Center Line Soccer

Winger Shea Salinas took aim for the far post on this second-half shot, but Colorado’s Preston Burpo got down for the save. Photo: Joe Nuxoll, centerlinesoccer.com.

Complete coverage includes:

• Center Line Soccer’s photo gallery
• Locker room audio from San Jose’s Frank Yallop, Ramiro Corrales, Cam Weaver, and Darren Huckerby, as well as Colorado’s Matt Pickens
• Post-game news and notes

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Perhaps San Jose manager Frank Yallop should just forget to tell his team when the regular season starts, because his side has this preseason thing down pat.

The San Jose Earthquakes won their third match in a row over an MLS opponent, as the Quakes recorded a 2-0 exhibition victory over the Colorado Rapids before 3,131 fans at Buck Shaw stadium. Cam Weaver staked the home side to an early lead, and Jamil Roberts extended the advantage just before half-time. Quakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon was only tested occasionally in recording the shutout.

“I thought we attacked well, and we were quick on the break,” said San Jose head coach Frank Yallop. “We still have a ways to go, and [Colorado] would probably say the same. Bits and parts of our game were good and some were poor, but I was happy with what we created.”

Both teams were missing significant portions of their lineup, although Colorado was perhaps the more shorthanded of the two. Rapids head coach Gary Smith opted to leave Pablo Mastroeni, Conor Casey, and Cory Gibbs at home. The Quakes meanwhile were without starters Nick Garcia and Ryan Cochrane, as well as new signing Bobby Convey, who will meet his new teammates for the first time next week when the team convenes down in Los Angeles

The first half was dominated for large stretches by San Jose, although they were aided by some criminal giveaways by the Colorado defense. One such miscue by the Rapids allowed San Jose to jump on top in the eighth minute. Eric Denton’s long ball out of the back was misplayed by Rapids’ defender Ugo Ihemelu, allowing Ryan Johnson to get in the clear. The Jamaican carried the ball to the byline and his inch-perfect cross was nodded home by Weaver.

“On our field, the ball skips really fast,” said Johnson. “I saw where the ball was going to bounce and [Ihemelu] didn’t really anticipate it very well, so I got behind him. I heard [Weaver] in my ear, so I just put it across and he was right there.”

The Quakes kept the pressure on, with Johnson releasing Huckerby just four minutes later, but a solid tackle by Rapids’ defender Michael Holody stifled the Englishman’s run.

Colorado at last began to make some headway, and in the 18^th minute Colin Clark waltzed through the Quakes’ defense only to see his breakaway attempt thwarted by Quakes’ keeper Joe Cannon.

Another mistake by Ihemelu nearly gifted the Quakes a second in the 27^th minute, as his backwards header was intercepted by Johnson, but with the goal at his mercy, Johnson hit a weak shot that was easily saved by Colorado goalkeeper Matt Pickens.

San Jose continued to apply most of the pressure. Johnson just missed the target with a long distance effort in the 29^th minute, and then a quick counterattack following a Rapids corner kick saw Corrales release Huckerby behind the Colorado defense. The San Jose midfielder had plenty of time to set himself, but shot hit the post and was then cleared to safety.

Colorado attempted to get back into the match by isolating Omar Cummings on the right wing, and while the Jamaican had some dangerous moments, he was unable to get a clear look at goal.

Johnson had a chance to pounce on another Colorado giveaway in the 41^st minute, this time by Holody. But Pickens came to the Rapids’ rescue, parrying away the Quake forward’s blast.

San Jose finally scored a much deserved second goal in first half stoppage time. Huckerby won a free kick from Ihemelu on the right wing, and Alvarez’s laser-like delivery was headed home by Roberts, leaving Pickens with no chance.

As is the custom with preseason games, Colorado head coach Gary Smith brought on Preston Burpo, Mehdi Ballouchy, and Jacob Peterson for Pickens, Nick LaBrocca, and Terry Cooke, respectively. The impact of the moves was limited to some alert plays by Burpo, who twice came off his line to clear passes intended for Johnson with the half just a few minutes old.

That said, the Quakes struggled to find the same kind of rhythm that they enjoyed in the first half.

“I think we have to work on keeping the ball a little bit more,” said midfielder Ramiro Corrales. “I think we were just getting a little bit too excited. It was so wide open at times that we were just trying to go and score that third goal. But if you look at where we were at a year ago to where we are at now, it’s a big difference.”

Perhaps in a bid to repay the Rapids’ generosity in the first half, the Quakes Kelly Gray gifted a golden opportunity to Clark in the 62^nd minute, but his attempted chip over Cannon went wide.

That sparked another flurry of substitutions by both sides, and it was one of the Colorado replacements, Jacob Peterson, who next went close for the Rapids. His attempt from distance handcuffed Cannon, but the Quakes’ keeper did enough to deflect the shot wide.

San Jose was quickly back on top, with substitute Pablo Campos setting the table for Huckerby in the 69^th minute, only to see him shoot high.

The match looked to be petering out, but then got surprisingly chippy at the end. A scuffle between San Jose’s Ramiro Corrales and Colorado’s Stephen Keel earned the Rapids’ defender a yellow card, and then similar set-to between Ballouchy and Simon Elliott saw the Quakes’ midfielder cautioned.

San Jose substitute Shea Salinas embarked on a twisting run in the 90^th minute, but his shot was saved by Burpo. The final whistle came shortly thereafter, extending the Quakes’ perfect preseason record.

Of course, the Quakes experienced similar results in preseason a year ago, only to get a rude awakening once the games started for real, and while Huckerby wasn’t around for that part of the campaign, he insists the wins the team is getting right now do have some value.

“I know it’s only preseason, but I think it’s very important that we start off with a winning mentality,” said Huckerby. “That’s how we’ve got to continue through the start of the season.”