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Wondolowski's late goal lifts EarthquakesWondolowski's late goal lifts EarthquakesWondolowski's late goal lifts Earthquakes

Aug 23, 2009 - 5:47 AM By GEOFF LEPPER STATS MLS Correspondent

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (STATS) ??? Chris Wondolowski grew up idolizing the stars of the first San Jose Earthquakes franchise.

On Saturday night, the Bay Area native wrote a little bit of history for the new Earthquakes.

Wondolowski scored in the third minute of second-half injury time to give San Jose a 1-0 victory over the Kansas City Wizards. It was the first 1-0 win in franchise history for the second-year Earthquakes, who were installed in San Jose after the initial franchise moved to Houston in 2005.

"It's always in your dreams and mentally picture this happening, but I don't think you could script it out any better ??? in the 90th minute," said Wondolowski, who made his debut with the original Earthquakes in 2005, and was acquired by the new franchise from Houston on June 9. "You always dream of getting those game-winning goals in the last minute and I was fortunate to get that."

Wondolowski, who came on as a substitute in the 83rd minute, beat Kansas City defender Michael Harrington to a spot some 15 yards from net. Once there, he delivered a glancing header to Ramiro Corrales' long cross from the left side, redirecting the ball just out of the reach of Wizards goalkeeper Kevin Hartman and just inside the far post.

"It was one of those seeing-eye singles where it just kind of found its way to the corner," Wondolowski said.

Bobby Convey also received an assist for setting up Corrales.

The goal provided a much-needed reversal of late-game fortune for the Earthquakes (5-11-5), who have been victimized four times this season by go-ahead or tying goals scored in the 82nd minute or later.

"We deserved the goal in the end," San Jose coach Frank Yallop said. "To score real late like that is great, because it's happened to us a few times and it's not easy to take. They'll be upset, because they had chances tonight to score."

San Jose goalkeeper Joe Cannon was up to the task, however, making seven stops ??? a couple of them on the spectacular side ??? to secure the second shutout of the year for the Earthquakes.

Interim Kansas City coach Peter Vermes will have to wait at least another week to notch his first win. Vermes' second consecutive defeat was also the sixth straight match without a win for the Wizards (5-9-6). Kansas City has been shut out in five of those games.

"I thought that we did more than enough to earn a point here today," Vermes said. "We created some really good chances in the first half. We should have put something away from there. . . . But our performance, from last week to this week, it was a huge improvement."

Both sides had plenty of chances during a testy first half marked by wide-open offenses and a dearth of quality defending.

San Jose forward Cornell Glen found the back of the net just two minutes in, but the goal was wiped out by a delayed call on Glen for fouling Kansas City captain Jimmy Conrad while gaining possession of the ball.

Glen came tantalizingly close again in the ninth minute, when he collected the rebound from a Darren Huckerby shot and chipped a shot over Hartman, who had been forced to come to the top of the penalty box. The ball bounced off the left post.

Four minutes later, Glen was once again in the thick of things when he intercepted an ill-advised header by Rauwshan McKenzie and punched the ball past Hartman. Glen was called offsides, however, a decision that prompted howls of protest from the Earthquakes bench and led to the ejection of assistant coach Ian Russell.

"Cornell was offsides for the initial header, but once the ball is played by a Kansas City player, that play is dead, and then whatever position our players are in, it doesn't matter," Yallop said. "I thought according to the rules, that goal should have stood."

Glen left in the 39th minute after straining his right hamstring.

Jason Hernandez was given a yellow card for hauling down Josh Wolff in the 52nd minute, and will miss the Earthquakes' next game while serving a one-game league suspension.