FC Dallas stretches Quakes’ winless streak to 7

The patchwork of San Jose’s defense could only stretch so far without an offensive answer.

The Quakes’ failed to press into the thick of the Western Conference playoff picture, extending their winless streak to seven games with Friday’s 1-0 loss to the MLS-leading FC Dallas.

Head Coach Dominic Kinnear said:

“Right now we’re just not scoring enough goals. We’re playing from behind. It’s easier said than done to go out there and get the first goal. It’s a frustrating period for us right now. I think we’re a little bit disappointed in ourselves right not.”

Dallas’ winning strike came in the 51st minute, after San Jose’s Marvell Wynne lofted an unclaimed cross away from his own net at perilous altitude. The ball suspended long enough to meet the foot of an arching Maximiliano Urruti, who bicycled for a kinetic marvel of a score.

Urruti’s score broke an improbable spell of bad luck from both sides after a chance-riddled first half, and the head-scratching did not stop there.

Midfielder Shea Salinas said:

“We’re getting chances, this game we had a lot of chances. We hit the post and had a bunch of other times where we were in on goal. It’s just not falling our way. If we weren’t getting chances it’d be something we’d be worried about, but I think inevitably goals will come.”

The Quakes struck fool’s gold in the 68th minute, when Anibal Godoy collided with Dallas goalkeeper Chris Seitz as he snatched a San Jose corner kick from the air. Seitz coughed up the ball for an easy Quincy Amarikwa tap-in, but Seitz’s contact prompted the referee to rescind the goal.

Even with a slew of injuries in the back and midfield — including steady defender Clarence Goodson and 22-year-old midfielder Marc Pelosi — the Quakes’ defense heeled Dallas’ MLS-best offense better than most. It was the Quakes offense who failed to overcome the manageable one-goal deficit.

Chris Wondolowski, typically San Jose’s savior in close contests, surrendered his cape for the evening, squandering the Quakes’ best chances of the night. Wondolowski’s first point-blank miss came after Cordell Cato forked a pass between the legs of a Dallas defender for an angled look at getting past Seitz. His second resulted from an Alberto Quintero feed that squared San Jose’s top goal scorer at across-the-dinner-table range.

Salinas lamented his own missed chance after the game:

“You’re just trying to get (a chance like that) on frame, and unfortunately it hits the goalie in the chest.”

The loss marked San Jose’s first of the year at Avaya Stadium, where they’ve won six and tied three.

Midfielder Anibal Godoy said:

“It’s difficult to lose at home. But at the same time, you have to capitalize on the opportunities. We were the better team in the first half, but things just changed in the second half.”

The Quakes look to edge back into the playoff hunt July 16, when they host the struggling Toronto FC.