Minnesota United Vs San Jose Earthquakes: 3 things we learned – ‘Underdog’ Loons advance
2. San Jose struggle in transition
With the final kick of the first half, Judson received the ball on the halfway line, turned to spread the play to the opposite flank, and misaimed his pass between two teammates. Had the half-time whistle not been blown, it would have rolled out for a throw-in. Such a simple and basic technical error epitomised the San Jose Earthquakes’ night, especially in possession.
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Throughout the evening, San Jose were horribly sloppy. Loose passes, poor touches, a lack of cohesion throughout the team, the spacing of the Minnesota defence stifled their interchanging movement off the ball and forced turnovers galore. And it was from these turnovers that they created real problems for an exposed San Jose backline.
Time and again, Minnesota engineered two-on-two situations against the Earthquakes centre-backs. They often failed to take these chances, a final pass, shot or decision lacking the necessary ruthlessness and clarity, but they used the aggressive nature of the Earthquakes play and turned it against them.
As Matias Almeyda returns to California and analyses what has largely been an excellent tournament for the Earthquakes, he will have to consider how his team deals with turnovers and transitions. They will continue to concede vast amounts if they do not improve in this area.