Former Hull City midfielder Geovanni (Deiberson) helped lift his new team, the San Jose Earthquakes, to an impressive 2-1 win over Houston Dynamo on Sunday. The little Brazilian is the first designated player to ever sign with San Jose, and he is already proving a hit with fans as he got an assist on the first goal while scoring the winning goal on 64 minutes.
Quakes coach Frank Yallop rolled the dice and handed Geovanni his first MLS start and the designated player made his impact felt immediately. In the 6th minute, the Brazilian playmaker received the ball near midfield and raced 35 yards past several Dynamo players. Near the edge of the box, he sent the ball to the penalty spot where Khari Stephenson slotted home calmly to put San Jose up 1-0.
In the 64th minute, against the run of play, the Quakes capitalized on a counterattack. Brandon McDonald fed the ball into the box, where Cornell Glen laid the ball back to Geovanni, who finished easily to put the Quakes ahead for good.
The win cements San Jose’s 6th place position, and leaves them in with a fighting chance to reach the playoffs. It will be interesting to see how much more of an impact Geovanni will have for the rest of the season and if he can lead the team to the 4th place position.
