SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Chris Wondolowski joined the century club and in the process saved a point for the San Jose Earthquakes in a 1-1 draw Sunday evening with Orlando City SC.
The star striker’s 100th MLS goal, from the penalty spot in the 68th minute, brought the Quakes level just four minutes after Orlando’s Kaka hit the opener, also from the spot, despite his side being cut down to 10 men on a Brek Shea red card in the 51st minute in a wild affair at Levi’s Stadium.
Wondolowski becomes the ninth player to reach the 100-goal mark in MLS history.
The result extends San Jose’s unbeaten run to five games, two wins and three draws, and lifts them to a fourth-place tie with Sporting Kansas City in the Western Conference with 18 points from 12 games. Orlando’s unbeaten run is now at two games, although they failed to show the same firepower from their 4-0 demolition of the LA Galaxy from last weekend, putting them in a two-way tie for fifth place in the East with 13 points from 12 games.
Despite both teams coming in riding hot streaks, the first half was short on action.
Shea Salinas was the most dangerous member of the San Jose attack, and just shy of the quarter-hour mark his give and go with Matias Perez Garcia led to an open shot right at Orlando City goalkeeper Tally Hall. Later, a long run down the left wing gave Salinas a shot from close range that flew wide of the near post.
Orlando City needed 41 minutes to get a shot on goal, a weak effort from Eric Avila that was an easy save for San Jose’s David Bingham.
Things did not get easier for Orlando City after the break. Shea was given a straight red card in the 51st minute for a studs-up challenge on Sanna Nyassi.
Still, the next scoring chances were Orlando City’s.
First, Rafael Ramos worked his way in from the right wing to test Bingham. And just past the hour mark, Bingham came off his line to challenge Cyle Larin in the box, missing the ball but making solid contact with the Orlando City forward, and referee Allen Chapman pointed to the spot. Kaka buried the ensuing penalty kick, his fifth goal of the season, to put the Lions on top.
Five minutes later, San Jose tied things up with a penalty kick goal of their own, after Darwin Ceren fouled Jordan Stewart inside the penalty area. Wondolowski caught Hall guessing the wrong way and calmly rolled home the spot kick for his seventh goal of the season in the career milestone for the 32-year-old attacker.
After scoring the equalizer, San Jose nearly found a go-ahead goal, but Hall did well to push clear Perez Garcia’s shot in the 73rd minute.
Orlando City bunkered in the rest of the way to preserve their road point.
Both teams are back in action Saturday; Orlando City return home to face Columbus Crew SC while San Jose head north to play Toronto FC.
