By Matthew Harrington

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Perhaps all the San Jose Earthquakes needed to reach full potential in 2014, all they needed was a familiar face and the national spotlight in town. If that’s the case, Quakes coach Mark Watson might beg the NBC Sports trucks not to leave the Santa Clara University.

On the MLS game of the week, the San Jose Earthquakes trounced the Chicago Fire 5-1 Wednesday night at Buck Shaw Stadium, riding an offensive wave to snap a five-game winless stretch. Goals from Shea Salinas, Atiba Harris and Chris Wondolowski gave San Jose its first win at home since a 3-0 blanking of the Houston Dynamo, helping a team sitting dead last in the Western Conference (5-8-5, 20 points) gain some ground in the standings.

“We haven’t had the points at home that we should have,” said Watson. “That’s a big result, to back the performance up in New York. This is the time of the season where we need to pick up points quickly. This is a huge result and will give us a huge boost of confidence to move forward.”

It took a goal in the 85th minute from Steven Lenhart to draw the San Jose even in New York Saturday for the point in game where the lacked a finishing touch against the Red Bulls. In fact, over a run of six games entering Wednesday, the Quakes went 1-4-1 while only scoring four goals total. Wednesday night, five different Quakes found their way onto the score sheet, the highest scoring output San Jose produced this season and most goals in a game since a 5-0 blanking of Real Salt Lake at home July 14, 2012.

“That’s what we’re capable of,” said Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch. “We know when we get the consistency, that’s what we’re capable of. We’ve talked about it in this locker room. We have some very talented players. Today it all came together.”

The Quakes’ dominant performance came in front of the architect of many an Earthquake victory, with former bench boss Frank Yallop facing his old charges for the first time as head coach of Chicago (3-5-11, 20 points). Before joining the Men in Red this season, the Watford native brought two MLS Cups to Silicon Valley, scaling the stateside summit in 2001 and 2003. In his time with the team from 2001-03 and 2008-13, the English-born Canadian shot-caller compiled 99 wins, earned 2001 and 2012 Coach of the Year Honors and nabbed the club’s lone Supporters’ Shield in 2012. It marks the only time San Jose finished with the most points of all MLS teams at season’s end.

“It was pretty emotional,” said Yallop. “I saw the new stadium going up, which is a great thing for the city. I was very happy for that. It’s different. It’s weird sitting on the other bench, but you move on. I have some fantastic memories and times here, so I’ll never forget those. I’m pleased for Mark to get the result tonight but I’m not happy we lost.”

“It was a little different, to be honest,” said Watson, who served as an assistant under Yallop from 2010-2013 with San Jose as well as with the Canadian national team from 2004-06. “He’s been a great friend of mine. I’ve coached with him a long time. It was a little different, but once the game starts you’re focused on the team, the game and getting points.”

A strike deep into the first half by Shea Salinas converted early promise into late success. In the 45th minute, Salinas tried to chip a pass around a Chicago defender but instead hit shinguard. The carom landed tidily in front of midfielder Yannick Djalo who fed a lead pass to a streaking Salinas down the left side. Salinas took the ball down the sideline then advance in towards the Chicago cage. The Quakes midfielder fired a shot to the far post that beat Fire goalkeeper Sean Johnson’s dive to tally his first goal of the season and put San Jose up 1-0 heading into the interval.

“That was an incredible goal,” said Watson. “Shea’s a little different when he plays on the left side. As right footed player, his natural tendency is to come inside. We’ve worked with him a little bit on situations where ‘what do you do when you come inside’ or get too far central.”

“What a goal,” said Busch. “That was a great goal by Shea. That helps a lot. We were playing well, getting a lot of chances. For him to bury that one before halftime, it really gave us a boost.”

The Quakes opened the second half with another offensive flurry, with Atiba Harris finding the back of the net in the 52nd minute. Harris played give-and-go with Chris Wondolowski, who found himself anchored dead center at the mouth of the penalty box. Wondolowski put the ball on net, but Johnson made the save. The rebound bounced to Harris, who buried the ball in a vacated net to stake San Jose to a commanding 2-0 advantage. Just over ten minutes later, Wondlowski made it 3-0, scoring on a low liner for his seventh goal of the season and a comfortable 3-0 edge.

Grant Ward of Chicago sullied Quakes keeper Jon Busch’s clean sheet, beating the keeper in the 75th minute to inch the visitors a pair short of the tie. That’d be all the offense the Second City squad could muster though, with the Quakes defense winning out on the day. Yannick Djalo tacked on a marker with a delicate touch to arch one over Johnson in the 79th minute while substitution Cordell Cato added a goal of his own in the 85th minute.

Djalo, on loan from Benifica of Portugal for his first season in the MLS, finished the night with a goal and two assists playing underneath the defense for most of the night in a role normally filled by two-time Golden Boot winner Chris Wondolowski.

“If we’re getting results like that, I’ll play wherever,” said Wondolowski. “I thought he did good. It’s a good situation.”

It may be a situation that continues in the future according to the man in charge of the Quakes lineup.

“When you’re searching for performances, results, points, you try different things,” said Watson. “Based on his performance tonight, things look pretty good. There’s a chance we’ll see that again.”

Djalo will most likely get his next shot when San Jose hosts Atletico Madrid Sunday at a special venue as the Quakes take part in the farewell tour of Candlestick Park. Some other players, like Alan Gordon or Steven Lenhart (a late scratch Wednesday night), may not take part in the exhibition against the European side in order to be back to full strength for a late-season charge.

“We’ll have to look at everything. Obviously it’s an important game in some ways. It’s a fantastic opponent and we’re playing the last event at Candle Stick. We want to play well and win the game but we also have to look at the big picture and make the best decisions.”