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Despite Best Efforts, Quakes fall to Toronto FC 3-1
By Randy Leighton
July 11, 2009
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Santa Clara, CA - San Jose would return home today to face Toronto FC, looking to score some points in their play to move out of last place in the western conference. It was not to be however. Bad luck, or poor playing, whatever you want to call it, brought them a 3-1 loss.
San Jose seemed to start the first half stuck in offensive limbo, as they missed opportunities and simple pass plays. Quakes Pablo Campos had an opportunity 4 minutes into the half, but couldn't get hold of the ball and the keeper grabbed it away.
Toronto didn’t have that problem, as they were lead out of the gates by ex-Quake Dwane De Rosario and Chad Barrett, as the pair came together in the 5th minute for a goal. De Rosario would pass it across to Chad Barrett who would hit a striking right footed shot to the left side of the net and beat Cannon for his third goal of the season. These two would prove to be a potent offensive weapon throughout the night, as De Rosario connected with Barrett several times for shots on goal.
San Jose would gather its offense together and start putting a more serious pressure back onto Toronto around the 30th minute. In the 32nd minute Alvarez fired a long pass to a sprinting Johnson, using his speed and timing to break past the defenders. Unfortunately for Johnson, the defenders caught up quick and started to put serious pressure on him, making Johnson’s hopes of scoring out of the question. Johnson wasn’t done though, he fielded the ball across the line to a waiting Huckerby who fired it low and to the left net, equalizing for San Jose.
Toronto would score again 4 minutes into the second half on a high flying play, literally. Toronto kicked a free kick from the left wing, which went across the field, rebounded to Barrett. Barret flipped it up in the air in front of the net, finding Attakora who headered it up in the air closer to the net. This would find a waiting Pablo Vitti who decided to bring the airball down and he headered it into the net, as Cannon stood there confused on where the ball was going. This would put Toronto up a goal, 2-1.
San Jose had a mishap in the 69h minute, and it gave Toronto an easy goal. Toronto’s De Rosario had just fired a long clear ball up field toward his forward Chad Barrett and Quakes defender Aaron Pitchkolan. Pitchkolan just dropped to the field in pain as he started running, leaving the ball wide open for Barrett. Barrett easily put the ball around Cannon, and walked it up into the net for his second goal of the night.
San Jose would come on strong in the 80th minute, putting up 5 minutes of aggressive play that included a strong left footed Alvarez shot and a free kick outside the box, but by the time it reached the 90th minute, San Jose was looking deflated and ready to call it a night.
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