Red Bulls bounce Quakes from Open Cup

San Jose’s Shea Salinas tries to split two New York defenders. Photo: Joe Nuxoll, centerlinesoccer.com.

Center Line Soccer’s complete coverage includes a post-game video wrapup and player interviews as well as a photo gallery. 

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The competition was different. So was the lineup. Yet following Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup play-in game against the New York Red Bulls, the disappointment the San Jose Earthquakes felt was all too familiar, as they fell to the visitors by a score of 2-1.

New York defender Mike Petke opened the scoring with the match just two minutes old, pouncing on a botched clearance by the Quakes’ Davide Somma. Yet when San Jose’s Pablo Campos netted a 71st minute equalizer, the Quakes must have thought a comeback was in the making. But the Red Bulls’ John Wolyniec scored the game winner from Dominic Oduro’s deflected cross with just ten minutes remaining to give New York the victory. The manner in which both goals were scored wasn’t lost on San Jose manager Frank Yallop, even as me admitted that New York were the better team on the night.

“It seems we don’t get much luck around the goal, and other teams are getting this and that,” said Yallop. “But you still have to keep the ball out of the net. It would have been nice for us to get a good result and move on.”

The Red Bulls will now play D.C. United at a date and location to be determined to see who will reach the first round proper. The Quakes meanwhile will be left to ponder how they’ve managed to win just once in five home matches this season.

With both teams having league games at the weekend, and given the relative low priority of the USOC, the starting lineup of each side was comprised largely of reserves. New York’s Macoumba Kandji was the only typical starter to begin the match for the Red Bulls. San Jose’s starting eleven had a slightly more familiar look with Kelly Gray, Chris Leitch, Eric Denton, and Ryan Johnson taking the field for the home side.

A lengthy injury list was a partial explanation for so many first team players starting the match. Illness also played a factor, with both Nick Garcia and Jamil Roberts laid low by flu-like symptoms. Given the recent swine flu outbreak, the worry is that the ailment striking Garcia and Roberts could be something serious, but afterward Yallop sought to play down such concerns.

“Hopefully [Garcia and Roberts] are fine and okay for the weekend,” said Yallop.

The lack of match sharpness was evident early for San Jose. In the second minute, goalkeeper Andrew Weber allowed a ball to run over the end line that was ruled a corner kick for New York. Somma attempted to head out Danleigh Borman’s serve, but his clearance went off Wolyniec and straight to Petke, and the veteran duly hammered the ball home from seven yards to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.

The Red Bulls threatened again from a set piece in the 14th minute. Borman’s corner kick was half cleared, and when he latched on to the ball again he unleashed a fierce drive from 22 yards that was beaten down and then covered up by Weber.

San Jose came within inches of equalizing in the 26th minute. Quincy Amarikwa’s speculative cross from the right wing drifted towards goal and fooled Cepero, but it bounced off the post and across the face of goal where it was cleared to safety.

A half fraught with defensive errors by the home side nearly bit them again a minute later. Denton’s attempted clearing header went straight to Kandji, creating another breakaway, but the New York forward’s low finish just went wide of the post.

“It took us about 25 minutes to get settled in the first half,” said Denton. “We were a little bit shaky. But once we saw that we could play with them, we opened them up, and I think that’s the way it’s been this season. The last three games we’ve made strides possessing the ball. We just need to get in behind opponents.”

Amarikwa’s speed helped in that regard, and his long run in the 35th minute saw him evade the Red Bulls’ defense, only to see his shot well saved by Cepero in the New York goal.

The Quakes created the last good chance of the half, and once again Amarikwa was at the heart of things. His clever pass from the left side of the box found Shea Salinas wide open at the penalty spot, but his shot failed to hit the target.

Yallop brought on Campos at half-time for Somma, and Bobby Convey entered the match 14 minutes later for Johnson. Neither switch had much initial impact as New York’s defense looked organized and comfortable.

That made the manner of San Jose’s equalizer all the more surprising. The Quakes had just won a simple throw-in on the right wing when Leitch’s modest heave suddenly found Campos in acres of space. The Brazilian had enough time to carry the ball into the box, and his low shot beat Cepero to the far post.

“Give an assist to the ball boy, he did a good job,” said Leitch. “He and I made eye contact and got it to me quick. The thing about [Campos] is he’s always aware of what’s going on. He’s always looking to break and is kind of sneaky. But Pablo did the work.

The Red Bulls didn’t have to wait long to make amends, however. With just ten minutes of normal time remaining, Denton’s deflection of Oduro’s cross took the sting out of the pass, allowing it to fall perfectly to Wolyniec’s path, and the New York forward stabbed the ball home from six yards for the game-winner. It was another cruel bounce against a San Jose team that hasn’t had much luck lately, but Leitch believes that the Quakes’ woes were largely self-inflicted.

“We have talent on this team and we have quality guys, but it’s the mentality [that has to improve], to not be soft in certain situations,” said Leitch. “I think that’s something we have to rectify soon…If you look at both chances, they were the result of innocuous situations. Something bad happens, and boom, two goals. We have to stop that right now.”

Campos nearly scored a spectacular equalizer in the 83rd minute, but his attempted bicycle kick from Convey’s free kick went just over the bar, and New York held on for the victory.

Now the question is whether the Quakes can heal both mentally and physically ahead of this weekend’s tilt with league-leading Chivas USA.

“The morale is still high,” said Amarikwa. “We’re still positive with each other, and Frank is really good about that…It’s not coming together as fast as we would like, but it’s getting there. We’ve had some unlucky results, but I feel like if we get that first win in the next game we can really get moving.”