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'Quakes hope to end winless skid against Toronto

Aug 26, 2011 - 7:37 PM Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Toronto FC is looking to get back on track when it hosts the San Jose Earthquakes at BMO Field on Saturday.

Toronto was able to earn a hard-fought 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake on August 13th, but could not build upon the result. In its last outing, the Canadian club lost 2-0 to another struggling team in the Eastern Conference, the Chicago Fire, putting an end to Toronto's six-game unbeaten run.

Despite the loss, defender Andy Iro believes the team still competed admirably.

"We had a six-game unbeaten streak which we lost, but it's certainly one of the more complete performances [Sunday] that we've had," Iro said. "I think we controlled most of the game. I think we created opportunities and if we were a little sharper defensively then maybe we keep a shutout."

Toronto head coach and technical director Aron Winter echoed Iro's sentiments.

"At that moment we were not sharp, so if you watch the whole game, we had opportunities to change [the scoreline] based on the possession game that we played." Winter said. "We should earn more than a defeat in this game. For the most part, I think we played well even if we lost two to nil. We have had a lot of changes. We were not sharp with the finishing. That is something I think we can blame ourselves."

Toronto was missing a couple key components from its first-choice lineup. Striker Danny Koevermans, who had scored three times in five league starts, amd midfielder Eric Avila both missed the match after sustaining hamstring injuries. Both players are questionable ahead of the match against the Earthquakes.

San Jose continues to struggle in 2011. With its most recent loss, a 2-0 defeat to the Los Angeles Galaxy, the club is now winless in its last 12 matches.

The Earthquakes have not won since a 4-2 victory over D.C. United on June 11, going 0-6-6 since that match.

The club-record 12-game winless streak has knocked the 'Quakes down to eighth place in the Western Conference, as they have only mustered 25 points from 25 games.

San Jose has struggled tremendously in front of goal, recording just two goals in its past five matches. Chris Wondolowski, who leads the club with eight goals on the year, has gone five games without scoring.

With strikers Alan Gordon (abdominal surgery) and Steven Lenhart (leave of absence) unavailable, Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop could start any combination of Wondolowski, Khari Stephenson, and Edmundo Zura up front.

These two teams played to a 1-1 draw in their previous meeting on April 9. Gordon, who was a member of Toronto at the time, provided the goal for the Canadian side, while Simon Dawkins equalized for the 'Quakes.