It's 6 a.m. here, I have the laptop in the lounge room, I haven't gotten as much sleep as I would like for a Saturday night/Sunday morning, and the Quakes are on TV live in Australia, on ESPN International. Life doesn't get any better than this, really.
Unfortunately, I can't watch this game live because I am going out to meet a friend. But I'm hoping/praying for a good result when I come back. GO QUAKES!
Lineups... and I'm getting these off the TV... EARTHQUAKES Onstad Dunivant, Agoos, Waibel, Cochrane Hart, Mulrooney, Ekelund, Corrales DeRosario, Jamil Walker METROSTARS Jonny Walker Clark, Parke, Arena, Ziadie Magee, Leitch, Guevara, Vaca Galvan Rey, Wolyniec
Almost a half-hour gone, 0-0, and the Quakes' defence looks a lot tighter than usual. Onstad's made one really good save, and the MetroStars are getting more of the ball, but the guys in the white shirts are getting deflections before the ball can reach Onstad. Love the speed up top, with Jamil and DeRo. If we can counter with these guys, and do so successfully, I don't mind us playing behind the ball.
31st min. -- Cochrane's limping, so he comes off, and Alvarez comes in for him. Hart will drop back into the back line to spell Cochrane, and Alvarez will play on a wing. More speed... very cool.
Cochrane out with injury. Sheesh, it never ends. But, just when you think the Quakes are slumping, they've played decently today.
Guevara shoots a foot over the bar, 44th minute, that's a bit of a let-off. And right before that, Onstad was in the right place to save a Magee (?) header. Looks like it'll be nil-all at the break...
Weve been very organized on defense... as i say that Guevara with a nice rip that just misses... but pretty good. We lack a lot of imagination and danger on offense, and are not getting our midfield forward quickly, but considering who we are missing im not going to get too bent out of shape on that.
And Wolyniec just headed over from a corner. And a free header, at that. Major let-off. Halftime, and it is scoreless.
I get anxious during stoppage, given recent history. How hot is it out there? Must be about 90, plus add 10 degrees for turf.
Strange half. Overall very even but both teams have controlled stretches. We look much better than Wednesday. Especially our passing. The defense looked good for about fourty minutes but a little tired there at the end of the half. With all the injuries and call-ups to both teams I was expeting A-league action. Boy was I wrong.
Not too bad a half but no creativity whatsoever in attack. Walker is looking better with a little playing time, he started with feet of stone.
The Quakes are definitely going to make the Metros earn it in the second half, with this lineup a road point is gravy. Expect them to pack it in and hope to get a counter with the speed up top. Not happy with the one on one defending, and Waibul's been booting the ball to the Metros at every opportunity, but I guess that's better than turning it over in the box like we did last week. I wanna see Dunivant go coast to coast and score.
64th min. -- Wolyniec gets in behind the defence and scores, coverting a through-ball from Ziadie. 1-0, Metros... we left a big gap back there.
Robbed is an understatement. That was not even close. How could they take that goal away with Corrales nowhere near the play?
74th min. -- Quakes' last sub, Dombrowski on for Corrales. And yes, we should have had a goal on that call. Passive offside, that's something that should be interpreted more closely to the law.
Why sub out Corrales? He's forced a lot of turnovers. Yeah, that was an atrocious call on the called back goal. Whoah! We hit the post again. Really tough break, a foot one way it's in the net, a foot the other and Dombrowski knocks it in.