4 MAY 2008 - The San Fernando Valley Quakes got their 2008 PDL season off to the best possible start with a comprehensive 3-1 victory over the visiting Southern California Seahorses. The game was the first match at the Quakes’ new home, Keith Ritchie Field at Calabasas High School in Calabasas.
In front of a 300 strong crowd, and with the picturesque foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains as a backdrop, the Quakes took to the field with a new-look lineup, with four new players making their debut: defenders Garrett Maloney, Danny Ortiz and Stephen Carlson, and striker Devin Deldo. Also returning was former Quakes player Taylor Canel, back in the fold after spending last year with Los Angeles Galaxy’s reserves. However, the core of the squad which made the 2007 playoffs remained, including goalkeeper Kevin Guppy, towering defender Robert Pate, midfield playmaker Mat Davis, creative wide men Chad Borak and Sung-Hyun Kim, and striker Ryan Shaw.
The early exchanges were a little tentative, as if both teams were figuring out their opposition’s strengths and weaknesses. The visiting Seahorses had the run of the play for the first few minutes, pressuring the Quakes’ back line without ever really threatening the goal. The Quakes responded with some powerful running by Borak and Kim down the wings, and several enticing through-balls from Davis and Canel which never quite fell kindly for the Quakes’ attackers.
The first goal came on 24 minutes. A through-ball from Canel found Shaw in space on the left hand side of the field; shielding the ball from the Seahorses defense, he managed to turn and place a square pass across the 18 yard box, straight into the path of Devin Deldo running from the left wing, who powerfully slotted the ball to Seahorses keeper Greg Larson’s left.
The first half was marred by an injury to debutant defender Garrett Maloney, who was knocked unconscious in a collision while attempting to clear a Seahorses corner, and was replaced by Aaron Hunter. The stoppage seemed to affect the Quakes, who soon found themselves under constant pressure fom the Seahorses, who seemed to take the stoppage as a chance to regroup and re-focus. Quakes goalkeeper Guppy was forced to palm a powerful header from Seahorses’ Salvadorian striker Diego Mejia onto the crossbar, and by the end of the half the Quakes were looking a little ragged, and seemed thankful to hear the referee’s whistle to signal the break.
The Quakes returned to the field for the second half with renewed determination, and doubled their lead 10 minutes in. A corner from the right was taken by Mat Davis; Aaron Hunter rose highest from a crowded penalty area, and nodded the ball toward the far post. Seahorses’ keeper Larson fumbled the ball as he attempted to block it, and could do nothing more than watch as the ball bobbled off the post and over the line. Seahorses’ defender Kento Hayashi whacked the ball clear, but the assistant referee saw that a goal had been scored, and the Quakes led 2-0.
By this time the Quakes were in the ascendancy, and they scored their third in the 66th minute, when Peruvian striker Jonny Bravo unleashed a powerful 25-yard shot past the helpless Larson after the Seahorses failed to properly clear their lines.
Romanian striker Marius Rus pulled a consolation goal back for the Seahorses in the 69th minute, but for the most part the Quakes defense looked solid and reliable. Robert Pate was a calming presence in the center of the back line, making clearance after clearance, tackle after tackle, frustrating the Seahorses forwards. Sung Kim was a bag of tricks down the left wing, and had the measure of his opposite number on several occasions as the Seahorses struggled to cope with his pace and skill. Devin Deldo, as well as scoring on his Quakes debut, completed a number of key passes in the heart of midfield, and made a number of threatening runs in support of Ryan Shaw, earmarking him as a more than capable replacement for Daniel Paladini, now with Chivas USA. Jonny Bravo also looked extremely dangerous, despite not quite being at full fitness, and will surely get better as the season progresses.
The final 3-1 scoreline was a positive result for head coach Juan Florez, who will now look to capitalize on this excellent start in the next game, when the Quakes take a short trip up the Pacific coast to their neighbors and rivals, the Ventura County Fusion. Quakes @ Fusion is Saturday, 10 May at Buena High School’s Bulldog Stadium in Ventura, kickoff 7:30pm.
The Quakes next home game is against the San Jose Frogs on Sunday, 11 May at Calabasas High School, kickoff at 7:05pm.
Match report by Jon Broxton
