Earthquakes Weekly Update: August 29, 2016

The San Jose Earthquakes take a break from MLS action this week to face Liga MX powerhouse Pachuca in an international friendly on Saturday, Sept. 3 at Avaya Stadium. The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. PT and constitutes Bonus Game B for Quakes season ticket holders. 

Last Saturday, Aug. 27, the Earthquakes suffered a 2-0 road defeat at the hands of Columbus Crew SC. Quakes' rookie goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell made his MLS debut in the match, replacing David Bingham in the 45th minute. Recently signed forward Henok Goitom also earned his first MLS start after making his Earthquakes debut last week against the Houston Dynamo.

THIS WEEK

Earthquakes Schedule for the Week of 8/29/16

All training sessions are closed to the public. If you would lik   e to attend a training session, please contact Jake Pisani at jpisani@sjearthquakes.com. Media must be escorted to the Earthquakes Training Facility by a member of the team's media relations department. Please do not go out to the training field unattended. 

Tuesday, Aug. 30 - 10:15 a.m. - Training at Earthquakes Training Facility

Wednesday, Aug. 31 - Off 

Thursday, Sept. 1 - 10:15 a.m. - Training at Earthquakes Training Facility

Friday, Sept. 2 - 10:15 a.m. - Training at Earthquakes Training Facility

Saturday, Sept. 3 - 7:30 p.m. PT - Earthquakes vs. Pachuca - Avaya Stadium

Sunday, Sept. 4 - Off 

OPPONENT INFORMATION

Pachuca Scouting Report

Pachuca plays in Liga MX, the top professional league in Mexico, where they are currently second on the league table with a 4-2-1 record. Founded by British miners in 1901, Pachuca is one of the oldest football clubs in the Americas. They are the reigning league champions after defeating Monterrey 2-1 in the Clausura 2016 tournament. The championship marked the club's sixth career title, which ranks seventh all-time in the league. Since 1998, Pachuca has also won four CONCACAF Champions' Cups along with the 2007 SuperLiga. The club was also the first CONCACAF team to win a CONMEBOL tournament.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

All-Time in Friendlies 

San Jose is 10-8-8 all-time in friendlies, including an undefeated 7-0-4 record in their last 11 matches. The Quakes haven't lost a friendly match since falling 3-1 to the Canadian National Team at Spartan Stadium on June 5, 2004.

Meeting Again 

The Earthquakes and Pachuca previously met in 2002 in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup. San Jose fell 3-0 on April 17, 2002 at Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca before rebounding with a 1-0 victory at Spartan Stadium one week later.

South of the Border 

The Quakes are 2-8-4 against clubs from Mexico all-time, including a 1-5-3 record in friendlies.

Just the Second 

Saturday's matchup is the Quakes' second-ever international friendly at Avaya Stadium. The Earthquakes defeated Real Sociedad 2-1 in the stadium's first friendly on May 18, 2016.

Rookie Debut 

Rookie goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell made his MLS debut against Columbus Crew SC last Saturday, entering as a substitute for David Bingham in the 45th minute.

Goitom Joins Starting XI 

Henok Goitom earned his first MLS start against Crew SC after making his debut with the Earthquakes on Friday, Aug. 19 against the Houston Dynamo at Avaya Stadium.

Francis Earns 50th Starting Nod Shaun Francis made his 50th start with the Quakes on Saturday against Columbus.

Imperiale Returns to Fold On Saturday, Andres Imperiale earned his first start since the Quakes 1-0 victory against Sporting Kansas City on April 24.

On the Leaderboard

Among the Earthquakes that rank near the top in various statistical categories in MLS are:
David Bingham - 75.5 saves percentage (4th in MLS)
David Bingham - 83 saves (6th in MLS)
David Bingham - 1.10 goals against average (7th in MLS)
David Bingham - 6 shutouts (t-5th in MLS)

Earthquakes Part Ways with General Manager John Doyle

The San Jose Earthquakes announced that they have parted ways with general manager John Doyle effective immediately. Technical director Chris Leitch has been named interim general manager, while head coach Dominic Kinnear and the coaching staff will continue in their roles.

Six Earthquake Players Called to National Teams for FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

El Salvador 

San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Darwin Ceren will join the El Salvador National Team as they attempt to advance to Round 5 in FIFA World Cup qualifying from Group A by finishing as one of the top two teams. 

El Salvador is currently in last place in Group A (2 pts; 0-2-2), behind Mexico (12; 4-0-0), Honduras (4; 1-2-1) and Canada (4; 1-2-1). After hosting group leaders Mexico at Estadio Cuscatlan in San Salvador on Friday, Sept. 2 (7 p.m. PT), El Salvador closes out group play against Canada at BC Place in Vancouver on Tuesday, Sept. 6 (7 p.m. PT). 

Jamaica 

San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Simon Dawkins and defender Shaun Francis have been called to the Jamaica National Team for a series of FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

Jamaica is currently in third place in Group B (4; 1-2-1), trailing Costa Rica (10; 3-0-1) and Panama (7; 2-1-1) and ahead of Haiti (1; 0-3-1). Jamaica will take on Panama at Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City, Panama on Friday, Sept. 2 at 6:30 p.m. PT, before hosting Haiti at Independence Park in Kingston, Jamaica on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. PT.

Panama 

Midfielder Alberto Quintero has been called up to the Panama National Team as they look to advance from Group B in FIFA World Cup qualifying.

With seven points and a 2-1-1 record, Panama currently sits in second place in Group B behind Costa Rica (10; 3-0-1) and ahead of Jamaica (4; 1-2-1) and Haiti (0; 0-3-0). Panama will end group play with matches against Jamaica at Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City on Friday, Sept. 2 (6:30 p.m. PT) and Costa Rica at Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica on Tuesday, Sept. 6 (6:30 p.m. PT).

Trinidad and Tobago 

Earthquakes midfielder Cordell Cato will represent Trinidad and Tobago in FIFA World Cup qualifiers. 

Trinidad and Tobago currently lead Group C with 10 points and a 3-0-1 record, ahead of the U.S.A. (7; 2-1-1), Guatemala (6; 2-2-0) and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (0; 0-4-0). T&T closes out Round 4 with matches against Guatemala at Hasely Crawford Stadium in Port of Spain, Trinidad on Friday, Sept. 2 at 4 p.m. PT, and against the United States at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 5:15 p.m. PT.

U.S.A. 

Quakes forward Chris Wondolowski was among 27 players named to the United States Men's National Team roster by head coach Jurgen Klinsmann for a pair of decisive World Cup Qualifying matches against St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago. The first contest takes place at Arnos Vale Stadium in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Friday, Sept. 2 (12:30 p.m. PT, beIN SPORT), followed by the second match against T&T on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida (5 p.m. PT, FS1/UniMas). 

Santa Cruz County FC Revolution 03 Reign Victorious in Best Game Ever Santa Cruz County FC Revolution 03 girls defeated Tracy-Patterson Tigers U-12 girls 4-0 at Avaya Stadium Saturday, Aug. 27 in the 'Best Game Ever'. Lily Montesinos scored a brace while Daniela Alfaro and Tara Biakanja each notched a goal in the victory. 

Both teams arrived at Avaya Stadium on Saturday expecting a stadium tour, but were surprised with an MLS experience, including locker room access, a public address announcer and a running video board. Quakes players Bryan Meredith and Marc Pelosi served as guest coaches.

Earthquakes Part Ways with General Manager John Doyle

 SAN JOSE, California -- The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that they have parted ways with general manager John Doyle effective immediately. Technical director Chris Leitch has been named interim general manager, while head coach Dominic Kinnear and the coaching staff will continue in their roles.

"I would like to express my sincere thanks to John for his nine years of service with the team as general manager," Earthquakes President Dave Kaval said. "He was an outstanding leader who helped relaunch the Earthquakes in 2007. We will be forever grateful for his contributions to the San Jose Earthquakes. We wish John the best of luck in his future endeavors."

Kaval continued, "At this time, we feel that the organization needs a fresh approach to our soccer operations. We believe that we have the players and coaching staff that can make a run at the playoffs and we are fully behind their efforts."

Doyle was named the general manager of the Earthquakes on Oct. 3, 2007. He was part of the core team that reestablished the Quakes after the team's return from a two-year hiatus. Under Doyle's leadership, the team made the playoffs two times and captured the Supporters' Shield with the best regular season record in MLS in 2012.

Doyle has also been a player, assistant coach and television color analyst for the Earthquakes. In 2005, he was the inaugural member of the San Jose Earthquakes Hall of Fame.

"I want to thank the Earthquakes ownership group and Dave Kaval for their support during my time at the Quakes," said Doyle. "I also want to thank the players, the coaches and front office staff for all their hard work every day to make this organization better. I also want to recognize the great fans in San Jose and around the Bay Area that have always been loyal to this club. I wish the team and the organization the best of luck the rest of this year and into the future. I want to see this club succeed more than anyone."

Undefeated rising contender David "El Bandera Roja" Benavidez

 

Undefeated rising contender David "El Bandera Roja" Benavidez(16-0, 15 KOs) knocked out Denis Douglin (20-5, 13 KOs) in the 10-round main event of Premier Boxing Champions on ESPN and ESPN Deportes from the 2300 Arena in Philadelphia.

 

Douglin, who is trained by his mother Saphya, opened the fight very aggressive, stealing the first round on all three judges' scorecards. Douglin continued to press the action, also winning the second round battle with two of the three judges, but Benavidez would soon settle in and take control of the war.

 

"I knew it was going to be a tough fight. I knew Douglin wasn't going to go out without a fight," said Benavidez. "So I came in here and started slower than I usually do, just using my jab a little bit more."

 

The 19-year-old Benavidez made the necessary corrections in round three and never looked back, chipping away throughout the fourth and fifth rounds. In the sixth, Benavidez teed off on Douglin with damaging punches to both Douglin's body and head.

 

In the seventh round, Benavidez was still having his way when one of the top turnbuckles gave out, causing the ropes on one side of the ring to collapse, and stopping the fight momentarily. When the action resumed, Douglin came forward with a flurry, but that burst of energy was short-lived.

 

Benavidez regained control in the eighth round, and in the ninth he scored the only knockdown of the fight. In the tenth and final frame, Benavidez threw a barrage of punches, several of which buckled Douglin, causing referee Gary Rosato to intervene and stop the fight at :35 into the round.

 

When asked about Douglin's resilience, Benavidez said, "I hurt him a lot of times, but I kept my cool. I knew I was going to get him out of there sooner or later and that's exactly what I did tonight. This is a good victory for me. Douglin is a tough veteran. He started fast and swinging wildly, and his offense probably looked better on-camera than it was, but he did what he had to do to survive until the final round."

 

Benavidez continued, "It was important to me to get the stoppage and show everybody that I am just as strong in the late rounds as I am early on. I love this. This is what I signed up for. I want tough fights."

 

A disappointed Douglin said, "I was in this fight, I just got winded. I was in great shape and everything, but I got winded there towards the end. Benavidez is a tough, young fighter. He was able to make me stay in there longer than I wanted to, but I feel good and I'll be back."

 

Benavidez concluded, "Right now, I would like to say that I don't think about who's next. I'm just trying to progress in my career and I'm not trying to call anybody out. But if I do dream about fighting anybody, it would be whoever is the champion at my weight. I'm going to work hard to get to that spot." 

 

Televised coverage began with exciting undefeated contender Alejandro "El Charro" Luna (21-0, 15 KOs) defeating Philadelphia prospect Naim Nelson (13-2, 1 KO) by unanimous decision (99-91, 98-92, 97-93) in a ten-round bout fought at a catch weight of 144 lbs.

 

Nelson, who stepped up to face Luna on only 24-hours notice, tried to bring the fight to Luna in the early rounds and make it a physical contest on the inside.

 

Despite Luna landing a couple of blistering uppercuts in the second and third rounds, Nelson still came forward. Luna later said, "Nelson was a tough guy and could bang a little bit."

 

By the close of the third round, Luna's left eye appeared to be swelling badly, but luckily for Luna Nelson's gas tank appeared to drain just in time. Although Nelson was all aggression and wanted to fight in a phone booth early on, he found himself landing fewer punches and looking to create distance in the middle rounds.

 

Luna soon took over the action, and in the seventh round a cut opened on Nelson's forward, but was quickly controlled by his corner. Nevertheless, Luna had done enough damage in the middle stages of the scrap and was able coast to a unanimous victory on the scorecards.

 

"Obviously we prepared for another opponent, but I felt I had a solid performance against him," said Luna. "Nelson came to fight and was in shape, and I thought I handled him pretty well, but I know I can still do better."

 

When asked about taking the fight on short notice Nelson said, "I make no excuses, but we took this fight at 9 p.m. last night and I knew I was stepping up to face a tough opponent. I didn't get the decision, but I felt good in there tonight, and I proved I can compete with a world class fighter.

 

Nelson added, "Luna is a good puncher and he's strong. I won't take anything away from him. We fought a hell of a fight, and I look forward to being back soon."

 

Luna summed up the night adding, "I'm looking to build on what I did here tonight and get back in the ring soon for another good fight."

 

# # #

 

LOS MEJORES FICHAJES DEL FÚTBOL MUNDIAL

El mercado de fichajes de Fútbol siempre deja alguna sorpresa y en este 2016 podría dejar un nuevo récord por un traspaso. Paul Pogba podría convertirse en el jugador más caro de la historia del balompié mundial si el Manchester United termina de concretar la negociación por el pase del galo, a un precio de 120 millones de Euros.

A pesar que no se ha confirmado, el francés daría el gran golpe económico. No obstante,  otro que se metió entre los primeros del listado de los diez futbolistas más costosos fue el argentino Gonzalo Higuaín, que fue comprado por la Vecchia Signora por 94 millones.

Estos fueron los 10 traspasos más caros:

•  Gareth Bale (2013): El Real Madrid compró la ficha del galés al Tottenham por 101 millones de Euros.

•  Gonzalo Higuaín (2016): El delantero argentino revolucionó el mercado mundial este año tras pasar del Napoli al Juventus por 94,7 millones.

•  Cristiano Ronaldo (2009): El astro portugués fue el deseo del Real Madrid más costoso de su historia, cuando finalizó una transacción con el Manchester United por 94 millones.

•  Neymar Jr (2013): Después de ganar la Copa Libertadores con el Santos de Brasil, el futbolista brasileño fue codiciado por los grandes del mundo, pero fue Barcelona quien se desembolsilló con 88.2 millones.

•  Luis Suárez (2014) El artillero uruguayo hizo una temporada de ensueño con el Liverpool y sonó en todo el viejo continente, aunque el Barcelona lo sedujo para irse a España por 81.7 millones.

•  Ángel Di María: El argentino oriundo de Rosario conquistó la Champions de 2014 con la Casa Blanca y quiso seguir en la institución, pero el técnico no lo tomó como prioridad y lo dejo libre de irse al Manchester United por 75 millones.

•  James Rodríguez (2014): El 10 de Colombia culminó como el goleador de la Copa del Mundo de Brasil y se puso en la órbita de la élite, pero fue el Real Madrid quien le hizo un cheque al Mónaco de 75 millones para comprarlo.

  

•  Kevin de Bruyne (2014): El belga acaparó los titulares en la Bundesliga con el Wolfsburgo y el Manchestr City fue el más intereresado al pagar 74 millones.

  

•  Zinedine Zidane (2001) El francés era el objeto más anhelado del Real Madrid y se lo quitó a la Juventus por 73.5 millones.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic (2009): El delantero sueco vino de romperla al coronarse en la Champions League con el Inter y el Barcelona fue el que 

compró sus ficha por 69.5 millones.

Earthquakes Weekly Update

Foto: Luz Conde ISC

MLS All-Star Week invades San Jose starting Monday, including several events throughout the Bay Area featuring Earthquakes stars. Midfielder Tommy Thompson will highlight the Chipotle MLS Homegrown Game on Wednesday at 6 p.m., while goalkeeper David Bingham and forward Chris Wondolowski will appear with the MLS All-Stars in Thursday's AT&T MLS All-Star Game at 4:30 p.m, with both matches taking place at Avaya Stadium. Following the All-Star festivities, the Earthquakes will hit the road again for a clash with the Houston Dynamo on Sunday, July 31. The matchup kicks off at 6 p.m. and will be broadcast live on CSN California, 1370 KZSF and 1590 KLIV.

Last Friday, the Earthquakes secured a road point with a 1-1 draw against Real Salt Lake. Forward Chris Wondolowski scored his eighth goal of the season, moving into clear second in all-time goals with one club (113). His ninth-minute score marked the third quickest goal for the Quakes this season and the second time they have scored first on the road.

For a complete list of all events surrounding All-Star.

THIS WEEK

Earthquakes Schedule for the Week of 7/25/16

All training sessions are closed to the public. If you would like to attend a training session, please contact Jake Pisani at jpisani@sjearthquakes.com. Media must be escorted to the Earthquakes Training Facility by a member of the team's media relations department. Please do not go out to the training field unattended. 

Tuesday, July 26 - 10:15 a.m. - Training at Earthquakes Training Facility

Wednesday, July 27 - 10:15 a.m. - Training at Earthquakes Training Facility

Thursday, July 28 - Off

Friday, July 29 - 10:15 a.m. - Training at Earthquakes Training Facility

Saturday, July 30 - Travel to Houston

Sunday, July 31 - 6 p.m. PT - Earthquakes vs. Houston Dynamo - BBVA Compass Stadium, LIVE on CSNCA, 1590 KLIV and 1370 KZSF

OPPONENT INFORMATION

Earthquakes vs. Houston Dynamo All-Time

MLS Regular Season: 7-8-1

Home: 5-3-1 (14 GF, 9 GA)

Away: 2-5-0 (7 GF, 12 GA)

Playoffs: 0-0-0; US Open Cup: 0-0-0

All-Time Scoring: San Jose - 21, Houston - 21

Last Game vs. Houston Dynamo  

Earthquakes 3, Houston Dynamo 1; May 11, 2016; Avaya Stadium, San Jose, California The San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Houston Dynamo 3-1 at Avaya Stadium behind a trio of goals from Panamanian midfielders Alberto Quintero (two) and Anibal Godoy (one). Forward Chris Wondolowski tallied a pair of assists, marking his second career multi-assist game. The Earthquakes took the lead less than three minutes into the match. Receiving a feed from Dawkins, Wondolowski sent a low cross to Quintero, who got just enough on the ball to slip it past Houston goalkeeper Tyler Deric. Houston leveled just before halftime on a long-range strike by midfielder Ricardo Clark. Defender Agus took a shot that was punched out of the box by Earthquakes goalkeeper David Bingham. The loose ball fell to Clark, who drilled a one-timer into the corner of the net. The Quakes retook the lead five minutes into the second half. Quintero and Godoy, who are also teammates on the Panama National Team, combined on a give-and-go, sending Godoy in alone on the keeper. He calmly slotted his left-footed strike into the back of the net for his first goal of the season. San Jose doubled their advantage in the 70th minute. Shielding his defender from the ball with his back to goal, Wondolowski found Quintero unmarked at the back post. Quintero quickly redirected the pass goal-ward and into the net. Houston went down to 10 men in the 79th minute, when Deric impeded Dawkins' path to a loose ball. Having already used all three substitutes, defender Jalil Anibaba stepped in to play the final 11 minutes in goal.

History of the Quakes - Houston Dynamo Rivalry The history of the Earthquakes-Dynamo rivalry pre-dates their first meeting on the field, as the original San Jose Earthquakes moved to Houston following the 2005 season, with MLS eventually returning to San Jose in 2008 ... The first meeting between the two clubs came on May 22, 2008, when the Earthquakes edged the Dynamo, 2-1, at Buck Shaw Stadium on the strength of second-half goals by Kei Kamara and Ivan Guerrero ... On Sept. 13, 2008, the Earthquakes and Dynamo battled to the lone tie in the all-time series between the two clubs, a 1-1 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium ... Later that season on Oct. 15, the Dynamo handed the Earthquakes a 2-1 defeat at Robertson Stadium ... In 2009, the Earthquakes and Dynamo split the season series, with the Earthquakes winning 3-2 at Buck Shaw on March 28, and the Dynamo earning a 3-1 victory on May 23 at Robertson ... With a 2-1 triumph over Houston at Robertson on Sept. 5, 2010, San Jose became the first of the two clubs to record a win on the road, as Earthquakes midfielder Khari Stephenson and former forward Geovanni each scored the first goals of their MLS careers ... Houston returned the favor with a 1-0 decision at Buck Shaw on Oct. 16, 2010 ... On June 4, 2011, San Jose earned a 2-0 home victory, the second-half goals coming from Steven Lenhart and Simon Dawkins ... At the end of 2011, the Dynamo produced a come-from-behind 2-1 win in Houston on Sept. 17 ... In 2012, the Houston Dynamo picked up a 1-0 victory thanks to a Brian Ching first-half penalty at AT&T Park in San Francisco on St. Patrick's Day, March 17 ... Houston won the two teams' first meeting at BBVA Compass Stadium 2-0 on March 30, 2013 thanks to goals from Will Bruin and Giles Barnes ... San Jose routed Houston in a 3-0 victory on May 25, 2014 at Buck Shawn Stadium in Santa Clara, CA ... With the help of a second half goal by forward Adam Jahn, the Earthquakes defeated the Dynamo 1-0 on May 5, 2015 at BVAA Compass Stadium ... In their second meeting of the season, the Quakes fell to the Dynamo 2-0 at Avaya Stadium on July 10 ... The Earthquakes fell to the Dynamo 2-1 in their final clash of 2015 at BVAA Compass Stadium ... The Quakes routed Houston 3-1 at Avaya Stadium on May 11, 2016 behind Alberto Quintero's brace.

Earthquakes - Houston Dynamo Connections Following the 2005 MLS season, the San Jose Earthquakes relocated to Houston as the Houston Dynamo ... The Earthquakes (2001, 2003) and Dynamo (2006, 2007) each have a pair of MLS Cup championships, with only D.C. United (4) and the LA Galaxy (5) having earned more MLS titles ... Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear coached the Houston Dynamo for nine seasons from 2006 to 2014 ... Dynamo assistant coach Wade Barrett played for San Jose from 1998-02, and again in 2005, and still ranks among the club's all-time leaders in several statistical categories, including fifth in appearances (142) ... San Jose forward Chris Wondolowski played for the Dynamo from 2006-09, scoring four goals in 37 games ... Quakes midfielder Tommy Thompson (2013) and Dynamo forward Will Bruin (2008-10) both played at Indiana University ... Houston's Tyler Deric made his MLS debut with Houston vs. San Jose on Oct. 16, 2010, making three saves to post his first career shutout and the first in league play for the Dynamo since July 10, 2010, breaking a streak of 12 games without a shutout ... Houston's Ricardo Clark was a member of the Earthquakes in 2005, appearing in 30 games, starting all but two of the appearances, and scored three goal ... Quakes defender Victor Bernardez and Houston midfielder Oscar Boniek Garcia represented Honduras in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil ... Dynamo forward Giles Barnes as well as Quakes defender Jordan Stewart and midfielder Simon Dawkins are all from England ... Quakes forward Mark Sherrod made nine appearances for Houston in 2014 and scored two goals ... Earthquakes midfielder Matheus Silva and Dynamo midfielder Alex were both born in Sao Paulo, Brazil ... Houston midfielders Cristian Maidana and  Leonel Miranda as well as San Jose defender Andres Imperiale and midfielder Matias Perez Garcia are all from Argentina ... Dynamo defender Jalil Anibaba is from Fontana, California and went to Santa Clara University (2007-09) ... Anibaba and Earthquakes forward Chad Barrett were teammates on Seattle Sounders FC in 2014 ... Earthquakes defender Kofi Sarkodie made 98 appearances and tallied 10 assists for Houston from 2011-15 before being traded to San Jose earlier this season.

EARTHQUAKES IN THE COMMUNITY

Earthquakes players will be making several appearances during MLS All-Star Week. For information on where you can meet the Quakes, you can visit.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

Slight Edge vs. Houston The Earthquakes are 3-2-0 in their last five games against the Dynamo, including a 1-0 win at BBVA Compass Stadium on May 5, 2015.

Kinnear in Familiar Territory Dominic Kinnear coached Houston from 2006-14, winning two MLS Cups in 2006 and 2007 and amassing a 152-116-107 record during that time. Since joining the Quakes in 2015, he has led the club to a 2-2-0 record against his former team.

Getting on the Board First Chris Wondolowski's goal in the ninth minute marked the second time the Earthquakes have scored first on the road this season (April 9, 2016 vs. FC Dallas).

A Tale of Eight Quakes No. 8 scores his eighth goal of the season after going eight games without a goal Friday night against Real Salt Lake. Wondolowski now leads all active players in MLS for scoring against RSL with eight goals.

Dawkins Joins 5,000 Club With 90 minutes played against Real Salt Lake Friday, Simon Dawkins became the latest Earthquakes player to eclipse 5,000 career MLS minutes, all with San Jose.

Wondo Climbs Another All-Time List Wondolowski is now ranked second in MLS history for goals scored for one club with 113, surpassing Landon Donovan (112) and trailing only Jamie Moreno who scored 131 for D.C. United.

Thompson Returns to the Fold Midfielder Tommy Thompson made his first appearance since June 1, entering as a substitute in the 89th minute vs. RSL.

Marvell Hits Milestone Earthquakes defender Marvell Wynne made his 50th career start with the club on Friday. He has now started at least 50 games with three different teams (Toronto FC, Colorado Rapids).

No More Than One The Earthquakes have held opponents to no more than one goal in 15 of their 20 matches this season, including nine of their last 10.

On the Leaderboard Among the Earthquakes that rank near the top in various statistical categories in MLS are:

·       David Bingham -75.0 saves percentage (5th in MLS)   

·       David Bingham - 66 saves (t-6th in MLS)

MLS Goals Since 2010 Chris Wondolowski has been by far the league's most efficient striker since 2010, leading the league in goals during that time span:

1. Chris Wondolowski - 110 goals

2. Robbie Keane - 80

3. Alvaro Saborio - 71

4. Kei Kamara - 67

5. Bradley Wright-Phillips - 56

6. Sebastien Le Toux - 55

7. Fabian Espindola - 54

8. Thierry Henry - 51

T9. Dominic Oduro - 50

T9. Will Bruin - 50

Wondolowski Continues To Climb All-Time MLS Goals List Chris Wondolowski knows how to find the back of the net. Here are the top-10 all-time goal scorers in MLS history:

1. Landon Donovan - 144 in 334 games

2. Jeff Cunningham - 134 in 365 games

3. Jaime Moreno - 133 in 340 games

4. Chris Wondolowski - 117 in 245 games

5. Ante Razov - 114 in 262 games

6. Jason Kreis - 108 in 305 games

7. Dwayne De Rosario - 104 in 343 games

8. Taylor Twellman - 101 in 174 games

9. Edson Buddle - 100 in 304 games

T10. Roy Lassiter - 88 in 179 games

T10. Carlos Ruiz - 88 in 182 games

Wondolowski Near Top Of MLS All-Time Game-Winning Goals List Chris Wondolowski has a flair for game-winning goals. Here are the top-five game-winning goal scorers in MLS history:

1. Landon Donovan - 41 in 334 games

2. Jeff Cunningham - 40 in 365 games

3. Chris Wondolowski - 38 in 245 games

4. Ante Razov - 33 in 262 games

5. Jason Kreis - 31 in 305 games

Road Goals Leaderboard Here are the top-five goal scorers on the road in MLS history:

1. Landon Donovan - 62

2. Chris Wondolowski - 59

3.Jeff Cunningham - 57

4. Ante Razov - 54 

5. Jaime Moreno - 50 

Goals for One Club Here are the top-five goal scorers with a single club in MLS history:

1. Jaime Moreno, DC - 131

2. Chris Wondolowski, SJ - 113 

3.Landon Donovan, LA - 112

4. Taylor Twellman, NE - 101 

5. Jason Kreis, DAL - 91

Earthquakes to Play Pachuca at Avaya Stadium on September 3 The San Jose Earthquakes will take on Club de Fútbol Pachuca of Liga MX at Avaya Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 3. Pachuca are the defending Liga MX Clausura champions after earning a 2-1 aggregate victory over Monterrey in May. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT.

ACADEMY UPDATE

After a thrilling 3-2 extra time win against the Fresno Fuego last Tuesday, the Burlingame Dragons FC (U-23s) concluded their season with a 3-2 loss to FC Tuscon in the PDL Western Conference Championship Semifinals on Friday. The Dragons came back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to level the match, but gave up the eventual game-winner in the 83rd minute against the number one seeded club. Burlingame finished the season with a record of 8-6-2, reaching the semifinal round for the second consecutive year.