No time to party for Quakes SATURDAY’S GAME
Victory over K. C. needs to be just the start of playoff run
That 5- 0 shellacking of Sporting Kansas City was nice, but keep the party animals muzzled.
The Earthquakes have no time for frivolity going from K. C. to D. C.
San Jose’s late- season playoff run continues Saturday against Eastern Conference leader D. C. United in Washington in what is expected to be a challenging environment.
“Every game from now on is like a final,” said Cordell Cato, who helped lead the Quakes with two goals at Kansas City.
San Jose ( 9- 10- 5, 32 points) doesn’t expect a letdown three days after its best game of the season. But just to be sure, the players are sending out the message.
“That was all good,” defender Shaun Francis said. “But the season doesn’t end there.”
Not
even
close.
The Earthquakes ( 9- 10- 5) at D. C. United ( 13- 5- 8), 4 p. m. CSN- Plus Earthquakes need to win six of their final 10 games to reach 50 points and perhaps be in position to earn one of the six Western Conference playoff spots.
A big road performance Saturday against United ( 13- 5- 8, 44 points) could become the launchpad San Jose needs.
United, which has won three of its past four games, is trying to win the Supporters’ Shield as Major League Soccer’s regular- season champion.
The Quakes, on the other hand, are just clawing their way into playoff contention after a six- game winless streak last month put them in a hole.
“We have a lot of ways to go to get to this playoff spot,” San Jose coach Dominic Kinnear said.
The health of playmaker Matias Perez Garcia is a major concern at the moment. The midfielder is trying to recover from a strained hamstring after aggravating it last week against Colorado. He didn’t make the two- game trip.
“If we can afford to rest somebody a little bit extra to make sure they are ready 100 percent the next time, that is what we will have to do,” Kinnear said.
Some of the pressure has been alleviated by Panamanian midfielder Anibal Godoy’s immediate impact after signing this month.
Godoy’s first pairing Wednesday night with rookie Fatai Alashe looks promising. Kinnear probably will go with the same midfield lineup against United, though he also has rookie Marc Pelosi as a playmaker option.
Godoy, 25, already impressed teammates.
“He wants the ball,” Francis said. “He wants to be part of what is going on.”
The Quakes aren’t built around one player, though. Success lies with all- around performances from someone such as Cato, a Trinidad and Tobago international winger.
Cato, 23, returned from a successful CONCACAF Gold Cup performance last
has month
The versatile Cato, who also plays fullback for the Quakes, knows he needs to take on more responsibility whether playing for his club or his country.
“He’s really dying to get better all the time,” Kinnear said.
Against Kansas City, Cato kept possession, stretched defenders and seemed to be in the right position most of the game. Kinnear would have been happy with the performance even without the goals.
Cato has confidence in the Earthquakes but knows the team must avoid “any cheap losses.”
That’s where Francis steps in. The Jamaican probably will be the Quakes’ left back for the rest of the season because of the loss of Jordan Stewart to a torn Achilles.
“All I have to do is make sure I am ready,” Francis said.
looking
more
polished.