SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- When last week's game against the Houston Dynamo was canceled due to Hurricane Ike, San Jose Earthquakes manager Frank Yallop could only hope that the time off would give his team some much-needed rest without killing the momentum of their nine-game unbeaten streak. Just how much sharpness remains in the Quakes' game will be revealed on Saturday, when they take on Real Salt Lake in a match with major playoff implications.
Certainly the break has allowed several Quakes players to heal up. Yallop indicated that defender Nick Garcia probably would not have been able to play against Houston, while wide midfielders Darren Huckerby and Ronnie O'Brien would have been at less than full strength. Now that trio appears close to full fitness, and Garcia was among those thankful for the free weekend.
"I think we all kind of recharged our batteries a little bit more," said Garcia. "I think it gave us time to regroup, to refocus."
Given what's at stake, the rest could be a case of perfect timing. RSL is currently tied for third place in the Western Conference. San Jose is tied for sixth spot, but sit just two points behind Real, meaning a win will see the Quakes vault over their conference rivals.
The downside is that the rhythm of playing every week has been broken for San Jose, yet Yallop insists he has liked what he's seen in practice during the last few days.
"It's possible we could come out slow and sloppy on Saturday, but I don't see it," said Yallop. "We're ready to go."
Adding to the Quakes' advantage is the fact that Real will be making their first-ever trip to Buck Shaw Stadium, and while they took four points from a possible six during two previous league encounters in Utah, that was before San Jose's attack had been completely rebuilt.
Given the up-tick in the Quakes' fortunes, defender Ryan Cochrane is among those players relishing the chance to deliver a little bit of payback.
"We go into this game with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder," said Cochrane. "We didn't really perform that well against RSL in Salt Lake. I think we're feeling like we finally get them on grass and hopefully we'll be able to play our game."
Of course if anyone has a reason to have a chip on their shoulder it's Cochrane. The Santa Clara University product has been the odd-man out for much of the Quakes' recent run, as Yallop has preferred Jason Hernandez to partner Garcia in the center of the Quakes' defense. But with James Riley suspended, and Hernandez sliding out wide, Cochrane now has the chance to reclaim his spot, and he'll need to be at his best in order to thwart RSL's speedy tandem of Robbie Findley and Yura Movsisyan.
"Personally, you always want to be on the field, and I think I can contribute," said Cochrane. "I think I deserve to be in there, but at the same time, I can't complain. The team has done great. It's a team sport and that's what you're here for."
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