Metric boots and maple syrup.

After a road win at Dallas, and a tie in the second home game against Seattle, the Quakes went into Game 4 hoping for their first home win.   This week’s opposition, Toronto FC, came to town hoping to confuse us with their metric boots, shirts that smelled of maple syrup and dollar bills with pictures of Queen Elizabeth on them. 

Once the sun went down the air turned crisp, and the game got underway with a subdued atmosphere.  The supporters’ section behind the goal was absent the usual raucousness of the 1906 Ultras.  I won't weigh in here - the Ultras have already published why they were seated and quiet in protest instead of standing and singing.  I will say that the atmosphere at the game was noticeably diminished.

In an all too familiar scenario for home games of the 2011 season, the Quakes went down by a goal, this time on a defensive mix up in the 27^th minute.  TFC’s Alan Gordon scored the goal, but perhaps Quakes midfielder Sam Cronin might have been awarded the assist with the errant back pass.  Once again, San Jose came from behind ten minutes later with a beautifully choreographed equalizer from Simon Dawkins, assisted by Chris Wondolowski. Another MLS goal of the week nomination for the Quakes.  

Currently on loan from Spurs, Dawkins just looks more “British” on the ball, in the same way Darren Huckerby used to.  I haven’t figured out what exactly this “British-ness" is – my first guess is their postures are different and I believe they control the ball closer in to the body.  I wonder if the American college game, from where most of the home grown players are developed, is vastly different from the academies of the Europe that produce players like Dawkins.  Dawkins is a slightly built player with great ball skills, good speed and an awareness of his teammates’ location – despite his stature he is extremely difficult to push off the ball and is capable of withstanding some egregious manhandling (welcome to the MLS Simon!).  He is rapidly becoming a fan favorite, just as Huckerby did.

The second half saw a lot of midfield activity with the Quakes controlling a lot of the play – from where I sit I see a team much improved in midfield.  The Quakes aren’t being outplayed, but they are not executing their finishes. The closest chance was the perfect chip by Khari Stephenson, enabling a clear shot on goal for the Earthquakes by Wondo - his initial shot was placed directly at goalkeeper Stefan Frei, then Wondo failed to convert the rebound.  

It’s great to see the team’s determination to overcome a deficit, but if the Quakes are to make the playoffs again this year, they are going to have to capitalize on their improved midfield play and convert more of their chances into goals.  A few home wins would be nice for the fans too. 

Go Quakes!

A full match report can be found at Center Line Soccer here.