San Jose's Alan Gordon wins a header (Getty Images)
Was there ever any doubt on this one? I think most MLS fans' doubts are disappearing week after week as the San Jose Earthquakes continue to take down opponent after opponent. This week, they didn't even need crafty (read bizzare) antics from Steven Lenhart or stoppage time heroics from Alan Gordon. They just put their foot on the collective throats of Chivas USA and finished the job. There were no questions asked and no quarter was given for the stumbling Goats.
It didn't take the Quakes long to get on the board. They set up for a direct free kick from about 35 yards out in the 11th minute. Chivas 'keeper Dan Kennedy carefully constructed his wall then sat back and waited for the strike. Victor Bernardez stepped up and curled his free kick around the wall, and Kennedy couldn't get down to it as it trickled inside his near post for the first San Jose score to make it 1-0. It was an outstanding strike from Bernardez, but Kennedy really should have doen better at his near post.
However, in the 14th minute the Quakes were very fortunate not to have a major decision go against them. Juan Agudelo jumped on a sloppy back pass for Chivas and turned toward the San Jose goal. John Busch came out to meet him, hit the deck, and made the save. As it turns out, he was clearly outside of the box. Despite the fact that the ball plainly struck Busch's arm, the AR signaled that it did not, and Busch escaped what would have, and should have been, an automatic red card. It was another in a string of breaks that have gone San Jose's way this year.
Chivas USA were so overmatched that it likely wouldn't have made a difference either way, and the Quakes added another goal in minute 39. Marvin Chavez picked the ball off of Chivas defender Raushawn McKenzie and dished over to Chris Wondolowski. Wondo then hit Simon Dawkins, who ran in behind what was left of the Chivas defense and scored, making it 2-0 to the home side at halftime.
The second half didn't go any better for Chivas as they would concede yet again from a set piece opportunity. In the 71st minute Ramrio Corrales beat the Chivas wall and Dan Kennedy once again to make it 3-0. The time Kennedy gave it a better effort, but it was just struck too smartly and he was pretty much helpless.
Finally in the 81st minute the Quakes added insult to injury. The Goats conceded another free kick in the danger zone, but made an bonehead type mistake and didn't put someone on the ball to force Corrales to ask the refree for the ten yards. Kennedy and Chivas went about setting up the wall, oblivious to the fact that referee Mark Geiger was not impeding San Jose from taking it quickly and Corrales struck the ball while Chivas was asleep at the wheel. Kennedy realized what was happening, but it was too late as the ball went into the net to make it 4-0 to the Quakes, which was the score at full time.
With the win San Jose takes back sole possession of first place in the race for the Supporters Shield, 3 points ahead of Sporting Kansas City. Their cushion on the rest of the Western Conference sits at 7 points, as Real Salt Lake moved back into second place after a win over DC United. Seattle sits in third, 9 points back after a draw at FC Dallas. Chivas sit on 28 points, 9 behind Vancouver for the final playoff spot. The two teams will meet again in two weeks at the Home Depot Center.
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