San Jose vs Real Salt Lake: 3-3 After Last-Second Miracle

Mar 15, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; San Jose Earthquakes defender Victor Bernardez (5) celebrates after scoring the tying goal in stoppage time against the Real Salt Lake during the second half at Buck Shaw Stadium. The San Jose Earthquakes tied Real Salt Lake 3-3. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

My second game covering for MLSM, and already I’m two for two in the “last-second tie for the home team” category.

After a thrilling 90 minutes at Buck Shaw Stadium, the pace in the San Jose vs Real Salt Lake match kicked up a notch in stoppage time, with the Quakes relentless in their attack. The persistent offensive effort paid off in the 95th minute of the match, when Shaun Francis lobbed a pass into the box, bouncing off an awaiting Alan Gordon (who battled for position with RSL keeper Nick Rimando) to Victor Bernardez, who buried it to send the San Jose faithful home quite content.

San Jose took control of the game early when Chris Wondolowski struck first for the Quakes in the 6th minute. However, Real Salt Lake responded with a vengeance throughout the first half, putting home three goals of their own courtesy of Kyle Beckerman (11′), Joao Plata (32′), and Luke Mulholland (45’+4′). RSL also held dominant ball possession throughout the game, with an overall possession rate of 55%.

But it was the sheer tenacity of three particular Quakes players that allowed them to secure this last-second tie on home field:

• Chris Wondolowski: One of the best forwards in MLS, and he didn’t disappoint in this game. He scored the critical first goal in the game, and was a continuous offensive force throughout, tipping balls towards the net with his foot and head while also making a few decent passing plays.
• Shea Salinas: He was making plays all night, and came away with 2 assists for his efforts. He was ducking and diving around RSL defenders all over the pitch, getting balls into those critical areas in and around the box for prime scoring chances.
• Victor Bernardez: Not only did he score the game-tying goal, but also the goal before that, AND assisted on Wondolowski’s opening tally. A brace and an assist is great for any player, let alone a centerback.

Both keepers had busy nights as well, with Jon Busch making 5 saves and Nick Rimando with 7. While Rimando only had two more saves than Busch, he had to face shots of much better quality, and is one of the main reasons why RSL was able to hold down the fort in the first half (even after dinging up his back at the 22 minute mark). It should be noted that both keepers had strong showings, and that none of the goals were due to any major gaffes on their part.

Another player that should receive notice is Joao Plata, who assisted on Beckerman’s goal and scored one himself 20 minutes later. For a guy who was questionable to start for the team during the pre-season, he has already started to make a name for himself after scoring the game winner during last week’s contest against Los Angeles. Definitely keep an eye on this young man as the season progresses.

I’m going to try to end my game recaps from now on with a feature called the “Unsung Game Hero” (UGH for short) in an effort to draw attention to a player who may not show up on the stat sheet, but still did something important and/or remarkable for his club during the match. This week, the UGH goes to Real Salt Lake defender Chris Wingert. At the 53 minute mark, Wondolowski takes a free kick that is blocked by the RSL wall. The ball bounces back to Wondolowski for a second opportunity and wails it towards the net. Wingert then steps in front to block it… and it hits him right in the pebbles. He was (understandably) down on the ground in pain after the ball was cleared out of the box, and play had to be stopped so he could be attended to. Wingert literally put his walnuts on the line in order to block a shot that was heading on net, and that, my friends, is true dedication to defense, and deserves some recognition.