The game in 100 words (or less): What’s worse than losing to the bottom-of-the-league side? Losing to the bottom-of-the-league side and denying yourself a chance to climb over the playoff cut line. That’s where the San Jose Earthquakes found themselves Friday night after losing 1-0 to the Chicago Fire (11 points from 14 games entering the evening) at Toyota Park. With a chance to climb four spots in the Western Conference playoff race, Dom Kinnear’s side laid a giant goose egg, managing all of six shots over the 90 minutes (two on target), while first-year Veljko Paunovic celebrated just the third victory of his MLS career. John Goossens scored the game’s only goal, an impressive strike from the top of the penalty area that snuck inside the near post, after signing from FC Voluntari of the Romanian top division during the offseason. San Jose remain eighth in the west. Chicago are now bottom of the league only on goal differential.
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Three Two One moments that mattered
58′ — Goossens smashes a volley past Bingham for 1-0 — Keep it low and put it on frame … there’s not much more you can hope to do with a looping ball like this one, at which point you just hope and pray it beats the ‘keeper.
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Man of the match: John Goossens
Goalscorers: Goossens (58′)
