Chivas USA/Earthquakes running blog

Hi all - I'm at the stadium for the second day in a row - got an assignment!
Chivas USA Starters: Guzan, Burling, Talley, Suarez, Marsch, Kljestan, Nagamura, Mendoza, Harris, Razov, Bornstein
SJ Quakes: Cannon, Riley, Garcia, Hernandez, Denton, O'Brien, Corrales, Gray, Guerrero, Johnson, Kamara

The Union Ultras have some new spiffy flags, but I don't see the Legion signs out at all. The Dutch would recognize the Union flags, as they have the same striping.
Kickoff!
3- O'Brien tries a throw-in and the ball slips out of his hands. It's been that kind of season for the Quakes.
5 - I guess the Legion are here. There's the big drum and the jumping, but just no signs.
7 - O'Brien passed to Kamara, who passed the ball back to O'Brien at the top of the area, but Ronnie couldn't get a shot off. I'm sure holding an elastic knee brace in his hand didn't help.
8 - Panchito is down, O'Brien foul.
9 - 'Tiba in the box - but the SJ defense stands him up there and eventually clear the ball for a throw.
10 - Gray fouls 'Te, bad - gets a yellow. Good FK chance here.
11- Joe catches 'Te's kick - it was accurate, but not a lot of chipotle on it.
12 - Actually, there's disagreement. Some in the pressbox think Gray's foul just now on Nags was worse than the one on Ante. I guess it depends on angle.
13 - SJ clear the FK
14 - 'Tiba is down. He doesn't get the call but he doesn't get up and eventually the ball is put out for him.
16 - Is O'Brien playing D? He drops way back for the ball. Finally Cannon gets it and sends a long ball over the top.
17 - 'Te and Tiba hooking up well on a run into the box. 'Te takes the first shot, a low one that Cannon dives for and gets a hand on. 'Tiba follows it up, trying to knock in a rebound, but Cannon grabs for the ball and hangs on even as 'Tiba falls on top of him. Close for Chivas there.
20 - Sach and Jesse are bossing the midfield, setting up Chivas USA chances. Nick Garcia is forced into a sliding clear of a low cross into the box. Chivas USA CK
21 - Suarez doesn't get much on the header and it deflects off a defender and SJ clear.
23 - Quakes are making a defensive line and just trying to hold it - clearing the ball a lot. There's very little possession or midfield play.
25 - Sach with a run into the box breaks the defensive line of the Quakes, but his little flick pass doesn't find a teammate and the Quakes are able to clear.
27 - A very short Quakes run of possession is gone when Corrales loses the ball in traffic.
28 - Chivas USA working the ball around, back and forth, side to side - they're basically doing the soccer hula on the field. But they don't manage a shot and the Quakes clear.
29 - Corrales is down, he got the worst of in a collision with Marsch. Corrales is back up.
32 - Burling shoulder-shoves Johnson away from the ball. Not easy to do. Both guys are good-sized.
33 - Chivas again on the attack - get a corner. The service leads to a Nags shot, but it's high.
35 - Corrales gets fouled, earning SJ a FK chance. O'Brien steps up and sends a spinning shot right to Guzan's gloves.
38 - Corrales nearly creates something out of nothing - he takes a crack at goal with only a peek of daylight from about 40 yards out. He beats a diving Guzan, but the ball comes off the post. Kamara comes in on the rebound with only Guzan to beat, but Kamara can't even get the ball on frame.
39 - 'Tiba in the box wanted a PK call, but only gets a CK out of it. It's cleared.
40 - Another Ck for Chivas USA. Burling hits crossbar with it.
42 - 'Te with a great pass to Bornstein making a run into the box, but a desperate tackle clears the ball out for another CK.
43 - CK leads to a shot by 'Te - he barely gets a toe on it, but it goes towards goal, until Cannon stops it just on the line. Very close.
44 - Quakes seem so surprised to be out of their own half that they do poorly on a throw-in and Sach gets the ball and is off to the races until another tackle gives Chivas USA another corner.
45 - Ball goes out for a GK. That's about the only time the Quakes are getting in Chivas USA territory.
45 + Nothing much going on - ooh, I spotted one Earthquake fan. A diehard I guess, out here by his lonesome on the fieldside seats.
Halftime - Chivas USA deserve their lead - oh wait - they don't have one. They deserve one though. I guess SJ has to feel lucky about that. They're in this match, for sure.
Ok, so the Quakes went the entire half without a shot on goal. I haven't seen a team so inept since, well, yesterday. On the other hand, the Quakes aren't down any goals, but they don't really have firepower to bring in on their bench.
46 - Chivas USA gets right back into the attack - Quakes get right back to defending. It's the irresistible force versus the immovable object.
47 - Another Chivas USa corner. Misses everybody and is cleared.
50 - SJ still can't advance much out of their half at all.
51 - 'Tiba gets a yellow for a foul on former Chivas USAer Jason Hernandez.
52 - Gray ignores his teammates making runs and sends in a low shot from outside that is wide.
53 - Going the other way, 'Tiba times in a run perfectly into the box to not be offsides - Cannon comes out, but 'Tiba smartly passes to 'Te, whose shot - is off the post! Quakes clear and escape.
55 - SJ build a little attack, leading to a Fk when Sach fouls Denton. It's taken quickly, but Chivas USA clear the cross.
56 - Chivas USA are afflicted with pass-too-much-itis. They do get a corner out of the latest attack.
57 - And then another. Talley gets a bit of a head on this one, after Cannon couldn't really punch it far, but Cannon catches that.
59 - Guerrero is coming out for Cunliffe, another former Chivas USAer.
60 - The crowd is doing the wave.
61 - Harris wide on a shot.
62 - O'Brien is on target from distance, but Guzan makes the save.
63 - I can smell a goal coming. The game is opening up. Players are tired and losing discipline.
64 - O'Brien finally breaks off his attack, after Marsch has been down for a while. Jesse limps up painfully, bu somehow jogs it off pretty quickly.
65 - Kamara with another outside shot, this one wide right.
66 - Justin Braun comes in for Panchito. He gets on a the ball right away and helps earn another CK for Chivas USA.
67 - Braun's a big kid, just what Chivas USA needs on corners. But the service dips short and it's 'Te who goes for it, putting his header wide of goal.
69 - O'Brien tries to volley the ball in from distance. Nothing doing.
70 - Denton with an excellent low cross into the box, where Gray tries to backheel the ball into the goal. Almost, but Guzan parries the ball away. Close for SJ. They nearly stole the game there.
71 - Kamara with a header, but Guzan catches it.
72 - Quakes with a little run of attacking play here - they just earned a corner. It's out for a goal kick nearly as soon as it gets in the box, though.
73 - 13, 561 is tonight's attendance.
74 - Quakes have a deep FK. O'Brien sends it wide right. The bend didn't drop enough for him.
75 - Braun is offside.
80 - SAVE! Sach in alone on goal and Cannon stones him. Gives up another corner, but that's out for a goal kick.
82 - Cunliffe barely misses wide left.
86 - Yellow to O'Brien, who seems furious about something. Grabs replaces Corrales.
88 - GOAL! Bend it like 'Te! He puts it into the side netting past a diving Cannon. Sweet shot.
Final whistle - Chivas USA win. Can't blog much - assignments are due.