San Fernando Valley Quakes Press Release - http://www.quakessoccer.com/

Monday, May 12th

The San Fernando Valley Quakes lost their first home game in over a year on Sunday, falling by 3 goals to 1 to the visiting San Jose Frogs, a result which virtually ends their US Open Cup qualification chances for another year. The Quakes had not previously lost a home game since the 1-0 defeat to the Southern California Seahorses on the final day of the 2006 season, and the 1-3 score line is also the largest margin of defeat suffered by the Quakes since they lost 5-0 to Fresno Fuego back in July of 2006.

The San Jose Frogs were making their first ever trip to the San Fernando Valley, and despite their exploits against Lancaster Rattlers on Saturday, and some unfortunate trials and tribulations with the team bus, they started much the brighter. In fact, for long periods in the first half, the Quakes looked tired, sluggish and sometimes disinterested, while the Frogs were sprightly, energetic, and clearly on top of their game. San Jose opened the scoring after just 9 minutes when, after some miscommunication in the Quakes’ back line, defender Hugo Sousa’s shot inched inside Kevin Guppy’s post.

The Frogs doubled their lead just 10 minutes later off a goal by midfielder Andrew Wiedman, and the Quakes were looking ragged. The defense was being stretched every which way by the speedy and powerful Frogs attackers, while the midfield was never in control of the game, with Devin Deldo, Mat Davis and Jonny Bravo never fully getting to grips with the pitch, or the ball, or each other. Every attacking run from Ryan Shaw and Juan Esquivel was quickly snuffed by a solid-looking Frogs defense. In fact, the Quakes registered just two shots on goal in the entire first half, both headers from defender Robert Pate, one of which was frantically scrambled round the post by Frogs’ keeper Sergio Valle.

Things went from bad to worse when both Robert Pate and Jonny Bravo had to be substituted mid-way through the first half; Pate suffered a rather nasty-looking hand injury after being accidentally trodden on by a Frogs player. To add insult to injury, the Frogs added a third goal just before half time, with Weidman scoring his second goal off the game off a perfectly-weighted pass by Nelson Diaz. When the half time whistle blew, the Quakes looked thankful that the Frogs’ lead was only 3-0.

But then, in the second half, everything changed. Whatever Coach Florez said to his team during the half time break worked miracles, because the Quakes returned to the field for the second 45 looking like a completely different set of men. Whereas in the first half the passing was sloppy, the movement was sluggish and the enthusiasm levels were virtually zero, all of a sudden the passing was sharp and crisp, and the off-the-ball movement was intelligent and lively. The Quakes were, finally, playing the soccer they were capable of playing, and the Frogs looked a little stunned.

In the 52nd minute Mat Davis unleashed a 30-yard thunderbolt which sizzled past a flailing Valle in the Frogs goal; wheeling away in celebration, Davis and the Quakes genuinely looked like a team which could turn the 2-goal deficit around. For the next 35 minutes, the Quakes overwhelmed the Frogs with wave after wave of attractive, flowing, attacking football, but try as they might, the goals just would not come. Devin Deldo hit the post, Ryan Shaw hit the crossbar, Stephen Carlson saw a 25-yard effort whistle agonizingly wide, and Sung Kim delivered several crosses from the left which missed connecting with Quakes forwards by mere inches.

At the back, Matt Tracy, Stephen Carlson and substitute Aaron Hunter were all immense, dealing with the brief Frogs counter-attacks with relative ease, and supporting the offensive play with skill and determination. Had the Quakes played with this much poise, passion and pride in the first 45, the game could have been so much different.

However, despite the relentless pressure, the Frogs survived the onslaught, and ran out 3-1 winners. The result slightly flatters the winners, and doesn’t truly tell the story of a magnificent second half performance by the Quakes which was hamstrung by the dismal first period. It’s a cliché, but a true one nonetheless: football truly is a game of two halves.

The result moves the Frogs to the top of the Southwest Division standings, ahead of the San Francisco Seals on goal difference. Conversely, the Quakes drop to fourth place behind the Los Angeles Legends on goal difference, and as a result it is now almost mathematically impossible for the Quakes to qualify for the US Open Cup – three points behind the Frogs and the Seals, and with the Legends equal on points but with a game in hand.

The Quakes now head off on a 3-game road trip, which will see them visit the Los Angeles Legends in Glendora on May 23rd, then move on to Bakersfield on May 31st, and finally Orange County Blue Star in Irvine on June 4th, before returning home on June 6th for their clash with the Lancaster Rattlers.