Quakes extend unbeaten streak to six, Chofis scores fourth MLS goal
PORTLAND, Ore. – The San Jose Earthquakes earned a 1-1 draw against the Portland Timbers on Wednesday night at Providence Park. The draw sees the Quakes extend their unbeaten streak to six, the second longest active streak in MLS, with five of those matches being played on the road. San Jose has now earned at least one point in five straight road matches for the first time since 2012, while scoring first in each of them.
San Jose opened the scoring in the 24th minute. Cristian Espinoza sent a cross from the right wing, which goalkeeper Steve Clark intercepted but couldn’t contain, falling to Chofis for a tap-in.
Portland then found the equalizer just moments before halftime. Yimmi Chara centered a corner kick which was headed by Bill Tuiloma and found Felipe Mora at the back post for the close-range finish.
The chippy match saw nine cards handed out, including eight after the 85th minute. Timbers midfielder Diego Chara received two yellow cards in a two-minute span in second-half stoppage time, forcing Portland to play out the final few minutes with 10 men.
The Earthquakes will now return to San Jose to host LAFC on Saturday, Aug 8, presented by Unilever. The match kicks off from PayPal Park at 4:00 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Bay Area, KNBR 1050 and 1370 KZSF.
GAME NOTES
The Earthquakes now hold a 4-7-6 record (18 pts.) during the 2021 MLS regular season and are currently in 10th place in the Western Conference.
The Quakes extended their unbeaten streak to six matches (1-0-5). It marks the club’s first unbeaten stretch of 6+ matches since May-June 2019 (4-0-2).
San Jose is unbeaten in five consecutive road matches (1-0-4). It marks the team’s longest unbeaten run as visitors since the final four road matches of the 2012 season (3-0-1).
The Quakes earned their first point at Providence Park since Sept. 7, 2014, snapping an eight-game losing streak at the venue.
The Quakes are now 5-14-9 all-time vs. Portland, including a 0-10-4 record on the road.
Midfielder Chofis scored his fourth goal of the season and of his MLS career.
Midfielder Jackson Yueill entered the match as a substitute, playing 44 minutes. It marked his first appearance with the Quakes since July 3 due to international duty with the United States Men’s National Team.
MLS Regular Season
Portland Timbers 1 – 1 San Jose Earthquakes
Aug. 4, 2021 – Providence Park in Portland, Ore.
Attendance: 22,233
Michelob Man of the Match: Judson
Scoring Summary: SJ – Chofis (unassisted) 24, POR – Felipe Mora (Bill Tuiloma, Yimmi Chara) 45+6.
Misconduct Summary: POR – Josecarlos Van Rankin (caution) 29; POR – Eryk Williamson (caution) 85; POR – Diego Chara (caution) 90+2; POR – Diego Chara (ejection) 90+3; SJ – Shea Salinas (caution) 90+6; POR – Sebastian Blanco (caution) 90+6; SJ – Nathan (caution) 90+8; SJ – Marcos Lopez (caution) 90+9; POR – Larrys Mabiala (caution) 90+10.
PORTLAND TIMBERS: Steve Clark (Aljaz Ivacic 40); Josecarlos Van Rankin, Claudio Bravo, Bill Tuiloma, Larrys Mabiala; George Fochive (Diego Valeri 82), Diego Chara, Cristhian Paredes (Eryk Williamson 46), Yimmi Chara, Dairon Asprilla (Sebastian Blanco 60); Felipe Mora.
Substitutes not used: Blake Bodily, Pablo Bonilla, Marvin Loria, Renzo Zambrano, Dario Zuparic.
SHOTS: 21; SHOTS ON GOAL: 4; FOULS: 17; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 7
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: JT Marcinkowski; Tanner Beason, Oswaldo Alanis (Carlos Fierro 83), Nathan, Luciano Abecasis (Marcos Lopez 73); Shea Salinas, Judson, Florian Jungwirth (Andy Rios 82), Cristian Espinoza (Chris Wondolowski 82), Chofis (Jackson Yueill 46); Cade Cowell.
Substitutes not used: Siad Haji, Paul Marie, Jack Skahan, Daniel Vega.
SHOTS: 13; SHOTS ON GOAL: 8; FOULS: 11; CORNER KICKS: 4; SAVES: 3
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH MATIAS ALMEYDA
On the point earned against the Portland Timbers:
“I want to thank the players for the devotion that they had. We’ve changed quite a bit and we have improved a lot. I think the tie occurred when time was up in the first half. That’s not a justification. We played a great game against a great opponent at a place where it is not easy to play. We are showing that character that we have always looked for. Like this, the team is very competitive.”
On the buildup to the goal:
“It makes me very happy for the players and for the whole team. Our intention is for everyone to run and play. That goal reflects our intentions. We want every player at San Jose to identify with the style. Those goals are always a prize. I think we’ve had similar instances in which we controlled the match but were just missing the finish that could have potentially won us the match tonight.”
On facing LAFC on Sunday:
“Every opponent we face is challenging. In fact, the teams that we are up against are the teams that are above us. LAFC is a team that has defeated us many times. We can’t look at what they have been doing, we have to see what we can do against them.”
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES MIDFIELDER JACKSON YUEILL
On the instructions he received from Matias Almeyda before entering the match and overall impression of the result:
“It’s been a while. It’s nice to be back with the team and with the group and it’s nice to be playing again with everyone. When I came in, [Matias] told me to do what I normally do, get comfortable again, get familiar with the team again and try to bring some energy and calmness to the game. Just go out there and play and get reacquainted with everyone. It’s fun to be back with everyone and I think the tie on the road is a good point.”
On his experience at the Concacaf Gold Cup and keeping up with them while he was away:
“The experience was unbelievable, especially winning. It was so cool to be with that group. We came off the Nations League win, which was really special and this one is just as special or more because of the way we did it and the length of the tournament and how cool and how much it meant to everyone going there. I had a lot of great memories from the camp, a lot of good experiences. I’m happy to come away with a trophy at the end. Watching and supporting from afar was difficult because I obviously wanted to be with the team and with the guys, but they did fantastic. They had a couple of hard road games in which they fought really well and showed a lot of bravery and heart. I think that’s important. The team is getting stronger, and you can see that from afar. Being here today, you can see the fight and desire to get back up in the standings is there and it’s really impressive to see from the team.”
