Chicago Fire Vs San Jose Earthquakes: 3 things we learned – San Jose soar

1. San Jose soar to Group B lead

The San Jose Earthquakes knew a win would be enough to seal first place in Group B. They didn’t let the pressure get to them and were ultimately able to get the job done.

After getting a solid point against the Seattle Sounders and then beating the Vancouver Whitecaps in dramatic fashion, the stage was set to finish things versus Chicago. It was tense early on as neither side wanted to make the first mistake. However, like most games in this tournament, the pace of play picked up in the second half.

San Jose were that little bit more organized and well-structured. They were better in possession, moved the ball forward with purpose, and created the better chances. The opening goal came courtesy of some decent build-up play, with Espinoza making no mistake with the finish, before Wondolowski was left wide open in the box to easily head past a helpless goalkeeper.

Now, Matias Almeyda and his team have their eyes set on the knockout stages. It’s unclear who they’ll be up against, but regardless of the opposition, they will fancy their chances considering how well they played in the group stage.