Crazy Comeback (7/15)

PLAYING TENNIS IN OUR CUL-DE-SAC, CA -- Vancouver Whitecaps FC were without three key scoring threats so goals were going to be hard to come by but VAN managed to score three thanks to defender Ali Adman's great finish, one own goal off a long counter, and capitalizing a severe misplay by San Jose Earthquakes' GK.  VAN actually had just two shots on goal but 3 goals!  But their 2-0 and 3-1 leads did not last as SJ made four offensive subs in the 63' which led to sub and MLS leading scorer Chris Wondolowski (still pains me how he could've lifted USA to beat Belgium) netting one in the 72', Oswaldo Alanis scoring in the 81', and sub Shea Salinas scoring 8 minutes into stoppage time for the game-winner (4-3).  The game actually went almost to the 102' (100:52).

SJ dominated the match outshooting VAN 30-7 with 11 shots on target, earning 22 corner kicks, and having 67.8% possession.  I do not know how it's possible but SJ had 11 shots on goal forcing 8 saves.  8 saves + 4 goals should be 12 shots on target.  New math, I guess.  But SJ's first goal was a beauty with Andres Rios redirecting a hard cross with his backheel that found the far corner of the net.

So SJ sits atop Group B with 4 points over CHI (3 pts) but CHI has only played one match.  Defending champ SEA would've benefited with a tie but the road just got a little tougher (either way it was a must-win in their last match).

In the pool, four picked SJ (the odds before the match trended heavily in SJ's favor with VAN at -360) which leaves Kona Coast Fauci's and Kona Coast Sliders back alone on top with 6 points. This has been a difficult pool as there have only been three ties and the leaders were correct on just 6 of  13 matches.  BigRedMessi 2 is still last with one point.

The funniest thing about the TV broadcasts is watching a Pando* shot go high above the crossbar and through the virtual jumbo-tron "behind" the goal. 

*-Named after Guillermo “Pando” Ramirez, this LA Galaxy player in 2005 had 62 shots but only one goal in the regular season-- on a PK that deflected off the GK into the net.  However, he scored the GW goal in overtime against New England to win the Galaxy their 2nd MLS title.  It was my infamous yell while in the bathroom after regulation (watching with Galaxy Stats Crewat a restaurant) that "Pando will get the game-winner!".  And it came true.