SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Through good times and bad, one thing the San Jose Earthquakes could usually count on was rock-solid defending. And when some attacking reinforcements arrived in midsummer, that defensive foundation allowed the team to embark on a nine-game unbeaten streak.
But in perhaps the biggest game of the year, San Jose's defensive steel turned into tinfoil, and visiting Real Salt Lake took full advantage, prevailing 3-2 in a match with playoff-like intensity.
"This is the worst we've played as a defensive unit all year long," said goalkeeper Joe Cannon. "It hurts. I think our fans were just getting excited and into this playoff chase. ... But as a unit, we let our team down. Any time you get two goals at home, you should win."
It's tempting to place much of the blame for San Jose's lackluster play on the two-week break they received when Hurricane Ike forced last weekend's match against Houston to be postponed. But RSL also came in with a well-conceived game plan that exploited the speed and power of forward Yura Movsisyan against some of the slower elements of the Quakes' backline. And no matter how many times Real sent long balls into the Armenian's path, the San Jose defense looked powerless to stop it.
"I was thinking that maybe we should have dropped off a little, and started deeper," said Cannon. "That's all they had, was the long ball over the top. But when that happened, the midfielders were so far pushed up that there was a big gap in between. I think the shape of the entire team was just off tonight."
As a result, Movsisyan tormented the Quakes for two goals either side of halftime, and he could have had a hat trick had San Jose defender Ryan Cochrane not cleared a goal-bound effort from the RSL forward off the line with just minutes remaining in the first half.
But the defeat was as much down to effort as it was tactics. Real showed no hesitation in laying in some heavy challenges and they were often first to claim loose balls, a prerequisite for earning results in the cozy confines of Buck Shaw Stadium.
"For me, it wasn't so much the physical, it was the running side of it," said manager Frank Yallop. "We weren't anticipating anything. We sort of standing, watching, and letting them play, and I think they took advantage of that."
In spite of their sub-standard play, the Quakes found themselves in a position to win the game shortly after halftime. Movsisyan had put the visitors ahead after just three minutes, but two goals from Darren Huckerby -- the second coming just two minutes into the second half -- had seemingly righted matters.
But in the 49th minute, a San Jose free kick deep in Real's half failed to clear the first man, and long ball from Kyle Beckerman sprung Movsisyan on a clear breakaway that he converted with a chip over Cannon. It was a turn of events that Huckerby chalked up to some tactical naivetŠ¹.
"We've got a free kick on the edge of their box, and we've pushed probably eight men forward," said Huckerby. "Why do we need to? We're winning the game. Keep five men back. ... All they've done is hit one long ball and they've scored. It's unacceptable."
Movsisyan's goal made it anybody's game, and RSL duly grabbed hold of it in the 59th minute thanks to a well-taken free kick from Javier Morales.
Now the Quakes must find a way to right themselves in time for next Thursday's away match at FC Dallas. In some ways, the quick turnaround is a blessing, given how eager the team will be to banish all memory of Saturday's match. But the Quakes will certainly need to address the physicality and higher intensity that late-season games can bring.
Yallop, for one, is still holding out hope.
"If we can go to [Dallas] like these guys have come to our place, get a result, then it throws it wide open again," he said.
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