San Jose Earthquakes Vs Chicago Fire: Winners and losers – Wondolowski breaks record

Winner: Shea Salinas and Cristian Espinoza

Wondolowski will rightly take all the headlines for this performance but tribute must also be paid to the architects of San Jose’s brilliant play on Saturday: Shea Salinas and Cristian Espinoza.

Both midfielders notched an assist each while Salinas and Espinoza were substituted late on with 92 and 93 per cent pass completion rates, respectively – the two highest pass completion rates of the game.

Between them, the pair made eight of San Jose’s 15 key passes and were responsible for 12 of their side’s 21 completed dribbles against Chicago. The Fire never got to grips with Salinas and Espinoza’s speed of thought, movement or directness and the pair cut through Paunovic’s midfield and defence like a knife through butter. Saying that, butter probably would have resisted the onslaught more.

If these two can keep up this kind of service to the forwards, the Earthquakes may just be in the playoff mix come the end of the regular season.