San Jose earthquakes

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Seattle Sounders, September 29, 2021

MEDIA RELEASE:
Sept. 29, 2021

MATCH RECAP: Earthquakes 1, Seattle Sounders FC 3Quakes’ winning streak snapped at two
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes fell to Seattle Sounders FC 3-1 on Wednesday night at PayPal Park. The defeat snaps San Jose’s two-game winning streak.
Sounders FC took the lead in the 25th minute. Cristian Roldan played a pass to Raul Ruidiaz at the top of the box. He cut from his right foot onto his left foot and took a low shot out of the reach of goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski.
Ruidiaz doubled Seattle’s advantage in the 42nd minute, converting a penalty kick earned by Roldan moments earlier. Seattle then added a third goal in the 49th minute, with Roldan finishing off a lateral pass from Jimmy Medranda.
San Jose pulled one back just two minutes later when a cross by Marcos Lopez was redirected goalward by defender Shane O’Neill for an own goal.
The Earthquakes will now travel to Canada to face Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday, Oct. 2. Saturday’s match will kick off from BC Place at 7:00 p.m. PT and will be aired on NBC Sports California Plus, KNBR 1050 and 1370 KZSF.

GAME NOTES
The Earthquakes now hold an 8-10-9 record (33 pts.) during the 2021 MLS regular season and are currently in 10th place in the Western Conference, just four points below the playoff line.
San Jose is now 11-15-8 all-time vs. Seattle, including a 5-5-5 record at home.
Rookie forward Benji Kikanovic made his third-straight start, playing 90 minutes.
Midfielder Jack Skahan made his first appearance since July 24 vs. Houston Dynamo FC.

MATCH INFORMATION
MLS Regular SeasonSan Jose Earthquakes 1 – 3 Seattle Sounders FCSept. 29, 2021 – PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif.Attendance: 11,361

Scoring Summary:SEA (1-0) – Raul Ruidiaz (Cristian Roldan) 25’SEA (2-0) – Raul Ruidiaz (penalty) 42’SEA (3-0) – Cristian Roldan (Jimmy Medranda, Fredy Montero) 49’SJ (3-1) – Shane O’Neil (own goal) 51′

Misconduct Summary:SJ – Judson (caution) 27’SEA – Raul Ruidiaz (caution) 38’SEA – Alex Roldan (caution) 83′

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: JT Marcinkowski; Marcos Lopez, Nathan, Oswaldo Alanis (Cade Cowell 46), Judson (Luciano Abecasis 55); Shea Salinas (Andy Rios 54), Eric Remedi, Jackson Yueill, Carlos Fierro (Chris Wondolowski 54), Chofis (Jack Skahan 69); Benji Kikanovic.
Substitutes not used: Jacob Akanyirige, Paul Marie, Tommy Thompson, Daniel Vega.

SHOTS: 9; SHOTS ON GOAL: 3; FOULS: 13; CORNER KICKS: 10; SAVES: 2

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC: Stefan Frei; Xavier Arreaga (Nouhou 46), Shane O’Neill, Yeimar Gomez Andrade; Cristian Roldan (Alex Roldan 82), Kelyn Rowe, Danny Leyva, Josh Atencio (Joao Paulo 46), Jimmy Medranda (Abdoulaye Cissoko 71); Raul Ruidiaz (Leo Chu 46), Fredy Montero (Alex Roldan 81).
Substitutes not used: Will Bruin, Stefan Cleveland, Ethan Dobbelaere.

SHOTS: 9; SHOTS ON GOAL: 5; FOULS: 12; CORNER KICKS: 2; SAVES: 3

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH MATIAS ALMEYDA
On the game plan for tonight’s match:“It was a different game plan because Seattle played differently. It was different because we had players that were out. It was different because back then we had few players available, and we had Florian Jungwirth in the middle of the field. But as I always say, each game and every moment is different.”
On Sounders FC containing San Jose’s offense:“I think we made mistakes on the way through. The game plan was different, and we intended to take away their game, how they play in between the lines. Once we recovered the ball, we wanted to play through the outside, not through the middle. That’s why we had Benji Kikanovic as a striker, Chofis was playing free, and we had Shea Salinas and Carlos Fierro playing on the outside. From that point of view, we should have avoided passes through the middle and in between our lines. That would have allowed us to have a free man in the back. Knowing the power that Seattle has, we couldn’t counteract their individual and collective parts. Their goals resulted from our turnovers, and a team like Seattle puts them away.”
On Seattle’s goals:“I think they came from the virtue of the opponent, but we also made mistakes on defense. The first mistake was allowing them to receive the ball in dangerous parts of the field. We hurt ourselves the most when we have the ball and give it away instead of passing it to a teammate. They took advantage of our mistakes. I’ve said all week that players like Raul Ruidíaz don’t forgive. Players like Cristian Roldan have a lot of mobility and will move into a position to score. We discussed things that could have been avoided but we have to give credit to the virtue of these players.”

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES FORWARD CHRIS WONDOLOWSKI
On what went wrong in the game plan:“I think that we compounded our mistakes and I mean that by saying Seattle is such a tough opponent and you need to be able to move them side to side with possession. You need to be able to wear them down and also be able to try to expand them and so that you can take out pockets in their organization and we weren’t able to do that. They pressed very high. They did a great job of sending their wing backs up on us and we were missing passes that we normally make and when we miss those passes, it kind of compounds and then we were on our back foot. We were defending a little bit deeper and then we’re not able to trigger our press in the right area of the field and then again when you’re not able to do that, we’re a step late. When we’re not doing it at the right place or at the right time, we’re a step late, against Seattle when given that time can tear you apart.”
On why the team appeared indecisive in attack:“Yeah, when we’re unable to keep a steady possession then we are unable to send our wing backs and send our outside backs forward unless we have that secure possession and when we don’t have those guys coming forward, we end up isolating ourselves way too much. Leaving ourselves one on one or in a lot of cases especially against Seattle 1v2. They do a great job especially with their back three. That’s one of their best traits is they’re able to push out and those three center backs do such a great job whether they’re following a number 10 or a number 9 into the space both behind or in front. I think that’s what they do best, closing down that space and so when we’re unable to keep that possession, secure that possession, it really hurts us and it puts us in some precarious positions.”
On how this result affects the team’s confidence:“It hurts in the sense that it’s at home. We feel extremely confident that when we are at home that we need to pick up points and it doesn’t matter the opponent. That being said, you look at the other results, today it didn’t do us too much damage, but that being said it would’ve been a perfect day to move up the table. So, we’re still outside looking in, but we have a huge one against Vancouver on Saturday and if and when we pick up three points there, we can really start to get a move in. The faith hasn’t wavered one bit in the locker room and we still feel confident. We feel that we can do a lot of great things in these seven games and really start clicking.”

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Contact:
Jake Pisani – 408-556-7774 – jpisani@sjearthquakes.com
Pedro Ortiz – 408-556-3415 – portiz@sjearthquakes.com

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Los Angeles FC (LAFC), August 8, 2021

Los Angeles FC Forward CRISTIAN “CHICHO” ARANGO (29) kneels before his first MLS match between the San Jose Earthquakes and the Los Angeles Football Club at PayPal Park in San Jose, California

MEDIA RELEASE:
Aug. 8, 2021

MATCH RECAP: Earthquakes 2, Los Angeles FC 1Quakes extend unbeaten streak to seven, Ebobisse makes Quakes debut
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes defeated LAFC 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at PayPal Park. The victory sees the Earthquakes extend their unbeaten streak to seven (2-0-5), the longest active streak in Major League Soccer. Forward Jeremy Ebobisse, acquired via trade with Portland on Thursday, made his Earthquakes debut.
San Jose took the lead in the 11th minute. Cristian Espinoza sent a free kick towards the near post and Nathan got just enough on the ball to redirect it past goalkeeper Tomas Romero. The Quakes added a second 17 minutes later when Espinoza dribbled past his defender and laid off a pass to Chofis, who scored with a low shot from close range.
LAFC would halve the lead minutes before halftime when a Carlos Vela free kick caromed off Quakes midfielder Jackson Yueill for an own goal.
Earthquakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski made six total saves in the victory. He has allowed no more than a single goal in all of the Quakes’ last six matches.
The Earthquakes will remain in San Jose to host Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Friday, Aug. 13, presented by CEFCU. The match kicks off from PayPal Park at 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Bay Area, KNBR 1050 and 1370 KZSF.

GAME NOTES
The Earthquakes now hold a 5-7-6 record (21 pts.) during the 2021 MLS regular season and are currently in 10th place in the Western Conference.
The Quakes extended their unbeaten streak to seven matches (2-0-5). It marks the club’s first unbeaten stretch of 7+ matches in a single season since the final seven matches of 2013 (5-0-2).
The Quakes extended their winning streak against LAFC to three. San Jose is now 3-5-0 all-time vs. LAFC, including a 2-2-0 record at home.
Defender Nathan scored his second goal of the season and the second of his MLS career. He has now scored two goals in his first seven appearances with the Quakes.
Midfielder Chofis scored his fifth goal of the season and the fifth of his MLS career, making him the team’s goal leader. He has now scored in each of the last two matches. Today’s goal marked the first game-winning goal of his MLS career.
Midfielder Cristian Espinoza tallied assists on Nathan and Chofis’ goals, marking his fifth and sixth assists of the season and 27th and 28th of his MLS career. It marks the first time an Earthquakes player tallied two or more assists in a single match since April 24, 2021 (Cade Cowell; two vs. D.C. United). Espinoza has now tallied six assists, including two game-winning assists, in six regular season appearances vs. LAFC.
Midfielder Jackson Yueill made his 100th MLS appearance, starting and playing 90 minutes.
Forward Jeremy Ebobisse made his Earthquakes debut, entering the match as a substitute in the 36th minute.

MLS Regular SeasonSan Jose Earthquakes 2 – 1 Los Angeles Football ClubAug. 8, 2021 – PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif.Attendance: 18,000 (sellout)Michelob Man of the Match: Cristian Espinoza

Scoring Summary: SJ – Nathan (Cristian Espinoza) 11; SJ – Chofis (Cristian Espinoza) 28; LAFC – Jackson Yueill (own goal) 39.
Misconduct Summary: LAFC – Jesus Murillo (caution) 10; SJ – Cade Cowell (caution) 38; SJ – Jeremy Ebobisse (caution) 76; LAFC – Diego Rossi (caution) 78.

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: JT Marcinkowski; Luciano Abecasis (Jeremy Ebobisse 36), Oswaldo Alanis, Nathan, Tanner Beason; Shea Salinas (Carlos Fierro 70), Judson, Jackson Yueill (Chris Wondolowski 83), Cristian Espinoza, Chofis (Eric Remedi 70); Cade Cowell (Paul Marie 46).
Substitutes not used: Siad Haji, Andy Rios, Jack Skahan, Daniel Vega.

SHOTS: 15; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; FOULS: 12; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 6

LAFC: Tomas Romero, Diego Palacios, Tristan Blackmon, Moonhwan Kim, Jesus Murillo (Mamadou Fall 46); Francisco Ginella (Danny Musovski 74), Jose Cifuentes (Latif Blessing 63), Eduard Atuesta; Carlos Vela, Brian Rodriguez (Diego Rossi 46), Cristian Arango (Raheem Edwards 68).
Substitutes not used: Daniel Crisostomo, Marco Farfan, Sebastien Ibeagha, Pablo Sisniega.

SHOTS: 16; SHOTS ON GOAL: 6; FOULS: 14; CORNER KICKS: 3; SAVES: 2

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH MATIAS ALMEYDA
On the team’s improvement:“I do think that we have improved a lot. We have modified some things. We have to keep on improving in order to grow. Keeping in mind the teams we are up against and the way we are playing, I think there has been a lot of growth. We have to stay on this path and that is the most important thing.”
On the debut of Jeremy Ebobisse:“I think it was sped up because I had to make a quick change. I think he Is a player that will give San Jose a lot. Whenever a player wins on their debut, that is important. He and his teammates gave their maximum effort.”
On Nathan’s impact on the Quakes:“I think he is an excellent reinforcement. Game after game, he has been adapting very well. He is a great professional and teammate. Nathan and his teammates keep growing game after game.”
On Chofis’ form and recent performances:“I am looking at Chofis’ form from a day-to-day perspective. He is very professional. He is focused on growing and improving, I don’t think he’s even realized his potential. He is performing well. He still has room to improve and he is in search of reaching that level I think he can get to. He went a year and half without playing and the season he is having says a lot about him.”

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES MIDFIELDER CRISTIAN ESPINOZA
On the tactical changes during today’s match:”I think the team did well because we had been training with different tactical options during the week. We were ready so that each one of us knew what to do in case there would be a tactical change during the game.”
On his thoughts on Jeremy Ebobisse since his arrival:“He’s great player, complete, very technical and powerful. As he continues to train more and more, he will continue to adapt better to Matias’ style of play, although I think he did well today. Hopefully we can help him in the best way possible in the attack.”
On what the team needs to do to earn more wins and extend the unbeaten streak:“I think it’s fundamental that we continue to keep the order that we’ve had in these last few matches. The last three or four matches were against really good teams, the best in the league in my opinion. We’ve done well. We’ve been able to take the victory in two of them, so I think it’s about keeping order and continue to be a team that gets better physically. We know there are a lot of things that we need to improve on, both defensively and offensively. We’re on the right path to accomplish our goal.”

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES FORWARD JEREMY EBOBISSE
On debuting at PayPal Park:“It’s better to play for them than against. I’ve had some tough experiences playing here at PayPal Park. It was always a battle, and you can feel the energy that they fed to the team and the team would run with it and put us under a ton of pressure. To have them on our back this time was reenergizing, and it was great to get a big win against LAFC in front of them and I think there’s many more to come.”
On adjusting to the pace of the match:“I think it was up to getting up to speed on the tactics as quickly as possible, understanding who was coming out and who was sliding into which position and making sure my entry into the game didn’t cause any setbacks from a tactical perspective. From there, it was about enjoying the game and coming out with energy and feeling natural. I think for my first game, I did that pretty well and I was pleased with the connection with the wingers and the way they read my touches on the ball and they were able to find the spaces that I would eventually put the ball in. Then obviously in a striker you look for goals and I understand that’s something I’ll be looking to contribute even more in my next performances. I think we got into good spaces as a team. The pressure put LAFC under a lot of difficulty. Our counter-attacks and the way we built up put them in tough spots as well. We have threats from every position on the field and it’s about utilizing that and complimenting each other moving forward.”
On his transition into San Jose:“It was a really warm welcome from everyone, starting with the fans and getting into the locker room with players, coaches. Everyone in the team environment has been super open and have been trying to make it as easy as possible for me to feel settled in. Once we get onto the field, we all speak the same language, the language of the sport and we start to see different connections popping up. It’s just really exciting and refreshing to be in this environment. There’s more for me to give from a personality standpoint and then from a footballing standpoint. The first couple of days, with the hectic nature of packing up, taking a flight and getting acquainted with a new system, meeting everyone and getting to know different names and different tendencies, I think it’s been a relatively smooth transition.”

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Contact:
Jake Pisani – 408-556-7774 – jpisani@sjearthquakes.com
Pedro Ortiz – 408-556-3415 – portiz@sjearthquakes.com

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Seattle Sounders, May 12, 2021

San Jose Earthquakes Defender MARCOS LÓPEZ (27) shields the ball from Seattle Sounders Midfielder ETHAN DOBBELAERE (45) during the MLS match between the San Jose Earthquakes and the Seattle Sounders at PayPal Park in San Jose, California

MATCH RECAP: Earthquakes 0, Seattle Sounders FC 1

Quakes snap three-game winning streak, host Portland on Saturday

SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes fell to Seattle Sounders FC 1-0 on Wednesday night at PayPal Park. The result snaps the Quakes’ three-match winning streak but sees them remain in second place in the Western Conference.

Seattle took the lead in the 18th minute when a short clearance fell to Cristian Roldan, who would take a left-footed shot and send it past JT Marcinkowski. It would be Seattle’s only shot on goal during the match.

The back-and-forth contest saw a dramatic ending when Sounders FC goalkeeper Stefan Frei was injured late, forcing midfielder Alex Roldan to replace him. Despite a flurry of chances, and five shots on goal in the second half, San Jose could not find the equalizer.

GAME NOTES
The Earthquakes now hold a 3-2-0 record (9 pts.) during the 2021 MLS regular season and are currently in second place in the Western Conference.
San Jose has conceded just one goal in four consecutive matches.

MLS Regular SeasonSan Jose Earthquakes 0 – 1 Seattle Sounders FCMay 12, 2021 – PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif.
Scoring Summary: SEA – Cristian Roldan (unassisted) 18.
Misconduct Summary: SEA – Raul Ruidiaz (caution) 39; SJ – Chris Wondolowski (caution) 73; SEA – Stefan Frei (caution) 78; SJ – Luciano Abecasis (caution) 80.

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: JT Marcinkowski; Marcos Lopez (Luciano Abecasis 69), Tanner Beason, Florian Jungwirth, Tommy Thompson (Shea Salinas 58); Eric Remedi, Jackson Yueill; Carlos Fierro, Chofis (Chris Wondolowski 65), Cristian Espinoza; Cade Cowell (Andy Rios 65).
Substitutes not used: Judson, Benji Kikanovic, Paul Marie, Jack Skahan, Daniel Vega.
SHOTS: 5; SHOTS ON GOAL: 6; FOULS: 12; CORNER KICKS: 9.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC: Stefan Frei; Xavier Arreaga, Nouhou, Yeimar Gomez Andrade; Cristian Roldan, Jordy Delem (Shane O’Neill 8), Alex Roldan, Kelyn Rowe (Brad Smith 83), Ethan Dobbelaere (Fredy Montero 46), Danny Leyva (Joao Paulo 60); Raul Ruidiaz.
Substitutes not used: Will Bruin, Reed Baker-Whiting, Spencer Richey.
SHOTS: 17, SHOTS ON GOAL: 1; FOULS: 13; CORNER KICKS: 2.

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH MATIAS ALMEYDA
On the result:“I’m very happy because we went up against the best team in the league and showed important things in respect to the sport. I can’t just takeaway the result when the opponent had a single shot at our goal. I take away the number of chances we created against an excellent team with a really good defense. We had our chances but this time we were unable to complete them. We would have liked to tie the game, that would have been fair. The first 25 minutes were back and forth. We were beginning to improve, and we were doing things right for a couple of moments.”
On the team’s approach to chances created throughout the match:“I am pleased with the team’s production while they were looking for the tie, and ultimately the win if they had tied the game. That’s the way soccer goes. You prepare, you get there and for some reason you can’t put them away. You play against a team of this pedigree and they only needed one shot to score a great goal. I will highlight the path we took in trying to tie the game, that intensity, getting through on the sides, the mobility and the pressure. We saw a lot of good things.”
On facing the Portland Timbers on Saturday:“We will have to make a thorough analysis of Portland. For us, every team in the league is challenging, not just Seattle and Portland. We respect everyone but we know we have to be doing very well to compete against anybody. We will analyze Portland, and then we will assess who has recovered from this match and determine if changes are necessary in order to renew energy.”

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES MIDFIELDER JACKSON YUEILL
On tonight’s performance in comparison to previous matches vs. Seattle:“I think since my time here, four or five years [ago], they’ve been one of the consistent teams in MLS. They’re a very good side for a reason, they have really good players, and they have a system that they’re all bought in to. For sure they’re a challenging team to play against. You saw why tonight. We made them suffer a lot, and we pressed them hard, and they were able to win and do that against many other teams. I think this is a right step for us. I think, regardless of the result, the effort was there, the attitude at the end, and the second half for the team was in the right direction. It was just about finishing our chances and coming out ready to play at the beginning of the game. I think we gave away the goal early on, and we were a little slow at the beginning. I think that’s something to be improved on. But I think there were a lot of positives to take from this game and there is a lot of season to go so we’ll get our chances again.”
On playing alongside Eric Remedi so far this season:“I think Eric is a great addition to the team. He’s very similar to myself and Judson in his mobility, his work rate, being on the ball, his aggression, and his sacrifice for the team. He cares a lot about helping the guys around him, so I think those are all really, really good qualities. I think he’s really talented with the ball. He’s able to get us out of situations when we’re building up from the back. He’s always wanting the ball, he’s always asking for the ball, so he’s a guy to kind of relieve pressure from the rest of the team, especially myself. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him better and I think his influence on the team has been really good. The more he gets into the game and incorporates Judson, I think we’re really strong midfielders who will be a hard combination no matter who’s in there to play against.”

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Contact:
Jake Pisani – 408-556-7774 – jpisani@sjearthquakes.com
Pedro Ortiz – 408-556-3415 – portiz@sjearthquakes.com