Quakes and Whitecaps Draw 0-0 in San Jose

Not much of anything.

The San Jose Earthquakes dropped crucial points at home against Vancouver following a lackluster 0-0 draw. The Quakes entered the game sitting in 10th place with a playoff berth still within reach. Their opponents sat at the bottom of the Western Conference but were looking to spoil the party for the Quakes on a warm Summer night in San Jose.

Matias Almeyda sent out a 4-4-2 for the home side with newly acquired striker Jeremy Ebobisse making his first start with the Quakes. On the other end of the pitch, Vancouver played with a 4-1-4-1 defensively but stretched out to a 4-3-3 when they had possession.

The Quakes struggled to create chances in the first half despite having most of the possession. The double pivot of Judson and Yueill gives them physicality and control in the midfield but they lack an offensive-minded “10” that can break the lines. The role was meant for Chofis who played more as a 10 with Ebodisse as the target man looking to hold the ball up. The issue was that Chofis was extremely careless with the ball in the first half and would constantly make wrong decisions that would lose possession. On top of that, Ebodisse’s strengths are not exactly his hold up play. The French striker is much more dangerous running into space behind the defenders or dribbling directly at the defense.

Vancouver had a solid chance in the first half when they cut through the Quakes’ midfield and exposed their lack of speed in the back. Apart from that chance, the Canadian side didn’t trouble the Quakes’ backline for most of the game. Meanwhile, the hosts had a handful of good looks that came from corners but failed to create danger from open play.

In the second half, the Quakes looked for a spark off the bench and brought on Cade Cowell, Carlos Fierro and Chris Wondolowski. Cowell gave the team more verticality and became a pest for opposing defenders with his speed. Fierro provided the speed on the wing but with Judson playing as the right back behind them, the strikers never got the final ball they were looking for. 

In the end, the scoreline read 0-0 in a lackluster game. The Quakes are still very much a transitional side that’s trying to figure out what their best lineup is. Playoffs are still within reach but they need to capitalize against teams like Vancouver if they want to squeeze into the playoffs.

Martin Pantoja

Twitter: @tinchosports

Instagram: @_tinchosports

Your Black and Gold guide through the MLS Is Back Tournament: What you need to know as LAFC prepares

Since the Coronavirus pandemic first struck the United States and suspended the MLS regular season, four months of no football in North America becomes no more as MLS Commissioner Don Garber has announced a profound World Cup style tournament that involves all 26 teams and a few stipulations to enhance the competition. The Announcement comes a few weeks after the state of Florida commences the re-opening of the Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando to select sports leagues and organizations in the United States.

Here is how the tournament format will play out, according to MLSSoccer.com:

Group Stage:

• The 26 teams will be split into six groups.

• Nashville SC will move to the Eastern Conference and will remain in the Eastern Conference for the remainder of the 2020 season.

• The Eastern Conference will have three groups, one of six teams and two with four teams each.

• The Western Conference will have three groups, each consisting of four teams.

• Each team will play three group stage matches over the course of 16 consecutive days.

• The top two teams from each group along with the four best third-place finishers will move on to the knockout stage, beginning with the Round of 16.

• If two or more clubs are tied on points in the group stage, MLS Regular Season tiebreakers procedures are used.

• The tiebreakers for determining the four 3rd-placed clubs are: (1) points, (2) goal differential, (3) goals scored, (4) fewest disciplinary points.

Stipulations:

• Regular Season points: Each of the 39 group-stage games will count for points toward the 2020 regular-season standings.

  1. Concacaf Champions League spot: In a one-time change to MLS berths to the annual Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League, the MLS is Back Tournament winner will earn a spot in the 2021 Concacaf Champions League, regardless of whether it is a U.S. or Canadian club. This berth replaces the one traditionally awarded to the regular-season conference leader that did not win the Supporters’ Shield.

  2. Prize Money: In addition to matches that count in the regular-season standings and competing for bragging rights, the MLS is Back Tournament will give players the opportunity to earn additional bonuses as part of a $1.1 million prize pool.

Groups

After the tournament, MLS plans to resume back to its standard regular season format with teams playing at their home stadiums. With that, the MLS held a tournament draw to place the teams in six different groups. Here are the results:

LAFC headline a star-studded Group F, grabbing group stage ties against two rivals, LA Galaxy and Portland Timbers, and a reunion with former striker Christian Ramirez in the MLS is Back tournament. Graphic created and posted by LAFC via social media (@lafc).

Eastern Conference

1. Orlando City SC

2. Inter Miami CF

3. New York City FC

4. Philadelphia Union

5. Chicago Fire FC

6. Nashville SC

GROUP B

Western Conference

1. Seattle Sounders FC

2. FC Dallas

3. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

4. San Jose Earthquakes

GROUP C

Eastern Conference

1. Toronto FC

2. New England Revolution

3. Montreal Impact

4. D.C. United

GROUP D

Western Conference

1. Real Salt Lake

2. Sporting Kansas City

3. Colorado Rapids

4. Minnesota United FC

GROUP E

Eastern Conference

1. Atlanta United FC

2. FC Cincinnati

3. New York Red Bulls

4. Columbus Crew SC

GROUP F

Western Conference

1. LAFC

2. LA Galaxy

3. Houston Dynamo

4. Portland Timbers FC

LAFC have reported for full team training and are making final preparations before their trip to Orlando on June 24th.

JR4's LAFC Player of the Year Awards: First Annual JERRYs

Written by Jerry Reynoso @official.jr4

All Photos Courtesy of LAFC via Twitter and Instagram (@LAFC)

Welcome to the First Annual JERRY Awards! As the most historic season in LAFC history concludes, I present to you all my LAFC Player of the Year awards (The JERRYs) . I plan to do this annually after every season, along with some awards that you all can get involved with voting through my Instagram story. Awards such as, LAFC Midfielder/Defender of the Year, and some fan awards like Meme Page of the Year! Although, those awards are not official, unless they are JR4 Certified! So, with that, before I present to you the Official winners of the First Annual JERRYs, let’s briefly recap this unforgettable season with some notable records that have been broken:

Most Points

LAFC ended the New York Red Bull’s one year record of most points in a single season by one point after defeating the Colorado Rapids in their final regular season match, accumulating 72 points in one season. Another record and an accolade was acquired as LAFC Captain, Carlos Vela, scored a Hat-Trick that lead the Black and Gold to a 3-1 win against Colorado, a record for most goals in a single season (34 goals), and to cap it all off, Vela wins the MLS Golden Boot race, outscoring both Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Galaxy) and Josef Martinez (Atlanta United).

Most Goals and Best Goal Differential

These records taste a little better than the previous ones I’ve stated because, well, the previous record holders were the Galaxy. LAFC matched the all-time record for most goals scored in a single season with the 1998 Galaxy at 85 Goals in 34 Games (Galaxy scored 85 in 32), but LAFC’s defense was a blockbuster everyone was waiting to watch. Led by Walker Zimmerman and Eddie Segura, the Black and Gold backline only allowed 37 goals this year, breaking the Galaxy’s 98’ squad’s Goal differential record, with a +48 GD (Goal Differential).

Now that we have recapped an unforgettable year, I present to you, The JERRY Award Winners:

JERRY Award for Most Valuable Player: Carlos Vela

With 34 goals and 15 assists in 34 games, Carlos Vela was not able to get his name out of the headlines. Without a doubt, the most funnest player to watch, playing with the most funnest team to watch this season. It’s hard to say whether there will or not be a player that’ll top his form in the Black and Gold, therefore, I tell you all to cherish every time he touches the ball, because it will not be long before he is gone. Congratulations Carlos Vela on winning the JERRY for Most Valuable Player.

The greatest goals from the greatest season. Counting down Carlos Vela's top 5 goals of 2019. What's your top 5?

JERRY Award for LAFC Defender of the Year: Eddie Segura

It was hard deciding this one, but once I saw everyone vote Walker Zimmerman on my Instagram page, I had to contradict and go the other way. A player who started off as a loanee to a Multi-year signee, Eddie Segura was the best pickup LAFC had all season long, no debate needed. Segura played the most this season, gathering up first in minutes played with 2,955, and is the defense’s most disciplined player with only one yellow card. There were plenty of times Eddie cleaned up Zimmerman’s mess as well, but there’s no other backs in the league that work as great as this Dynamic Duo. One thing that separates Segura from everyone else is his vision and hustle. He was always two-steps ahead of the opposing attack, reading the opposition’s play as it unfolds, but whenever he misread, he cleaned up his mistake. Having a Center Back like that and a tall knight like Walker Zimmerman right next to him to back him up is very crucial, especially under Gaffer Bob Bradley. It is time to give credit where credit is due. Congratulations Eddie on winning the JERRY for Defender of the Year.

JERRY Award for Midfielder of the Year: Eduard Atuesta

Eduard Atuesta was very fun to watch during tape reviews this season. I wish I had his pair of eyes because his vision is amazing and very jaw-dropping, but what makes him different from everyone else is his patience. His ability to hold the ball and trust his teammates to make the proper run before executing a play is amazing. According to WhoScored.com. Atuesta made an average of 80 passes per game, and 8 of those passes lead to assists. What made this player stand-out was the assets he had around him. With the support of Mark Anthony-Kaye, Latif Blessing, and Lee Nguyen, the midfield was nothing short of Prolific this season. Congratulations Eduard Atuesta on winning the JERRY for Midfielder of the Year.

Carlos Vela and LAFC hope to wrap up the Supporters' Shield as they host the Houston Dynamo in a Western Conference clash. Lineups: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/matchcenter/2019-09-25-los-angeles-football-club-vs-houston-dynamo/lineup

JERRY Award for LAFC Comeback Player of the Year: Mark Anthony-Kaye

After suffering a horrific ankle injury against the Galaxy late last year, MAK had an amazing bounce-back response this season. Kaye contributed well to many great chances that resulted in goals, racking up 4 Goals and 8 Assists, but one thing that caught my eye this season was his ability to create and disrupt plays in the middle. As a central midfielder, Kaye was setting up many plays that either lead to chance, a possible break in defensive pressure, or even a reset if needed, but as a so called “Defensive Anchor”, MAK’s ability to read and disrupt his opponent’s play before it happened sparked many opportunities that lead to Carlos Vela and the attack getting work done. Congratulations Mark Anthony-Kaye on winning the JERRY for LAFC Comeback Player of the Year.

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JERRY Award for Most Improved Player of the Year: Latif Blessing

From being a 12th man in 2018 to finding his way into the Starting XI, Our beloved “Game Changer” in Latif Blessing had himself a year. Blessing’s 2019 season was filled with love from the 3252 and dances in front of the North End after each win, but the highlight to his season was his brace that lead to a comeback tie against cross-town rivals, the Galaxy. Despite his size, he’s a master in Aerial Duels, and his hustle cannot be matched by anyone else in the league. Congratulations Latif Blessing on winning the JERRY Award for Most Improved Player of the Year.

"It's very difficult to come from my village and make it as a professional." From Ghana Premier League Goal King to #LAFC Game Changer. Learn what motivates Latif Blessing.

That’ll do it for the First Annual JERRYs. I thank you all for tuning into this write up, especially this website, as it is the beginning of something special. If you guys have not heard the special news, I have made a Special Announcement late last night. I will be joining the LAFCUniverse team as a content creator and Podcast Host of the “LAFCUniverse Show”. I am so excited to join my great friend, Owner and Founder of LAFCUniverse Connor Kalopsis, in covering this amazing club. Even though I am joining the LAFCUniverse team, it does not mean it will be the end of the LA Saga Podcast. In fact, it is just the beginning. Pretty soon, Bryan and I will be getting back together to record and continue with the show, but due to Bryan finishing up his senior year in High School, I might cover the Podcast alone, which is completely fine! NO MATTER WHAT! I have my support and he has mine, and if that is the case, then I will I be bringing you all a variety of coverage in many Los Angeles Sports team, including, Lakers Basketball, Dodgers Baseball, Kings Hockey, and so much more! Stay tuned because there is so much more to come!

You all know what to do. If you are not following me on Instagram or on Twitter, make sure to do so, unless you want to miss out on any of upcoming work (BIG THINGS COMING IN HOT!). Make sure to give us a follow on Instagram and Twitter, as well as LAFCUniverse.

What are your thoughts on my award winners? Tweet me @Official_JR4 and let me hear ya!

Oh yeah, and remember, LA is Black and Gold!

(Damn, it feels great to say that again!)