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Vancouver Whitecaps – Recap and Takeaways vs. San Jose Earthquakes

By Gareth Wolff

Mar 11, 2017; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Anibal Godoy (30) on his knees surrounded by teammates after scoring a goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the second half at Avaya Stadium. The San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 11, 2017; San Jose, CA, USA; San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Anibal Godoy (30) on his knees surrounded by teammates after scoring a goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the second half at Avaya Stadium. The San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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San Jose Earthquakes won their second-straight home match to start the MLS season, as they came back from 2-0 down against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The San Jose Earthquakes were handed two straight home matches against Canadian opposition to start the 2017 MLS season. The Quakes took full advantage, with a 1-0 win over Montreal Impact last week and a 3-2 comeback win against the Vancouver Whitecaps this week. Here we recap the match action.

Bright Start for the Caps

The Whitecaps made five changes from the season opener against Philadelphia, with one eye on Tuesday’s CONCACAF Champions League semifinal in Mexico. SuperDraft pick Jake Nerwinski and homegrown Ben McKendry both made their first MLS starts for Vancouver.

Despite the changes, the Caps started brightly, pressing the San Jose defense. In only the second minute, Erik Hurtado took advantage of a defensive mix-up to volley into the net.

Fifteen minutes later, Hurtado turned provider, with a tidy turn and pass to cue up Nicolás Mezquida. Mezquida, making his first start since signing a contract extension, took full advantage to double Vancouver’s lead.

Turning Point: Ousted Red-Carded

At that point, it looked like Vancouver were cruising. But a turning point was not far away. In the 22nd minute, Christian Dean and Kendall Waston got their wires crossed, allowing Chris Wondolowski to break. David Ousted rushed recklessly out of his box, missed the ball, but tripped Wondo. Drew Fischer did not hesitate with the red card.

Forced to bring on Paolo Tornaghi to replace the ousted Ousted, Whitecaps coach Carl Robinson sacrificed Nicolás Mezquida, one of Vancouver’s best performers in the first 20 minutes. A man down and without Mezquida, the Whitecaps withdrew into defense. San Jose pulled one back soon after, with Wondolowski the man of the hour.

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