SAN JOSE — Earthquakes striker Sam Garza is having a crisis of confidence according to his coach Frank Yallop.

The second-year player out of UC Santa Barbara failed to get a shot off in the 74th minute Sunday night in a 1-1 tie against Portland after charging into the penalty box uncontested.

“He reads the play fantastically well,” Yallop said Tuesday. “He nicks the ball and is in on goal but doesn’t calm down and finish that. You just got to get something on goal. A confident player gets it out of his feet and strikes it.”

Yallop added, “We don’t doubt him. But at some point he’s got to grab it.”

Garza, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2012 Major League Soccer draft, was the target of Chris Wondolowski’s ire last month at Columbus for a mishandled play that could have produced a game-winning goal.

Rookie Adam Jahn found Garza on the right. The Texan advanced the ball into the Columbus penalty area with only goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum to beat.

Garza, 23, shot just wide of the far post. But he failed to see Wondolowski unmarked on the other side for what probably would have been an easy goal. Wondolowski later apologized for dressing down his teammate for shooting instead of passing the ball.

Garza is expected to play Tuesday night in a reserve league game at Seattle Sounders FC.