Tough loss sends Quakes scrambling for playoff spot
SAN JOSE » If the MLS season ended today the Earthquakes would be left out of the playoffs.
Fortunately for San Jose, it has two more games remaining to attempt to secure one of the three remaining spots in the Western Conference, although the Quakes did themselves no favors with a 2-1 home loss to the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday night.
With suspended leading scorer Chris Wondolowski reduced to a cheerleader role at Avaya Stadium, the Quakes took a onegoal lead into the 70th minute, then lost it in a six minute span.
As a result, the Quakes (13-145) are currently in eighth place in the West. Only the top seven teams advance to the postseason, and the race likely will come down to the final match of the season. San Jose (44 points) trails Real Salt Lake (47 points), Portland (45 points) and FC Dallas (45 points).
The Quakes play at fourthplace Seattle on Sunday and then end the regular season at home on Oct. 6 against Portland. The Timbers play host to Sporting Kansas City on Sunday before the potential deciding game in San Jose. Real Salt Lake ends the regular season at Houston and at home against Vancouver, while FC Dallas plays host to Colorado before traveling to Kansas City.
The Quakes have lost four straight and are 2-7-1 over their past 10 matches.
The Union stunned the Wondo- charged crowd on goals by Alejandro Bedoya and Kacper Przybylko in the 70th and 76th minutes. Then came a foul in the box on the Union’s Aurelien Collin that after review was deemed not a penalty, and San Jose couldn’t come up with an equalizer despite seven minutes of stoppage time.
The Quakes were without redcard suspended Wondolowski and assists leader Cristian Espinoza for the crucial match.
The Quakes had chances for more than one earlier after Danny Hoesen set up Jackson Yueill with a pass from the endline for the opening goal in the 35th minute. San Jose’s Carlos Fierro almost scored in the 42nd minute but the rebound was cleared off the line. The Quakes also saw a second-half goal overturned following video review.
Bedoya tied the match in the 70th minute. Raymon Gaddis beat his defender around the right corner and then found Bedoya near the penalty spot with a low pass. Yueill slipped while defending Bedoya, who took a couple touches and then finished past Daniel Vega.
Przybylko put the Union in front six minutes later with his sixth goal in his past eight matches. Jamiro Monteiro curled an in- swinging cross toward Przybylko, who outleaped Guram Kashia and drove his header past Vega from close range.
Magnus Eriksson thought he’d doubled San Jose’s lead in the opening moments of the second half. However, the goal was overturned following a review, with referee Baldomero Toledo ruling Hoesen had been offside in the buildup.
Toledo also wiped out his decision to award San Jose a late, potentially game-tying penalty kick after consulting replay. He originally ruled that Aurelien Collin had fouled Andres Rios.