Hours after the San Jose Earthquakes acknowledged Saturday that they’re chasing the franchise’s first designated player, new acquisition Khari Stephenson put on a display worthy of that title.
Stephenson, brought in by the Quakes last week from Norway’s Aalesunds FK, made an instant impact in his first MLS match since Aug. 10, 2005. The Jamaican international delivered a perfectly chipped pass from 35 yards out to the foot of Chris Wondolowski, who volleyed the ball home for his team-high seventh goal – the only score in San Jose’s 1-0 win against Kansas City.
Stephenson was at the center of the most dangerous action for the Quakes (7-6-5), whose offense was measurably improved after being shut out in back-to-back losses that dropped them out of playoff position for the first time since mid-April. San Jose recorded their first home win since May 8.
Kansas City (5-9-5), who saw their four-game unbeaten streak come to an end, had been making their living on scoring early goals. The Wizards had a golden opportunity to continue that trend in the ninth minute when Bobby Convey – making his first start of the season at left back in place of injured captain Ramiro Corrales – came up light on his back pass for goalkeeper Joe Cannon.
Rookie forward Teal Bunbury leapt at the chance, but Cannon – back in the lineup for the first time since the World Cup break in the wake of Jon Busch’s own goal last weekend – was able to make a sliding deflection. Davy Arnaud kept the rebound alive and delivered a perfect cross-goal pass to Bunbury, but his header went just wide at the unguarded far post.
From there, San Jose steadily increased the pressure in a game made more wide open from the insistence of Quakes coach Frank Yallop that his team play more offensively-minded soccer, even if that meant leaving holes in a restructured back line that featured Tim Ward in his first start for San Jose at right back and Jason Hernandez sliding back to the middle.
Cornell Glen should have put the Quakes up in the 26th minute when he sprinted down the center of the pitch after San Jose adeptly blocked a Wizards free kick to create an odd-man rush. But Glen, eschewing an open Arturo Alvarez on his right, fired a shot past charging goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen and pulled it wide of the near post.
That was the start of a series of San Jose attacks that culminated in Stephenson finding Wondolowski, who hadn’t scored since June 2. It was Stephenson’s first MLS assist; he recorded none during his brief appearances with the Wizards in 2004 and ’05. He decamped shortly thereafter for Scandinavia, where he stayed until the Quakes brought the attacking midfielder back to the United States.
Kansas City put Cannon to the test several times in the second half, prompting most notably another sliding save on Bunbury in the 56th. But though the Wizards put the ball in the back of the net on three separate occasions – twice by Arnaud, another by Kei Kamara – they were judged offside all three times.
Hernandez, who took over as captain for Corrales, was sent off on a straight red in the 88th minute for a foul on Bunbury, but Kansas City couldn’t take advantage.
Since 2000, the Wizards have gone 0-8-4 in MLS play at San Jose, with another two losses in U.S. Open Cup play. San Jose is now tied for the second-longest unbeaten home streak against a single opponent in MLS history.
