Wondolowski Scores Twice, Earthquakes Tie Vancouver
SANTA CLARA (CBS / AP) -- Chris Wondolowski scored his first two goals since May to help San Jose tie Vancouver 2-2 on Wednesday night.
Wondolowski, who missed four June matches while playing for the U.S. national team in the Gold Cup, scored in the third and 54th minutes for San Jose (5-6-9). Eric Hassli responded in the 42nd and 61st minutes for Vancouver.
Both men now have eight goals, two behind league-leading Thierry Henry of the New York Red Bulls.
The tie extended San Jose's winless streak to seven matches, although the Earthquakes avoided a sixth shutout in that stretch.
Vancouver broke a four-game losing streak with the result.
San Jose's Steven Lenhart let a golden opportunity to steal the win slip away in the 84th minute when he shot wide right after finding himself alone at the edge of the penalty box with a ball that had been misplayed by Vancouver defender Greg Janicki. Wondolowski opened the scoring by beating Vancouver's offside trap and running under a pass lofted above the Whitecaps' defense by Simon Dawkins. Wondolowski brought the ball down with his left foot and fired off the bounce, beating Vancouver goalkeeper Joe Cannon from 10 yards.
For Wondolowski, the leading scorer in MLS last year, the goal snapped his personal scoreless streak at 511 minutes.
Hassli equalized in similar fashion, circling around a lead pass from former Earthquake midfielder Shea Salinas up the left wing and hammering it low to the far post from 11 yards out. Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch got his left hand to the ball, but couldn't keep it from going in.
Wondolowski put San Jose back on top when he knocked home a free header from the top of the Whitecaps' 6-yard box. Wondolowski shed Vancouver's Jeb Brovsky, a midfielder pressed into duty at left back as Jordan Harvey served a one-match suspension for yellow-card accumulation, before rising to meet Jacob Peterson's free kick from wide on the right wing.
Vancouver's second goal was brought about entirely by Salinas, who beat Earthquakes defender Chris Leitch down the left wing and fired a low pass from the touch line to Hassli, lurking unmarked in the heart of San Jose's defense. With Busch having come off his line to try and play Salinas, Hassli easily found the empty net.
Several chances at a late goal went by the boards. Cannon made a leaping deflection on Lenhart's header in the 84th minute.
San Jose defender Bobby Burling made a sliding tackle to stop a breakaway by Camilo in the 86th.
Vancouver midfielder Gershon Koffie beat Busch with his 35-yard drive in the 89th minute, but it ricocheted off the crossbar.
Dawkins, who notched his first career MLS assist on Wondolowski's goal, came out in the 42nd minute with a right hamstring strain, a team spokesman said.
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