The San Jose Earthquakes and Austin FC battle to a 2-2 draw in a cliffhanger at Pay Pal Park in San Jose on Sat Apr 2, 2022 (photo from the San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — It looked like a good old fashioned Goonies comeback.

The San Jose Earthquakes scored two goals in two minutes in the second half to overcome a two-goal deficit in a 2-2 draw result with Austin FC on Saturday afternoon at Pay Pal Park.

San Jose, despite earning a point, remained winless in its first five matches to start the season. Austin FC has points in four out of its first five matches to start the season.

Austin FC (2-1-2) drew first blood in the 11th minute. Julio Cascante sent a long ball in from midfield. Maxi Urruti touched the ball up into the air before shooting it over the head of Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski just below the crossbar for his first goal of the season.

San Jose (0-3-2) had scoring chances from Cristian Espinoza in the 7th and 26th minutes as well as a free kick from Jan Gregus from 18 yards out in the 35th minute, only to have Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver keep the ball out of the back of the net.

Austin FC dictated the play in the opening 45 minutes with six total shots, three on target.

Jackson Yeuill was called for a foul inside the box on Dani Pereira in the 50th minute resulting in a penalty shot for Austin FC by referee Alex Chillowicz.

Sebastian Driussi cashed in the penalty with a shot into the upper left corner of the net for his team leading fourth goal of the season in the 52nd minute.

The Quakes came within inches of cutting Austin FC’s in half when a header by Francisco Calvo off a corner kick danced on the goal line and was kicked away by Stuver before the ball crossed the line in the 55th minute.

San Jose was awarded a penalty shot in the 69th minute when former Earthquakes defender Nick Lima took down Jamiro Monteiro inside the box off a centering pass.

Jeremy Ebobisse finished the penalty kick by getting Stuver to guess wrong as he tapped home the ball into an empty net for his first goal of the season in the 70th minute.

The Quakes struck again to even the score two minutes later off a set piece. Gregus sent the ball into the middle off of a corner kick and Cade Cowell was able to swarm in and beat Stuver with a left footed shot for his first goal of the season in the 72nd minute.

San Jose had a chance to score the winning goal in the 88th minute when Ebobisse pickpocketed an Austin FC defender just outside the box. Ebobisse’s shot and Cowell’s rebound attempt were stopped by Stuver. However, the rebound attempt by Calvo sailed high over the net on what was an empty net.

Marcinkowski finished the match with three saves on four shots. Stuver stood on his head making eight saves on 10 shots.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with nine corner kicks. Austin FC had none.

Cowell was named the Man of the Match.

Each team were issued three yellow cards during the match.

The Earthquakes are unbeaten in the four meetings with Austin, including three last season.

The Earthquakes are off to the second-worst start in club history with two points from five matches, only beating out the 2019 season in which they lost four in a row to open the campaign. San Jose has never had fewer than three points after five games of a season (three in 2014 and 2019).

Austin FC snapped its 10-match road losing streak dating back to last June, scoring only two goals in those games. There have been only seven longer road losing streaks in league history while only the Red Bulls from March to June 2009 (1 goal) have scored fewer than two goals over any 10-match road span.

UP NEXT: San Jose travels out to Houston to take on the Dynamo on Saturday 4/9 at 5:30pm at BBVA Compass Stadium.