added more seriously, “I thought he had a great night even though we scored two goals on him. It just shows the competitive edge of him to come up and want to make a difference.”

Yallop was in less buoyant spirits.

“I don’t think you saw our team. The last few weeks you have.

Any time you change a lot of players in a lineup it’s tough. I thought we put everything into the game, we tried hard, kind of huffed and puffed but we didn’t blow any houses down in this game.

I am just disappointed for the guys who tried hard, I thought we tried hard tonight but our quality wasn’t great.”

The San Jose Earthquakes have three more games left in their season, at Toronto (Oct. 10th), at Chivas (Oct. 17th) and at LA Galaxy (Oct. 24th)

Interesting Numbers

That’s Entertanment

• The record keepers tell us there were 23 shots taken in the game, one shot for every four minutes of play. Even a Sharks (hockey) fan would have found the second half exciting.
• There were 7 shots on goal in the 2nd half between the two clubs, San Jose taking 4 to Dallas’ 3

.Quincy says they’re a young team

• Dax McCarty at 22 yeas old, is six months older than Quincy Amarikwa, but while Quincy is a rookie, Dax is in his fourth year in the MLS. Go figure. These are two players to watch.
• The average age of the Quakes starting line-up tonight is just less than 27 years old, about two years younger than FCD’s average age. Two years can be a big number when it means the difference between a new pro and an experienced pro.
• If you take Cannon, Corrales, and Leitch out, the average age of the Quakes line-up was 25.

Match Facts

San Jose Earthquakes (7-13-7) vs. FC Dallas (10-12-6)
Oct. 7, 2009 – Buck Shaw Stadium
Attendance: 9,023

Scoring Summary: DAL – David Ferreira (Jeff Cunningham, Heath Pearce) 49; SJ — Quincy Amarikwa (Shea Salinas) 73; DAL – Jeff Cunningham (Dax McCarty, David Ferreira) 82.

Misconduct Summary: SJ – Bobby Convey (caution) 18; Antonio Ribeiro (caution) 32; DAL – Ugo Ihemelu (caution) 90.

San Jose Earthquakes – Joe Cannon, Chris Leitch, Bobby Burling, Brandon McDonald, Mike Zaher (Cornell Glen 87), Shea Salinas, Ramiro Corrales, Antonio Ribeiro (Quincy Amarikwa 61), Bobby Convey, Ryan Johnson, Chris Wondolowski.

Statistics: Shots 11; Shots on Goal 6; Saves 3; Fouls 9; Offsides 4; Corner Kicks 4.

FC Dallas: — Dario Sala, Heath Pearce, Ugo Ihemelu, George John, Jair Benitez, Marvin Chavez (Eric Avila 65), Daniel Hernandez, Dax McCarty, Dave van den Bergh (Blake Wagner 79), Jeff Cunningham (Brek Shea 88), David Ferreira.

Statistics: Shots 12; Shots on Goal 6; Saves 4; Fouls 11; Offsides 4; Corner Kicks 3.