Their 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake last Friday was typical of the way the Quakes’ season has gone. Leading 1-0 going into extra time, San Jose had two milestones within reach—their first road win and the first clean sheet of the season. The normally reliable Chris Leitch knocked the ball off the foot of striker Yura Movsisyan, which rolled into the net for an own goal evading the reach of keeper Joe Cannon.

The late letdown has been the bane of the Quakes’ season. Several times a late defensive lapse sacrificed a competent performance.

The Quakes woes extend across the entire pitch. They rank second from the bottom in goals scored and second from the top in goals allowed. In the midfield the only bright spot has been Arturo Alvarez who is second on the team in goals scored with five. Alvarez has single-handedly created his opportunities with a deft touch on the ball and finding the space.

The high hopes for pre-season acquisition Bobby Convey have not reached fruition. Convey’s darting style—picking off errant passes or bad touches—is not enough of a positive. Rather Convey needs to be more effective running the ball down the wing and seeing creatively to connect and build offensive momentum. Slight of stature, Convey doesn’t bring enough of a physical game to the midfield.

Injuries have sidelined critical players. Darren Huckerby and Jason Hernandez had missed several games with recurring leg problems. All teams have injuries, but the Quakes’ lack of depth leave the side particularly vulnerable, and the results show it.

In order to shake the early season malaise, Quakes’ coach Frank Yallop and the front office have been burning the trade wires. Gone are defenders Nick Garcia, Eric Denton, and Kelly Gray. Their replacements Mike Zaher and Aaron Pitchkolen have performed respectably.

One bright spot in an otherwise dismal campaign is Earthquakes defender Chris Leitch who earned his fifth assist of the season on June 20 against the Los Angeles Galaxy. Leitch is currently tied for seventh place in MLS in assists. Leitch entered the season with six career assists. No one else on the team has more than two assists.

On the front line the Quakes swapped Cam Weaver for Chris Wondolowski and picked up Cornell Glen. Neither has had enough playing time to see any overall contribution although Glen netted a goal in his first start.

The upshot of the turnover is virtually no consistency in personnel. In addition, Yallop has moved players around trying to find the right fit. All these changes may be turning the Quakes’ fortunes, but at the rate they’re going, it will take a long time to climb the table.

Saturday, Toronto FC makes its first visit of the year to the Quakes’ home, Buck Shaw Stadium. Nick Garcia makes his first appearance against the Earthquakes since he was traded earlier this season.

More exciting to this reporter is the return of Dwayne De Rosario. The Canadian national was a member of both MLS Cup-winning Earthquake sides earlier this decade. He had a stellar year in 2005, his last with San Jose before the team moved to Houston. He led the league in assists, was league MVP runner-up, and had career best in games, minutes, and goals as well as assists. He was the primary reason the team garnered a MLS record-setting four losses, fewest in a season. His hustle and determination are as equally as impressive as his football talent.

Enough gushing. Toronto is a mediocre 6-6-4 but is only two points out of the Eastern table lead. They come off a two-week layoff, having had a bye last week. Like most teams, they have a better home record than away, but the second half of their season will see them on the road almost twice as much as at home. The Reds are keenly aware that they need to improve away from BMO Field, so are aiming to set the trend with a win in San Jose.

The Earthquakes and Toronto FC have met only twice. Last year San Jose did not give up a goal to the Reds. They tied 0-0 on July 19, 2008 at BMO Field. In the final game of the season for both sides, San Jose downed Toronto 2-0.

Toronto midfielder Sam Cronin will miss his first game of the year against the Quakes due to a national team call up to represent the U.S. in the Gold Cup.

New forward Ali Gerba is having big success in the Gold Cup with the Canadian national team scoring twice in a warm up against Guatemala and had the only goals in Canada’s wins against Jamaica and El Salvador. He, too, will miss the Quakes game.

As of Tuesday Amado Guevara was still trying to get a flight out of Honduras to rejoin Toronto, a week after a military coup there. The Honduran native was visiting his wife and daughter.

Injury Report
Earthquakes
Out – Ramiro Corrales (R – ankle sprain) ?
Doubtful – Ryan Cochrane (L – ankle surgery) ?
Questionable – Bobby Convey (L – hamstring strain) ?
Probable – Darren Huckerby (R – quadriceps strain)

Toronto
OUT – O’Brian White? (knee)
QUESTIONABLE – Nick Garcia? (adductors)

“It just comes down to being hungry,” Ryan Johnson explained, “I was hungry out there and I want it bad.”

The Galaxy will rue failing to draw the match when it looked like they had every capability of doing so. This game breaks with both the Galaxy’s penchant for battling to a draw and with the Quakes’ predilection for giving up a second goal.

“Give San Jose credit,” Arena commented after the game, “They made a couple plays and we weren’t as alert as we needed to be. We were a little suspect in defending in the box today and it cost us the game.”

In the thrilling final minutes it seemed all but inevitable the Galaxy would get a second goal to tie the game, LA sending the ball into a standing room only Quakes penalty area time and again. The Quakes were out matched on size, but their focus, determination, and perhaps a little bit of overdue luck preserved their lead. On the 88th minute the ball was in the 6 yard box for what seemed like an eternity before forward Quincy Amarikwa was able to clear it.

Amarikwa was one of three strategic substitutions Yallop made that allowed the Quakes to hold on for the win. Chris Wondolowski came on for Campos in the 73rd minute, bringing fresh legs, and Eric Denton came on for Bobby Convey in the 82th minute to provide the team a more defensive look. Quincy Amarikwa’s substitution for Ryan Johnson in the 84th minute was a gem, as he repeatedly took the ball into the Galaxy corners and held it there, running down the clock in the safest part of the pitch.

The different outcome was all the more surprising given the game started with a sense of Déjà vu, Pablo Campos scoring an early goal as he had in the prior match with LA. Pablo’s solo run on goal could not be stopped without LA giving up a Penalty Kick, which he took neatly to put the Quakes up 1-0 in the 6th minute. Even with the early goal, there was always the feeling that the Galaxy would come back.

It was clear from the early minutes that the game was more likely to be decided on grit than on brilliance. Landon’s quality was missing for the Galaxy, while the Quakes seemed to lack cohesion. The Quakes line-up was quite a bit different than previously fielded with Brandon McDonald and Aaron Pitchkolan as centerbacks, Antonio Ribiero in midfield, and Darren Huckerby on the left wing.

Positive play from the Quakes seemed to break down in the Galaxy half when passes were either not delivered to attacking runs, or made into space when the runs were not made. The Galaxy, in contrast, looked better coordinated working the ball into the Quakes corners, but a lack of quality crossing and finishing undermined their efforts.

In the 14th minute there was a nice turn and strafing shot from outside the box by Ryan Johnson trying to double the Quakes lead. It was a heroic attempt in lieu of combination play which was nicely saved by Ricketts. A fine solo run by Huckerby earned a free kick in a dangerous area, but the Quakes failed to capitalize on it. At the other end the Galaxy were getting more shots in and looking dangerous, but failed to score even when Joe Cannon was caught stranded well out of goal. Neither side showed a very convincing attack.

The first half ended with the Quakes stringing a dozen or so passes around the pitch, in a legitimate dose of possession generally absent from their play. The Galaxy went to the locker room having outshot the Quakes, but down 1-0 on goals.

The Galaxy came back out for the 2nd half looking stronger and easily the more threatening side, but it was the Quakes who scored in the 53rd minute. Campos heading a Leitch cross back across goal to Ryan Johnson who made an instinctive finish well. 2-0 Quakes.

Two goals up, the Quakes looked even hungrier for a third, and might have nicked it with a simple chip when faced with an open goal.

The Galaxy started to turn up the pressure in earnest, in a game ending crunch the Quakes have been so vulnerable to. Getting the ball into the Quakes area repeatedly, LA got their reward in the 64th minute when a long free kick was headed by Gordon to Kirovski who headed past Cannon. 2-1 Quakes, for the moment.

Kirovski almost tied the game minutes later with a 2nd goal, only for Cannon to make a fine save.

It looked like the writing was on the wall. No bookie would have bet on the Quakes holding on for the win, as 20 players and the ball parked in front of the Quakes net. The tying goal looked inevitable.

The Quakes held off the Galaxy with a huge team effort, winning 2-1, weathering the sheer drama with measures of focus and fortitude that made their performance memorable, even if it wasn’t always pretty.

“Today’s main objective was to get three points, and getting that result was great for us,” Yallop offered. “I feel we’re on the right path. We worked very hard sticking our head in, making it difficult for our opponents when the ball is played into the box.”

“Our guys were very brave and I’m very proud of them on today’s performance.”

Ratings (scale of 1-10 with 10 being best)

Players:
5.5 Cannon
Joe made some quality saves, but was lucky not to be punished for a severe misjudgment coming well out of goal. Hard to tell whether Joe or his defenders were responsible for some Keystone Cops incidents in the back, but Joe has got to be the communicator. Not his best night.

7.0 Leitch
Chris played OK in the first half, but made a much bigger impact in the 2nd half when he really got his crosses going. He was a key part of the Quakes attack and notched an assist.

7.0 McDonald
Brandon was thrown into the Quakes centerback spot and did the job in that critical position. A great job blocking, tackling and covering the space, he would have rated an even higher score if not for some moments of confusion and risk talking at the back would could have been disastrous.

6.5 Pitchkolan
Aaron looked pretty solid in defensive play, and almost scored a header. Would have scored higher if we took entertainment value into account, as he got a Yellow Card for refusing to back up the wall on the free kick. I would love to have heard the discussion he had with the referee over what 10 yards is.

6.5 Zaher
Mike looked solid as left back, very confident especially defending in the corner and getting the ball out of danger. Mr. Zero Panic. Looks like he can hold his own.

4.5 Convey
Bobby really is a superlative player when he is doing what he likes, but his heart didn’t look in it Saturday. Was he playing injured and miffed about having to do so? He wasn’t making the runs his fellow teammates seemed to be looking for and combination play did not seem to be on his agenda, which limited the Quakes attack.

6.5 Corrales
Ramiro suffers the fate of most holding midfielders, you can never do enough. The effectiveness of this position depends quite a bit on team coordination, which was a bit lacking with all the new faces. Still he won balls, set up counter attacks, and tied to make things happen.

6.0 Ribeiro
Antonio looked a bit out of sync at times, but looked interesting going forward and might have been dangerous if passing had been better. The crowd was screaming for him to chip the ball with Ricketts well out of goal which could have made him instant Quakes legend.

7.0 Huckerby
Darren didn’t look his best, but was better in the 2nd half especially with his frequent ghosting at the left touchline out of the defenders minds’ eye, and a nice mazy run. In the last 30 minutes he had the opportunistic look of a top striker.

7.5 Campos
Pablo created and converted the PK, and got the assist that made the second goal happen. He worked on defense, clearing the ball out of danger. One might critique some of his passes or continually getting muscled off the ball, but at the end of the day no one had more of an effect on the score line. Man of the Match.

7.0 Johnson
Ryan always looks to make a great effort, and he leads the Quakes in scoring as a result. For much of the match he was well neutralized, but some of that may be a result of the lacking combination play. His shot in the 14th minute was a real quality strike, and his finish in the 53 minute was the game winner.

6.0 Wondolowski
Chris played the last 20 minutes and provided new energy and troubled the opposition defense, but might have had a goal if his first touch had been a bit better.

6.0 Denton
Perhaps the best measure of Eric’s effort it that the Quakes did not give up the tying goal. To the extent he shored up the Quakes defense in the last minutes, he did his job.

7.0 Amarikwa
Quincy played less than 10 minutes but did a brilliant job taking the ball into the Galaxy’s corners and holding it there, a savvy tactic which may have saved the day. The skill was excellent, the application was perfect. He made an impact very quickly.

Intangibles:
Quakes defending 6
The defending vacillated between confident and confused, but the team work to keep the ball out of the net in the last 20 minutes was clutch.

Quakes passing 5
The passing looked off, with the Quakes passing in the air more than usual. Reportedly it was a poor, sticky pitch, but maybe the absence of Arturo was also part of the difference. No joga bonito on display.

Quakes finishing 7
Given the Quakes weren’t creating rampant opportunities, taking the clean ones they got was essential, so they did fine.

Quakes coordination 5
Ever been to a youth game where the kids don’t want to pass to each other? Add to that a backline not in sync with their keeper. It wasn’t pretty.

Quakes tactics 8
Giving big points here because there were clear shifts in tactics based on the game situation, they were smart tactics, and they shaped the game.

Refereeing:
No terrible glaring calls, but the head referee clearly thought the Quakes were diving everywhere on the field, even in the center circle. In one couple minute stretch the Referee admonished Campos for getting knocked down in the middle of the pitch and then yellow carded Johnson for not getting up fast enough after his attacking run was tumbled by the Galaxy. The fouls calls may have been correct, but from the cheap seats it looked like the standard for a foul was closer to Australian Rules Football than Italian Football.

Quakes’ Coach Yallop and team are talking about this match being a turning point for their season. They are desperate to win and launch a run for the playoffs.

This season the Galaxy have been unimpressive except for their ability to grind out 1-1 draws, something they have managed 9 times in 13 games. Their play does not compare favorably with the best MLS teams but you’ve got to admire their unwillingness to be beat. Neither Landon Donovan, in South Africa for the Confederations Cup, nor David Beckman, not yet back from his AC Milan loan, will be available Saturday. One suspects the Galaxy squad will bring their mental fortitude and the confidence that comes from losing only 2 games of 13 though.

The Quakes are a bit harder to pin down. They have beaten league leading Houston, but they have lost games to half the league already. The Quakes game roster, rather than stabilizing, is in a state of change and flux. Garcia and Weaver have left the team, while Pitchkolan, Wondolowski, and Ribeiro have joined. Every week the starting 11 is different, and that cannot make it easier for the team to stay organized and coordinated on the pitch, especially when under pressure.

Against the Sounders last week the Quakes looked a bit lost and were two goals down by 60 minutes of play. Then on a Sounders’ defensive error, the Quakes scored a quick, coordinated team goal in a moment of MLS quality. The Sounders took all three points handily, though.

Darren Huckerby is back in the Quakes lineup after two months absence, playing 90 minutes against the Sounders last week and netting the Quakes goal. This is one change the team and fans welcome. Darren remains, by all appearances, one of the class players in the MLS. Where Beckham may have looked bored on the MLS pitch, Huckerby always looks like a kid in a candy store. Huckerby wasn’t available for the Galaxy match in April.

A fine Donovan cross in the 76th minute set LA up to tie the game when the Quakes and Galaxy clashed on this same turf two months ago. The last 15 minutes were an out and out battle with San Jose hanging on for the draw. Quakes defender Ryan Cochrane was injured in that melee, and we won’t see him back on the pitch until he recovers from ankle surgery.

There could be no greater contrast than the tone of the two coaches’ remarks after the April match. Bruce Arena talked positively about his Galaxy being tough on the road and chided reporters for expecting too much from this young league. Frank Yallop was disappointed with the Quakes poor defense and giving up the lead. They had very different takes on a 1-1 draw.

• Bruce Arena: “Overall I was encouraged by our performance tonight”
• Frank Yallop: “I think that we haven’t played very well, which is disappointing”

Surely the glass is even less than half empty for both the Galaxy and the Quakes now with a playoff spot for either team a long shot. This game matters for its own sake. Which approach will prevail – striving for what you believe you can be, or accepting what you are?

If you ask a Quakes fan they may tell you the answer is none of the above. The answer is Huckerby. Bruce Arena and his squad are likely unconvinced.

Breaking the losing streak released a lot of pressure for the players as well. The spirit in the post-game locker room was almost as if the team had won a playoff game. “We really didn’t give them much,” Quakes keeper Joe Cannon said. “It was a great performance by the guys tonight. I can’t say enough about the fight.”

Newcomers gave the Quakes their second win of the season, which rocketed the Quakes out of the cellar in the West for a day—until FC Dallas beat the Chicago Fire on Sunday. Cornell Glen, newly acquired just this week scored the evening’s first goal in the 52nd minute, and outside defender Mike Zaher, signed in March, got assists on both Quakes’ goals. It was not only Zaher’s first start, but also his first minutes as a Quake. Arturo Alvarez got the game-winner in the 63rd minute.

“Mike’s an attacking left back,” Yallop explained about Zaher’s performance. “He gets an A+ for his first game. He did terrific. It’s a big stage. He handled his first game very well.”

“That was one of the keys to our game tonight,” Zaher said about his contribution. “What Frank and the coaches have been asserting is we haven’t been getting enough crosses in the games. Every time I got it, I was just trying to put it in the box. We’re strong in the air with Ryan Johnson and now Cornell…that’s our strength, and it worked.”

The first goal came when Zaher crossed to Glen eight yards out who put his head down on the ball bouncing it past RSL keep Nick Rimando on the left.

“The guys helped me a lot,” Glen said about his first start as a Quake. “They kept talking to me. They made things much easier for me.” On his goal Glen said, “Just instincts, I guess. Just trying to get my head on the ball, and that’s exactly what I did.”

Just as Glen proves his mettle for the Quakes, he’s being called away to play for his national team, Trinidad and Tobago. “I am a bit sorry to go knowing that we need wins. It’s disappointing that I have to leave.”

Alvarez, a sparkplug for the Quakes at right wing, started out slowly and had several uncharacteristic bad touches in the first half. Real was also effective shutting him down when he tried to penetrate. After Glen’s goal, the Quakes grabbed the momentum, and Alvarez finally got some space for his runs. His goal came when he received a pass from Zaher, then drove down the right, pulled up at the top of the box, slid left, and when he found an opening curved a pinpoint shot into the upper left corner.

Two of Alvarez’ three goals this season came in exactly this manner of working left above the box and unleashing a blazer. “I got enough space to get a shot on target, and I was lucky to get one in,” Alvarez said describing his goal.

In the 80th minute a give and go with Javier Morales gave Robbie Findlay a chance to run past a winded Jason Hernandez. Just outside the left of the goal box, Robbie’s shot across the goalmouth hit the inside right of the net.

The goal gave Real a boost and put them back in the game with ten minutes left. San Jose let RSL continue to attack. In extra time Cannon made a tip-over-the-bar save on a Movsisyan rocket that sealed the deal, but could have stolen two points from the Quakes.

“I was fortunate to get up there,” Cannon said of his final save of the night. “We gave our fans a little scare at the end.”

Both the Quakes and Real Salt Lake, winless in their last six games, had been struggling and Real coach Jason Kreis mixed up his starting lineup as well. RSL swapped out their two regular strikers, Findley, the team’s leading scorer, and Yura Movsisyan, for Luis Miguel Escalada and Fabian Espindola. Also riding the pines was Clint Mathis, the US National Team veteran.

After the Quakes first goal, Kreis had enough of his front line and subbed in both Findlay and Movsisyan in the 56th. After the Quakes second goal, he put in Mathis for former Quake Ned Grabavoy in the 64th.

“It’s only one match, but we needed to win this game, and we won it,” Yallop said. “The guys showed character to play like they did under pressure. I’ve turned the screws on them a little bit, and they‘ve responded really well as a group. They never quit. For me, that’s important, not to quit on me, to do well for themselves and the team.”

“More importantly for us, our performance was good,” Yallop said. “We were a tight unit and difficult to get any chances against.”

San Jose outshot Real 13-8 and showed their ability to penetrate the RSL defense gaining nine corner kicks to Real’s two.

The Quakes continue to wait for Darren Huckerby to recuperate from a quadriceps strain. When asked when Darren might return, Yallop said, “Next week, we hope,” in time for the FC Dallas game.

“I hope we can build on this and when we go to Dallas next week, at least play as hard as we did tonight,” Cannon said.

Match Facts

Real Salt Lake (3-6-2) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (2-7-2)
May 30, 2009 — Buck Shaw Stadium

Scoring Summary:
SJ — Cornell Glen 1 (Michael Zaher 1) 52
SJ — Arturo Alvarez 3 (Bobby Convey 1) 63?
RSL — Robbie Findley 6 (Javier Morales 3) 80

Lineups:
Real Salt Lake — Nick Rimando, Chris Wingert, Nat Borchers, Jamison Olave, Robbie Russell, Will Johnson, Kyle Beckerman, Javier Morales, Ned Grabavoy (Clint Mathis 64), Luis Miguel Escalada (Robbie Findley 55), Fabian Espindola (Yura Movsisyan 56),
Substitutes Not Used: Tony Beltran, Raphael Cox, Tino Nunez, Kyle Reynish

San Jose Earthquakes — Joe Cannon, Chris Leitch, Nick Garcia, Jason Hernandez (Aaron Pitchkolan 84), Michael Zaher, Arturo Alvarez, Ramiro Corrales, Simon Elliott, Bobby Convey, Cornell Glen (Quincy Amarikwa 59), Ryan Johnson,
Substitutes Not Used: Pablo Campos, Eric Denton, Shea Salinas, Cam Weaver, Andrew Weber

Misconduct Summary:
RSL — Kyle Beckerman (caution; Reckless Tackle) 28
RSL — Will Johnson (caution; Reckless Tackle) 48
?SJ — Ryan Johnson (caution; Unsporting Behavior) 57
SJ — Arturo Alvarez (caution; Unsporting Behavior) 63
SJ — Ramiro Corrales (caution; Reckless Tackle) 69
RSL — Javier Morales (caution; Reckless Foul) 70

Referee: Kevin Stott
Referee’s Assistants: Hector Vergara; Corey Rockwell
4th official: Vicente Cortes
time of game: 1:51
attendance: 10,153
weather: Clear -and- 74 degrees

Parents are fond of saying, “Life isn’t fair.” I’ve said it to the kids a few times myself. In their expansion return to MLS last season, the San Jose Earthquakes had two saving graces: the midseason acquisition of Darren Huckerby and a solid defense led by longtime Kansas City Wizard Nick Garcia. Injury has kept Huckerby on the sideline for two-thirds of the 2009 campaign, and the Earthquakes vie for the worst defense this year inexplicably led by Nick Garcia’s lapses. Life isn’t fair.

The Earthquakes’ office was busy this week. San Jose sent Garcia to Toronto FC as well as discovery rights to Ali Gerba in exchange for a third round pick in the 2010 SuperDraft. At the same time the Quakes acquired Chris Wondolowski and a conditional draft pick in the 2010 SuperDraft from the Houston Dynamo for forward Cam Weaver. Weaver had one goal and two assists in nine appearances for San Jose. Wondolowski began his MLS career with the Quakes in 2005 and moved with the team to Houston the following year. He has two goals for the Dynamo this season.

“We are happy to bring Chris back home to the Bay Area,” said Quakes’ general manager John Doyle. “He is a hard worker who we think can make a positive impact for us. He understands the game well and should fit in nicely with our team.”

Saturday, the Quakes travel for the second time this year to Seattle to face the newest MLS team. The Sounders should be languishing at the bottom of their league suffering the slings and arrows that must befall an expansion club, but life isn’t fair. The Sounders won their first three and reached 4-2 before they cooled off. Despite this, the Sounders are tied for third in the Western table. They have one of the stingiest defenses in MLS led by US National Team veteran Kasey Keller in goal. With a 0.68 goals against average, Keller is second best after the Dynamo’s Pat Onstad’s 0.64. What’s wrong with this picture?

The first time the Quakes faced Seattle on April 25, the Sounders put San Jose away 2-0. Goals by rookie Steve Zakuani and Brad Evans put the kabosh on the notion that last year’s expansion side would easily handle this year’s expansion side. It was the sixth game of the Sounder’s inaugural season, and Keller hadn’t allowed a goal in 389 minutes, setting an MLS record. (Seattle lost its fourth game, 1-0, after Keller was red carded and then, of course, he missed the succeeding game, also a loss.) Since the beginning of May, Seattle has five ties along with a win and a loss bringing them back down to earth.

The Quakes, meanwhile, are beginning to show some life, if only incrementally. After enduring a five game losing streak, San Jose broke out a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake at home. Then last Sunday the Quakes earned a draw against FC Dallas at Pizza Hut Park. The challenge of taking on Dallas in the Lone Star State was compounded because two players were called away for national team duty, and midfielder Ramiro Corrales sat out the game for yellow card accumulation. Add to that the usual injuries, and Quakes’ coach Frank Yallop had to juggle the lineup. Brandon McDonald saw his first appearance for the Quakes at midfield, and recent defensive acquisition Aaron Pitchkolan filled in at midfield as well.

It was one of the odder games this season. San Jose fell behind when David Ferreira put the Hoops on the board in the 29th minute. With the new midfield the Quakes had difficulty with ball control and didn’t generate much offense, but tied it in the 60th minute on an own goal. Dallas defenseman Pablo Ricchetti tried to clear a Shea Salinas free kick but only succeeded in deflecting it into the net. Suddenly a point was possible if San Jose could hold on, something they have been terrible at doing this year. Then out of the blue, Quakes’ winger Arturo Alvarez got a goal in the 82nd minute, and it looked like the Quakes might escape Texas with three points. The Hoops quashed that dream when the San Jose defense had another lapse, and Kenny Cooper netted a goal five minutes later.

Still, it was the Quakes first point away from home this season. It was also the first time this season that the Quakes didn’t lose after giving up the first goal of a game. The team is now 0-6-1 when allowing the first goal. And it was the second game in a row getting points after five previous games with none. When you’re the worst team in MLS, you take whatever moral victory you can.

After missing the last seven matches due to a right quadriceps strain, midfielder Darren Huckerby returned to the field on Sunday against FC Dallas, coming in as a substitute replacing Shea Salinas in the 90th minute. With Huckerby’s return and Garcia’s departure, will the Quakes’ fortunes reverse? While Garcia struggled, it isn’t as though the Quakes have a proven closer to replace him. Ryan Cochrane remains out after ankle surgery. Kelly Gray is a likely starter, or coach Frank Yallop could move newcomers Aaron Pitchkolen or Mike Zaher into the middle from outside defender. Jason Hernandez has performed well as the other central defender, but has been plagued with muscle strains.

With the slight elevation of San Jose’s fortunes and the relative deflation of Seattle’s, will the result be different from the first tilt between the two sides? Not bloody likely, but then life isn’t fair. Look for the Quakes to regroup defensively without Garcia and for Huckerby to breathe some life into the offense.

INJURIES:
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
OUT: DF Ryan Cochrane (L ankle surgery); PROBABLE: Jason Hernandez (R oblique strain); MF Darren Huckerby (R quadriceps strain)

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC
OUT: GK Chris Eylander (L medial knee bone bruise); DF Zach Scott (partial tear abdominal muscle); DF Taylor Graham (R metatarsal fracture); FW Jarrod Smith (L hamstring strain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Peter Vagenas (R ankle pain); PROBABLE: MF Osvaldo Alonso (R quad strain)

The Quakes face FC Dallas on the road Sunday and it should be as entertaining as crabs in a barrel, the two teams fighting to avoid the distinction of being the worst team in the MLS. The Quakes and Dallas are coming off overdue wins last week against Real Salt Lake and Chicago respectively, and both teams will want Sunday’s game to confirm their season has turned around.

Dallas, in beating Chicago, has the distinction of being the first team to prevail over the Fire this season; it was a big win and unequivocal at 3-0. Chicago may have been on weary legs, the loss being their 3rd game in 8 days, but Dallas built up to this break through game with hard fought draws against the Galaxy and Sounders.

The Quakes are coming off a win as well, having played an excellent, measured 63 minutes against Real Salt Lake at home last weekend. The win against RSL came after six consecutive losses, so the match had the feel of breaking through to daylight. Still, the last 30 minutes of Saturday’s match had an uncomfortable but familiar feel as the Quakes ability to hold on for the win was tested and in question. The Quakes have been able to take the lead at home but holding onto that lead has proven hard for them. Last Saturday they got the job done, but just.

This Sunday the Quakes will field a different line-up as a result of international call-ups, yellow cards, and injuries. New Quakes forward Cornell Glen, who scored last weekend, has been called away to play for Trinidad and Tobago, while midfielder Simon Elliot has been called to play for New Zealand. Ramiro Corrales will be ineligible to play due to yellow card accumulation, and the availability of Bobby Convey and Arturo Alvarez is questionable due to injuries. You might note that’s the whole starting midfield out or in question. There is a possibility that Darren Huckerby could play some minutes if he is judged recovered from his injury, but it is unlikely that he would be match fit after so many weeks off.

The Quakes have lost every road game this season, and Sunday could easily add to that regrettable record. That does not mean all hope is lost.

Last Saturday the Quakes looked different. The Quakes players had not become more skilled or fit over the course of a week, but they did play sounder tactically, sitting back a bit and working more cohesively as a team.

“It took a few games to figure out we couldn’t really high press all the time because we leave ourselves exposed,” Yallop explained, “We started our pressure a lot lower than we normally do. Just let them have the back and when they come to the middle zone we’re going to be hard and difficult to break down.”

This will be a key to success this season. The Quakes simply don’t have the sheer athleticism across the squad to play the stretched out game they’ve been trying. That may make it a bit harder for forwards like Johnson to score, but much more likely for the Quakes to win games.

The danger last Saturday came when the Quakes, up 2-0, started to relax and lose a bit of their shape and focus. The better players in the MLS will punish you if you fall half a step behind or allow them space to shoot, even from 30 yards.

In Dallas sitting back, staying focused, and drawing 0-0 would be a moral victory for the Quakes and a promise of a brighter season ahead. The names in the starting lineup may matter less than the discipline to execute on the defensive discipline such a plan requires.

The return of defender Jason Hernandez has boosted the Quakes back line, by far the most porous in the league, but that hasn’t been enough to change San Jose’s fortunes. In his second game back from injury, Hernandez showed the skills that make him so valuable. Against the Crew, Hernandez came out to the side from his central position to tackle the ball away from Stephen Lenhart who had beaten side back Eric Denton, saving a clear scoring chance.

The team looked to shore up the offense by acquiring Trinidad and Tobago forward Cornell Glen. Glen has been a regular on the Trinidad and Tobago national team since 2002 and has 22 goals to go with 55 caps. From 2004-2006 Glen played with the MetroStars, FC Dallas, Columbus Crew, Colorado Rapids and Los Angeles Galaxy. He has made 45 career appearances in MLS, scoring 12 goals. Glen played 22 minutes in the match against the Crew on Wednesday, showing some skill on the ball that the Quakes have been lacking.

If there is any bright spot in the Quakes’ miasma, it’s forward Ryan Johnson who has scored in three consecutive games. This raises his season total to five, tying him for second most in the league.

The arrival of Bobby Convey at the beginning of the season had raised hopes that he would contribute to the Quakes success and be a good complement to Huckerby in midfield. That has proven not to be the case. Convey has good pace, but has been unable to get separation from defenders. Additionally, Convey has not jelled with the squad. He has showed poor interaction with his teammates leading to attacks breaking down. Convey has been opportunistic, jumping on errant balls, but he has lacked creativity.

After three consecutive road games, the Quakes return home to face Real Salt Lake on Saturday. Real has it’s share of struggles this season as well languishing in a fifth-place tie with the Galaxy. After winning three of their first four, they are winless in their last five games, losing three. Most of these recent struggles can be chalked up to bad luck. The team is scoreless in its last three matches, and has not netted a goal since a second-half stoppage time penalty kick on May 6th against the Galaxy. However, Salt Lake has not been without their chances. Particularly in these last couple of weeks, the goal has been rather unfriendly to the team. Last Saturday Real were the victims of clutch goaltending by D.C.’s Josh Wicks. The week before at Kansas City, Real hit two near-goals off the iron and were again thwarted by a hot keeper in Kevin Hartman. The attacking play was there, but Salt Lake only took a point out of those two matches, holding D.C. scoreless for the 0-0 draw.

Salt Lake’s luck should soon change if they continue their consistent attacking play. They employ a dangerous balance of speed at the front and powerful striking from the midfield. Robbie Findley’s pace has already been on display this season, as the striker leads the team with five goals. Fellow forward Yura Movsisyan has not gotten off to such a prolific start, but he is still a threat, particularly to aging Quakes’ center back Nick Garcia. Movsisyan exploited this matchup last September against San Jose, scoring twice en route to a 3-2 Real victory.

Complementing this quick set of strikers are the heavy boots of Kyle Beckerman and Javier Morales. Beckerman’s shot from 20+ yards has consistently troubled keepers since his breakout offensive season of 2006, in which he scored 7 goals. Beckerman and Morales each have only one tally this year, but they pose a formidable threat every time they are allowed space outside the top of the box.

Real’s defense, for it’s part, is strong but not unbeatable. Colombian defender Jamison Olave leads a group that has allowed an average of 1.3 goals per game and produced two shutouts for it’s part. Olave has had his discipline problems this year, but the physical defender will cause some issues for bigger Quakes’ forwards such as Cam Weaver. Needless to say, the San Jose attack must be better than it has in recent games to pull out a positive result in this one.

This is a chance for the Quakes to pull themselves out of their funk. A week after RSL they take on FC Dallas, the only other MLS team almost as bad as San Jose. If there is going to be any turnaround and a run for the playoffs, now is the time.

Real Salt Lake injuries
OUT – DF David Horst, R meniscus tear/surgery; DF Ian Joy, L hamstring strain; GK Chris Seitz, R grade II shoulder strain
QUESTIONABLE – FW Luis Miguel Escalada, L foot sprain
PROBABLE – GK Nick Rimando, L 3rd finger laceration

Earthquakes injuries
OUT – DF Ryan Cochrane, L ankle surgery; MF Darren Huckerby, R quadriceps strain
PROBABLE – MF Arturo Alvarez, R oblique strain
Discipline – Chris Leitch, Suspension/Fine: 5/27/09 vs. CLB, Disciplinary Committee Decision

It is perhaps the perfect set-up for a Disney movie where the underdog team makes a dramatic comeback. The MLS is not made in Hollywood, however, and what happens on the pitch would rarely conform to any script.

No MLS team this season has won fewer games nor lost more than the Quakes. The Quakes have only won a single game, a prior match with Houston who blew them away this last weekend in a rematch 3-1. Perhaps more telling, the Quakes have only managed two draws.

Draws are the gritty end of soccer results, never the objective. A draw is generally the product of a team’s collective refusal to lose.

The Crew, like the Quakes, has only won a single game of 9, however the Crew has only lost twice. The Crew has drawn 6 matches, the same number as East leading Chicago, exceeded only by DC and LA. The Crew has shown character in matches, and the Crews’ draws are a measure of the difference in the spirit and confidence of the two teams lining up for Wednesday’s match.

Where are the Quakes falling short in play? In some quarters there is belief that their midfield is not commanding enough. Others point out how few goals the Quakes have scored relative to the number of chances they’ve created. Most will point out that the Quakes’ defense makes critical errors and has given up more than two goals per game on average, the poorest defense in the MLS.

One might say the problem is the Quakes’ whole game, but perhaps it is not a lack of skill or tactics as much as it is a lack of sustained focus, attention to detail, urgency, and belief.

Yallop, not satisfied with his players’ performance, has been making changes in every area of the pitch, with more changes expected when the Summer transfer window opens. Fans hoping the return of Darren Huckerby will be enough to cure the Quakes’ ills should be counseled otherwise. Like the return of Jason Hernandez last match, it may help, but it will not transform the team. There is no Flubber in the labs.

There is a story here, however, and Wednesday’s match is worth watching.

Despite their penchant for throwing games away, the Quakes have, at times, played some of the most attractive soccer in the league with quick passing and movement, and deft skills on the ball; lacking only the final ball and finishes required for a fat goal tally. Still that pretty play is meaningless.

At this point the players in the current squad are playing for their jobs and potentially their careers. A poor finish, a missed tackle, or a failure to mark an attacker may be all that lies between a player and a career driving a UPS truck or selling insurance, their professional soccer dreams left behind. The call to action is urgent and personal, and some exceptional performances seem possible.

The Quakes team and players are most surely on the ropes and desperate, disabused of any complacency. The matter at hand is no longer making the playoffs. Self-respect, fans’ loyalty, and each players’ employment may be at stake now. It would be romantic to expect the Quakes to beat the Crew on Wednesday, but we have every reason to look for a show of determination and mettle, perhaps the measure of those who will play in the second half of the season.

As Yallop told MLSnet.com, “There’s no tricks to this game, there’s no tricks to coaching, there’s no tricks to how you play the game.“

When the Houston Dynamo host the San Jose Earthquakes on May 23, the Quakes will see a very different team than the first time these sides met in late March. It wasn’t until their fifth game of the season that the Dynamo won their first game of the 2009 campaign, a 1-0 decision over the Colorado Rapids. They proceeded to go on a three-game win streak catapulting them into the thick of the Western Conference race. All three wins were clean sheets following on the heels of a 0-0 draw in Houston’s first go-round with the New York Red Bulls in April.

This past Saturday the Red Bulls put a halt to the Dynamo run garnering a 1-1 draw with only ten men for the last 55 minutes of the game. The Red Bulls goal came in the 88th minute by John Wolyniec ending the Dynamo’s scoreless streak, the league’s longest this season, at 491 minutes. Houstons’ six goals against is the second lowest in MLS.

The key to the dynamic Dynamo defense was moving Geoff Cameron from midfielder to the back line to join Bobby Boswell in the middle. The defensive performance is all the more remarkable as the Dynamo have been decimated by injuries to regulars Eddie Robinson, Wade Barrett, and Richard Mulrooney.

Meanwhile the San Jose Earthquakes continue to flounder at the bottom of the table. Their only victory this season came off the misfortune of the Dynamo when Houston was trying to get its legs. The Quakes are winless in their last six outings and suffered their worst thrashing in their most recent effort, falling 4-1 against the Red Bulls on May 8. They’ve lost their last three and are struggling to find the gold ring that will turn them around.

San Jose’s 16 goals against ties FC Dallas as the leakiest defense. This is in sharp contrast to last season’s performance when defense was the strength of the team.

Defender Chris Leitch spun his take on the team’s fortunes. “I wouldn’t say there’s a whole lot of positives, but I would say there’s a lot of things to draw from and learn from. It’s a long season. It’s important that we identify these problems and work on them.”

The Quakes have sorely missed Darren Huckerby and Jason Hernandez who are out with injuries. After a month-and-a-half hiatus, Hernandez has returned to practice and is expected to start against Houston. San Jose enjoyed a bye this weekend, which gave Hernandez extra time to get game ready. The return of Hernandez should give the Quakes’ defense a sorely needed boost.

The off-season acquisition of Bobby Convey raised hopes that he would complement Huckerby in the midfield, but that hasn’t happened. Convey has bounced between center and outside midfield as well as a game at outside defense. Convey says this hasn’t hampered his effectiveness. “Any position I play is fine. I’m used to playing all over. For me, it doesn’t matter where I play.” The bottom line for the squad Convey says is, “we need to start learning how to win.”

The midfield is a key weakness nevertheless. Ball control leads to opportunities, and San Jose has not found its rhythm around the circle. All too often as the team tries to move the ball past the half line and the defensive pressure builds, the Quakes seem unsure and unable to penetrate. The quick touches and passes necessary keep a defense off balance elude them. They suffer indecision on how to move forward. Too often they’re forced to pass back to the safety of their back line if they don’t lose the ball outright. Convey, who shares the center-mid duties with Simon Elliot and Ramiro Corrales, hasn’t succeeded in consistently leading the offensive charge. And without the Quakes owning the midfield, opponents have too many chances to find the net.

With the bye week, coach Frank Yallop took the opportunity to push his players harder in practice with the intention of turning physical endurance into mental toughness. Yallop is addressing the team’s lack of confidence, which has been dogging the team leading to mental lapses and breakdowns. While some of their games have not been close, several have gone down to the wire, and San Jose has been coming up short. Getting a result in those close matches is a matter of stamina and desire, which have been inadequate so far this season.

Dynamo Injuries
OUT – DF Eddie Robinson, L knee surgery; DF Wade Barrett, L hamstring strain; DF Richard Mulrooney, facial fracture
PROBABLE – DF Danny Cruz, broken nose

Quakes injuries
OUT – DF Ryan Cochran, L ankle surgery; MF Darren Huckerby, R quadriceps strain
QUESTIONABLE – DF Jason Hernandez, L calf strain