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Earthquakes get another draw in first pre-season game at Buck Shaw
By Pearl Allison Lo
March 20, 2010
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SANTA CLARA-- In their first game this season at home, the San Jose Earthquakes and Portland Timber tied 1-1, ending San Jose's streak of 4 straight games dealing their opponent a zero.
They previously earned a 0-0 draw against the Houston Dynamo.
6 hours before the game, a new collective bargaining in principle agreement was signed between Major League Soccer and the players. Voting must still go on. San Jose's coach Frank Yallop remarked, "It's great. We have a season...very happy."
Early in the game, San Jose's Ramiro Corrales received a pass from Arturo Alvarez near the front side of the net, but was stopped by Mamadou Danso.
Alvarez took a shot on goal in the 7th minute, but was stopped by Cronin and had a free kick opporunity in the 23rd minute.
San Jose's Javier Robles had a shot in the 33rd minute, but it went over the net.
In the 41st minute, the Earthquakes' Bobby Convey had a nice shot on goal and Conklin made a nice save.
The Earthquakes' Ike Opara made a sliding tackle on O.J. Obatola which got him on the ankle in the 44th minute. Afterwards, Obatola stepped to the side and Portland got a free kick.
Yallop remarked that, "maybe there was a little stage fright in the first half." A number of players were playing for the first time in front of their home crowd, including Steven Beitashour and the teams' first-round draft pick, Ike Opara. Opara's thoughts about the game was that it was a "good test tonight...Tough to judge the pitch," and he mentioned "Safety First, which Frank preaches."
An interesting incident occurred in the second half when Obatola fell on top of Beitashour. Beitashour got held a little and it seems as he was trying to get away, his elbow slipped and hit Obatola, who got Beitashour for it later.
In the 65th minute, San Jose's Cornell Glen had a goal from Corrales, but an offsides call took it away.
Glen got revenge in the 71st minute, as he scored with the help of Omar Jessey, who shocked at least 2 of the Timbers' players, who held their hands on their head in disbelief after the goal. Regarding the goal, Glen commented, he was "shooting the ball real well in practice...took the shot."
In the 80th minute, Cronin was subbed for Matt Pyzdrowski.
Off a free kick, Portland's Scot Thompson, who entered as a substitute five minutes before, scored to tie the game, also in the 80th minute. He was aided by Rodrigo Lopez, who also had come in as a substitute. Opara mentioned that the "ball hit (him) and went toward the goal."
Glen also mentioned "lack of communication, which will come in time."
Game notes: Monday 5pm EST is when the team needs to decide who they're going to keep. The Earthquakes' Andre Luiz played 75 minutes. San Jose starts the regular season Saturday, March 27 against defending champions Real Salt Lake at 6pm.
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