in what could be a vital game for both clubs. The Quakes put an end to their eight-game winless run two weeks ago, and are looking to make a charge up the packed Western Conference. The Revolution still lead the East after losing to Chicago last weekend in their first league game in more than a month, but have seen their lead whittled to just a single point.
REFEREE: Shane Moody. SAR (bench): Craig Lowry; JAR (opposite): David Bragg; 4th: Richard HeronMLS Career: 7 games; FC/gm: 30.7; Y/gm: 4.9; R: 3; pens: 1
INJURY REPORT: SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES - OUT: FW Gavin Glinton (R adductor strain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Ned Grabavoy (R groin surgery) ... NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION - OUT: FW Kheli Dube (R groin strain); DOUBTFUL: FW Abdoulie Mansally (R ankle sprain); QUESTIONABLE: FW Taylor Twellman (L hip strain); PROBABLE: MF Wells Thompson (illness); GK Doug Warren (R ankle sprain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: SJ: Ryan Cochrane (eight cautions; through Aug. 17) ... NE: Shalrie Joseph (through Aug. 17)
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: SJ: Ramiro Corrales, Jason Hernandez ... NE: Amaechi Igwe, Jeff Larentowicz, Sainey Nyassi
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: SJ: Eric Denton, James Riley ... NE: Jay Heaps
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (28 meetings): Earthquakes 15 wins (0 shootout), 54 goals ... Revolution 9 wins (2 shootout), 39 goals ... Ties 4
AT SAN JOSE (13 meetings): Earthquakes 6 wins (0 shootout), 28 goals ... Revolution 4 wins (2 shootout), 21 goals ... Ties 3
This is the second of two meetings between the clubs this year, the Revolution's first-ever appearance at Buck Shaw Stadium.
The Revolution's victory in the first meeting this season was their first in the series since July 22, 2000, the last of four meetings that season. The Revs' last home victory in the series had also come earlier that year, on June 10, as the win in April ended a span of seven matches without a victory at home for New England against San Jose.
When the teams had last met, in 2005, the Earthquakes' last year in MLS, the teams played to a draw in the first meeting, in San Jose, before the Quakes took a 2-0 victory at Gillette Stadium. That win extended San Jose's unbeaten run against New England to 12 matches, dating back to the 2001 season.
Coaches record: Frank Yallop vs. NE: P13 W9 L3 D1 ... Steve Nicol v SJ: P10 W1 L6 D3
LAST MEETING (MLS):
5/17: NE 2, SJ 0 (Dube 6; own goal 23)
The Revolution defeated the Earthquakes for the first time with Steve Nicol as head coach, a comprehensive 2-0 victory May 17 at Gillette Stadium.
The Revolution were two goals to the good before the match was a quarter old. In the sixth minute, Steve Ralston drove in a low free kick from the right and it skimmed off the bottom of Shalrie Joseph's boot, holding it just enough for Kheli Dube to sweep in behind and thump it into the net for his first professional goal.
Calamity then struck as the lead doubled in the 23rd minute. A free ball was bouncing behind the Earthquakes backline and as Joe Cannon came off his line to collect, former Revolution defender James Riley - on his return to his one-time home - tried to head the ball back to his 'keeper, but instead powered it high over his head and into the goal.
The Earthquakes were kept without a shot on goal for the entire match until the 90th minute. They went close in the game's final minute, but Ramiro Corrales saw his drive ring off the crossbar.
Here's Nicol's team (3-4-1-2): Matt Reis - Chris Albright, Michael Parkhurst, Jay Heaps -Wells Thompson (Sainey Nyassi 62), Shalrie Joseph, Jeff Larentowicz, Mauricio Castro (Khano Smith 77) - Steve Ralston - Kheli Dube, Kenny Mansally (Adam Cristman 87). Substitutes Not Used: Argenis Fernandez, Gary Flood, Amaechi Igwe, Doug Warren
Here's Yallop's team (4-4-1-1): Joe Cannon - James Riley (Shea Salinas 57), Ryan Cochrane, Jason Hernandez, Eric Denton - Ronnie O'Brien (Ryan Johnson 46), Ramiro Corrales, Joe Vide, Ivan Guerrero (John Cunliffe 82) - Ned Grabavoy - Kei Kamara. Substitutes Not Used: Preston Burpo, Nick Garcia, Matt Hatzke, Jamil Roberts
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
The San Jose Earthquakes won for the first time in nearly two months, putting an end to their eight-game winless run with a dramatic 3-2 victory against the LA Galaxy in the California Clasico in their last match, Aug. 3 at McAfee Coliseum. The Quakes still sit in seventh place in the Western Conference with 18 points from 19 games, three behind the Colorado Rapids.
LAST MATCH
The Earthquakes came into the game riding an eight-game winless streak, though they had draws in their last three. The Galaxy hadn't won in six games, since a 3-0 defeat of San Jose on June 14.
The Quakes' latest attacking addition put his stamp on the game after just eight minutes. Acquired from FC Dallas during the week, one-time San Jose draft pick Arturo Alvarez completed a nice combination between Darren Huckerby and Scott Sealy -- two more of the club's recent additions -- with a cool finish as he bent a left-footed shot past Galaxy goalkeeper Steve Cronin inside the right post.
Huckerby then doubled the Earthquakes' lead in the 40th minute. Racing down the left flank, he rounded a fallen defender and cut into the area, lashing a sharply angled drive that got through Cronin and nestled inside the far post for his second goal in as many games since coming to MLS.
But it took the Galaxy just two minutes to respond. Donovan put a header of a David Beckham free kick off the bar, but when the Earthquakes couldn't clear, they had another chance. This time Beckham curled in a pinpoint from the right corner and Donovan rose up to head home from the top of the six, his 13th goal on the season.
With 14 minutes to play, Buddle pulled the visitors level. Latching onto a ball outside the San Jose penalty area, he skipped through a pair of defenders before hammering a low drive that eluded Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon for his 12th goal on the season.
Yet the Quakes still had one more answer. In the 90th minute, a Ramiro Corrales cross from the right wing was knocked away by Cronin, and Huckerby pounced on the loose ball. His shot from the left side was saved, but the rebound fell to Cochrane, who put away the rebound to give San Jose the win.
Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop made one change to the team that played to a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls on July 27. Arturo Alvarez made the start in attack in his return to San Jose, coming in for Ryan Johnson.
Here's Yallop's team (4-4-2): Joe Cannon - Jason Hernandez, Ryan Cochrane, Nick Garcia, Eric Denton - Ronnie O'Brien (Ryan Johnson 82), Ramiro Corrales, Francisco Lima, Darren Huckerby - Arturo Alvarez, Scott Sealy (Jovan Kirovski 92+). Substitutes Not Used: John Cunliffe, Kelly Gray, Michael Gustavson, James Riley, Shea Salinas
"It feels good to win in front of our fans. We had some good chances to score some more goals. All in all, it was a terrific game for us," Yallop said. "We were obviously not happy for the two goals that LA scored, but sometimes you're a little bit vulnerable. We had a terrific comeback in the last couple of minutes of the game and it showed character in the team."
TEAM NEWS
After three consecutive draws - two of those at home - and no wins in almost two months, the Earthquakes were finally able to not only score on the Galaxy, but also gain the victory.
"We haven't lost in a month," defender Nick Garcia said. "Three ties and a win are decent results. Things are optimistic right now, and our destiny is in our own hands. With eight or nine games still to play at home, I think we have a legitimate shot."
It was the third game with both Darren Huckerby and Francisco Lima in the lineup for the Quakes - but maybe more importantly, their first full week of training with the team.
"Both Darren (Huckerby) and (Francisco) Lima haven't really trained for two months, and before our last home game, neither had trained for the whole week, so their fitness is not near what it will be in three or four weeks time," Yallop said. "But the guys we've added have made a difference for us, and that's important."
Still, Yallop felt an important offseason acquisition, as he was building the team, led to the Galaxy win.
"I thought Ramiro Corrales really drove us on today. He was terrific in the middle of the field," Yallop said. "We put a lot of energy putting the ball forward and it was good to see. I was very happy in our efforts with both sides of the ball against a team that scores a ton of goals. I was very happy in the stuff we created."
Coming into the game, the Earthquakes had scored just three goals total in their last eight matches. They are still the only team in MLS averaging less than a goal per game.
"It was a wide open game," Yallop said. "Either team could have won, but it was nice for us to finally get a good win. It was a good showpiece for the fans -- we showed that we don't give up. I think we've added some good attacking options. We're not done yet, but we're starting to get there, we're starting to build, and hopefully we can become a strong team for years to come."
The Revolution game concludes a three-game homestand that has started with a draw and a win. The Quakes have seven of their final 11 games at Buck Shaw Stadium.
"We starting to establish a good rhythm now," Yallop said, "and with our next game at home -- if we can get a win out of that game (against New England) then we have a real good chance at getting a run into to try and make the playoffs, which is our whole aim."
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION
The New England Revolution finally returned to league action after 36 days, but saw the Chicago Fire come back with two goals in the final nine minutes to snatch a 2-1 win at Gillette Stadium last Saturday. The Revolution still lead the Eastern Conference and MLS overall table with 33 points from 18 matches, a point ahead of the Fire and two ahead of the Columbus Crew.
LAST MATCH
The Revolution were playing their first game in more than a month, after a successful SuperLiga campaign had left them riding a 17-game stretch in all competitions where they had lost just once. The Fire hadn't lost in six league matches since a three-game losing streak in early June.
In his first start of the season, Taylor Twellman celebrated his return to the lineup with the opener after just three minutes. Mauricio Castro put in a corner kick from the left and Twellman beat his marker to head home from the top of the six, his second goal in league play this year.
The Revolution seemed on their way to closing out the game -- until midfielder Shalrie Joseph was sent off with a second yellow card in the 74th minute.
It took the Fire just seven minutes to pull even. Gonzalo Segares stepped forward from the backline and let fly from all of 30 yards, hitting a dipping, knuckling effort that eluded the grasp of goalkeeper Matt Reis and sailed into the goal.
Just five minutes, Chicago sealed their comeback. Tomasz Frankowski settled a Marco Pappa cross and fired from close range. Reis stopped the first effort, but wasn't able to secure the loose ball, and Conde stabbed home the rebound for his first MLS goal and the game-winner.
Revolution head coach Steve Nicol made two changes to the team that defeated the LA Galaxy 2-1 in the last league match, July 4. Chris Tierney made his first MLS start in the back four, while Taylor Twellman made his first start of 2008, with Michael Parkhurst away on U.S. Olympic team duty and Kheli Dube out to injury.
Here's Nicol's team (4-3-1-2): Matt Reis - Chris Albright, Jeff Larentowicz, Jay Heaps, Chris Tierney (Khano Smith 89) - Sainey Nyassi, Shalrie Joseph, Mauricio Castro - Steve Ralston - Taylor Twellman, Adam Cristman (Pat Phelan 76). Substitutes Not Used: Amaechi Igwe, Brandon Manzonelli, Wells Thompson, Rob Valentino, Doug Warren
"There is two things as far as playing football on the field is concerned: we defended very well today and we had nothing left in the tank after Tuesday. It was always going to be a problem but we defended well; we really didn't give them too many clear shots at goal," Nicol said. "(Chicago) had a lot of the ball but, considering what happened on Tuesday, it was always to be expected."
TEAM NEWS
It was the first time since 2001, when D.C. United won all three meetings against New England, that the Revolution were swept in a season series by an Eastern Conference opponent.
"I'm not too concerned with it," Twellman said. "As long as we do our job and win our games, it doesn't matter what anyone else does."
For Twellman, the Fire loss put a damper on his first start of the season. The veteran striker has struggled with injuries this season, but played the full 90 minutes against Chicago.
"It's been a whirlwind, but it was good to warm up just like you were going to play a game," Twellman said. "I've been on the bench a couple of times, but there's nothing like starting. Obviously, I thank Stevie for giving me a shot again. I've been out for a while. It was fun."
Then on Tuesday, D.C. United advanced to the U.S. Open Cup final for the third time in club history, first since 1997, with a 3-1 victory against the Revolution at RFK Stadium.
Luciano Emilio headed United into the lead before the game was four minutes old, but Joe Germanese pounced on a poor clearance to level terms in the 34th minute. Santino Quaranta put United back into the lead in the 48th minute, and the game then changed in the 71st minute when Wells Thompson was sent off with a second caution. Emilio rounded off the victory with his second nine minutes from the end.
The Revolution's bid to defend their championship ended up a round short, as for the third time in Open Cup play, Nicol ran out a team mainly of reserves against United.
"Something has to give, but these guys have put the work in and we're disappointed because we didn't get to the finals," Revs midfielder Shalrie Joseph said. "It's a lot of games in a lot of days, but that's why you play soccer. We have to get up and be better the next time."
Here's Nicol's team: Doug Warren; Amaechi Igwe, Gary Flood, Rob Valentino, Wells Thompson, Khano Smith, Shalrie Joseph, Pat Phelan, Joe Germanese, Adam Cristman, Brandon Manzonelli (Brandon Tyler 75)
