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Earthquakes eye elusive win over Dallas

Mar 25, 2011 - 7:45 PM Frisco, TX (Sports Network) - The San Jose Earthquakes lost their opening match of the 2011 Major League Soccer season last weekend, but head coach Frank Yallop was quite pleased with the performance.

"I feel really, really upset for the guys not to get something out of that game, because I thought we played great tonight," Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop said. "I was very happy with the performance, and obviously not the result."

The result was a 1-0 defeat to Real Salt Lake in a match that saw San Jose create plenty of chances, but fail to convert even one.

And things won't get any easier on Saturday at Pizza Hut Park when the 'Quakes meet 2010 MLS Cup finalist FC Dallas.

The Hoops played to a 1-1 draw with the Chicago Fire in their opener, but the result was a good one for Schellas Hyndman's team, which was reduced to 10 men in the 55th minute when defender Brek Shea was sent off for a foul on Chicago's Gaston Puerari.

Much of the credit for Dallas getting a point from the contest has to go to goalkeeper Kevin Hartman, who made a number of quality saves down the stretch to preserve the draw.

Hartman's presence in the back was extra important with Dallas using Shea, who has played as an attacker for the club in past years, in central defense.

And although Shea will be out through suspension this weekend, leaving the Hoops with a bit of an unsettled back line, Hartman still believes in the players in front of him.

"It was kind of a 'mish-mosh' of a backline but there are a lot of guys that I have confidence in," Hartman said.

The Earthquakes have failed to win any of their last six meetings with Dallas, and the club will be without midfielder Khari Stephenson, who is away on international duty with Jamaica.