By the end of 2014, mired in a frachise-record 15-match winless streak in MLS play, the San Jose Earthquakes felt they had lost a key component of their identity. The resolute defense that underpinned their best seasons was noticeably lacking as the Quakes slid to last place in the Western Conference.
For more than 90 minutes Saturday, it looked as though the Quakes had rediscovered at least some of the defending that helped secure two MLS Cup titles and two Supporters’ Shields, and were about to come up with just their second shutout in 16 regular-season games – all against an FC Dallas side that whipped San Jose 5-0 in their last meeting.
Until the 92nd minute, that is, when Quakes goalkeeper David Bingham made a costly error, allowing Blas Perez to head home the only goal in FC Dallas’ 1-0 victory and spoil the debut of returning San Jose coach Dominic Kinnear.
“It was a game of mistakes,” Kinnear told reporters at Toyota Stadium. “They made a couple, we made a couple … It was a little bit unfair at the end, but that’s the way the game is.”
Newcomer Paulo Renato, pushed into duty with center backs Clarence Goodson and Ty Harden both unavailable after spending much of this week in Washington, D.C. working on the league’s collective bargaining talks, cleared a shot by Perez off the Quakes’ goal line in the 22nd minute.
Bingham was well positioned to stop and cover Tesho Akindele’s naked header in the six-yard box in the 84th. However, communication issues between Bingham and his backline initially seen during preseason were still visible, most notably in the 41st minute when Renato was shaken up by a collision with the onrushing Bingham.
Nevertheless, Bingham was in line for his first career MLS shutout before Dallas launched a wishful injury-time pass into the Quakes’ area. Bingham leapt high over Akindele and San Jose center back Victor Bernardez to deliver a right-handed punch, but the ball fell to the feet of Dallas’ Moises Hernandez barely 20 yards from goal. Hernandez’s ensuing strike was redirected by Perez between Renato and Marvell Wynne, straight into the back of Bingham’s unguarded net.
“It's a learning curve. It's a little bit of communication, probably more on my part. [Bernardez] didn't hear me coming. He didn't know there was no one around,” Bingham said. “So, he went to clear it and I was coming out and we had a little mix-up. And then the guy duffs a shot wide, and Perez was there to put it back in.”
It was an unfortunate end to Bingham’s first start as the Quakes’ No. 1 'keeper. But Kinnear was quick in trying to stamp out any controversy over the decision to push out 38-year-old Jon Busch in favor of the 25-year-old Bingham over the offseason, responding tartly to a question whether he was still comfortable with Bingham in net after Saturday’s performance.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Kinnear said. “He’s starting. I’m comfortable with him tonight, I’m comfortable with him for the rest of the season.”
