October 4, 2009 BOTTOM FEEDERS Bulls lose in San Jose, will finish with worst MLS record this season
Rookie left back Jeremy Hall was called for a penalty kick that led to the game's lone goal. Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The Red Bulls know they cannot finish with the worst record in MLS history.
However, after Saturday night's 1-0 MLS loss to the San Jose Earthquakes, they have been guaranteed to have the poorest record in the league this season.
With two games remaining, the Red Bulls (18 points) fell to 4-18-6 while the Quakes improved to 7-12-7 and 28 points.
The loss also extended the Red Bulls' MLS record road winless streak to 24 games (0-17-7). The last time they won on the road came on May 19, 2008, when they recorded a 2-1 win at the Los Angeles Galaxy.
In a battle of last-place teams, Ryan Johnson converted a penalty kick in the 24th minute to lift the Earthquakes to victory before a sellout crowd of 10,525 at Buck Shaw Stadium.
Red Bulls interim coach Richie Williams said he liked the way his team played in the second half.
"I thought we responded well down a goal," he told Fox Soccer Channel. "Unfortunately, it wasn't there for us tonight."
Added defender Mike Pete: "We deserved to get out of here with at least a point. We did some things that were good, did some things that were bad."
The Quakes tested the Red Bulls twice in he opening 10 minutes. Johnson, off a corner kick, forced left fullback Jeremy Hall to clear his header off the line in the fifth minute.
Five minutes later, goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul dived to save Bobby Convey's 20-yard effort, the first of his seven saves.
Coundoul was back with another diving save -- to his left -- some 10 minutes later, denying Alvarez a goal.
Alvarez did his best to create another goal-scoring opportunity in the 23rd minute as he worked his way into the penalty area before he was bumped by Hall and fell to the ground. The Earthquakes were awarded a penalty kick by referee Steven DePiero that the Red Bulls argued to no avail.
"It was unfortunate that the game was decided on a wrong call by the referee," Williams said. "You see the replay, you see the player wasn't fouled and falls down. To lose the game on that call is a bad feeling. I'm disappointed."
On the ensuing penalty, Johnson shot right while Coundoul guessed left for the forward's 10th goal of the season in the 24th minute.
Alvarez caused another dangerous chance for the hosts as he sent a low ball from the right side that Coundoul could not get a grasp on. The ball bounced loose, but the Senegal international keeper managed to scramble and pounce on it.
With midfielders Albert Celades and Jorge Rojas back home with injuries, the Red Bulls lacked a creative midfielder who could set up the forwards. In fact, the Red Bulls could not place a shot on goal in the opening 45 minutes. Striker and captain Juan Pablo Angel fired a shot that was blocked by a San Jose defender in the 16th minute.
The Red Bulls thought they had a penalty kick of their own right before the half when they argued that a San Jose player committed a foul after a foray in the box, but DePiero waved their appeals off.
Angel had two good opportunities within a minute of each other. Sinsia Ubiparipovic set up Angel, who placed a shot over the net from nine yards in the 49th minute. A minute later, Angel, off a Seth Stammler fed from the left side, forced goalkeeper Joe Cannon to produce a one-handed save. Former Red Bulls defender Chris Leitch quickly cleared the ball for a corner kick.
Coundoul was still at the top of his game in the second half, as he denied Alvarez, who broke in on goal in the 53rd minute.
Leitch, traded by the Red Bulls to the Quakes during pre-season, continued to thwart Angel, blocking a shot from the former Colombian striker in the 67th minute.
Williams tried to add a little spark to the attack, replacing Hall with midfielder Danleigh Borman in the 57th minute, switching the Red Bulls from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2 formation.
"It gave us an extra player in the midfield to pass better," Williams said.
"We just let down in the final third with our final pass. I was disappointed with some of our restarts, our free kicks."
The Red Bulls failed to take advantage of the fact the Quakes lost both their centerbacks. Brazilian Andrew Luiz suffered a season-ending knee sprain in the 23rd minute as Bobby Burling replaced him. Brandon McDonald was forced to the sidelined with a right knee injury in the 49th minute and Aaron Pitchkolan took his place.
"I don't think we tested [goalkeeper] Joe Cannon enough with some of the opportunities we had," Williams told MLSnet.com.
Williams had only five players on the bench due to a slew of injuries. The reserves including goalkeeper Danny Cepero, defenders Kevin Goldthwaite and Leo Krupnik, Borman and midfielder Matthew Mbuta.
Celades was left back in New Jersey with a sprained ankle injury that he suffered in practice Wednesday. Rojas, who scored twice in the Red Bulls' 4-1 triumph at Giants Stadium earlier this season, also was left home with a knee injury. Midfielders Ernst Oebster (illness) and Nick Zimmerman (right ankle contusion) and forward John Wolyniec (left ankle sprain) did not travel due to injury.
