On a hot day in Moraga, CA, Quakes 2 faced Austin FC 2 in a soccer atmosphere made possible by The Town FC.
In collaboration with the San Jose Earthquakes, The Town FC hosted Quakes II in their matchup against Austin FC II. The game took place in Moraga, CA at Saint Mary’s College.
Coming into the game, Quakes II and Austin FC II stood at sixth and second in the Western Conference, respectively. After Austin’s 2-0 win over Quakes II, their positions did not change, but the winners solidified their second-place spot.
The game came with playoff implications as Quakes II sat just one spot ahead of the playoff line ahead of Minnesota United FC II. With this score, Quakes II is at risk of dropping to seventh– just barely making the mark.
“[They’re] really tight races,” said Quakes II assistant coach (and MLS legend) Chris Wondolowski. “We had some really good buildups and played some good football.”
Quakes II dominated the early stage of the game, earning a penalty within the fifth minute. However, Austin FC II goalkeeper Damian Las denied forward David Serrano’s attempt from the spot.
Still, the Quakes pushed on as they took control over most of the ball. However, apart from a couple of threatening attacks from Serrano and midfielder Cruz Medina, Quakes II failed to open the score in the first half.
“It’s something we need to work on,” said Wondolowski. “It’s to find that final pass and that final finish.”
The second half started like a dream for Austin FC II, in stark contrast to the first half dominated by Quakes II.
In the 49th minute, Austin threatened Quakes II goalkeeper Emi Ochoa with a dangerous ball from the left flank. Despite Ochoa’s efforts, Sebastien Pineau only had to push the ball into the back of the net. It was 1-0 for Austin FC II.
It took Quakes II just over 20 minutes to generate their most straightforward opportunity in the second half: a shot from Jerry Ayon in the center of the box that went straight to Las.
After this play, Quakes II regained some of their momentum from the first half. Ayon took it upon himself to generate plays out of his individual skills
Ultimately, it was a late goal in the 89th minute from Pineau that sealed the deal for the visitors.
Though the result was disappointing, the atmosphere at Saint Mary’s College was enjoyed by fans.
“The game was a lot of fun,” said Crystal Cuadra, a loyal member of the San Jose Earthquakes supporters’ group “The Faultline”. “Lots of people appeared to be here for their first game.”
Multiple local youth soccer clubs attended the match, such as Mustang Soccer and Diablo Valley Wolves. This highlighted the importance of the game; which is community outreach.
This isn’t unfamiliar territory for The Town FC. Last year in October, The Town FC fielded a team in collaboration with local East Bay club San Ramon FC against Quakes II for two exhibition matches.
Though The Town FC did not field a team this time, the MLS Next Pro match still proved to be essential and exciting enough for East Bay soccer fans to come out and enjoy a day of football at Saint Mary’s College.
Picture by TJ Valenton
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