San Jose Earthquakes captain Jackson Yueill (#14) celebrates with Hernán López (#23) after the first of two goals scored by López against FC Dallas in the Quakes 3-2 win at Pay Pal Park on Wednesday OCT 2, 2024. (San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — Hernán López picked a great time to record his first MLS multi-goal game.

López scored two goals as the San Jose Earthquakes held on late to defeat FC Dallas 3-2 on Wednesday evening at Pay Pal Park.

San Jose won for the first time in their last six matches. FC Dallas has lost three of their past four matches and with the loss were eliminated from playoff contention in the Western Conference.

It was the Hernán show on a hot muggy night in the South Bay. With temperatures still in the 90’s at game time, the Man of the Match recorded his first brace in a Quakes uniform since the Argentine midfielder signed with the club back in April of this year.

Earthquakes interim head coach Ian Russell flipped his lineup around going with a 4-2-3-1 formation that saw Bruno Wilson and Oscar Verhoeven inserted into the back line and fullback Paul Marie upfront with López and Cristian Espinoza.

“It’s been a tough season, but these fans deserve a win,” said Russell on how good the win felt. “The team deserves a win. So, I said [to the team], ‘Just enjoy tonight.’ The game did feel pretty comfortable. We looked dangerous on the break. The last four or five games have been pretty dangerous on the break, but this one, we finished our chances.”

San Jose (6-23-3-21-points) drew first blood in the 14th minute. Wilson, who cracked the starting lineup since injuring his hamstring against NYCFC on May 31st, found López down the middle from the right wing. López spun around, made one touch with the ball before firing a left-footed shot past FC Dallas goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer to the lower left side of the net from 25 yards out for his fifth goal of the season.

FC Dallas (10-15-7-37 points) leveled the match in the 41st minute. Paul Arriola chipped a ball into the middle of the box where the ball bounced off the chest of Petar Musa over to unmarked Alan Velasco who beat ‘Quakes goalkeeper Daniel with a left-footed shot for his second goal of the season.

The match was headed toward a draw until the late match magic from López who scored his second goal in the 79th minute. A collision between two FC Dallas defenders created a turnover San Jose took advantage of. Amahl Pelegrino dribbled the ball down the left wing before centering the ball back into the middle. López controlled the ball before chipping it over Maurer just inside the right post for his sixth goal of the season.

“I was happy to score tonight. Obviously, the season hasn’t gone our way, but being able to finish the season strong, we’re happy to see that and I’m thrilled with the victory … Obviously, you’d like to score three goals, but I wasn’t able to do that. I’m just very happy to be able to score two goals at home. … I was able to dedicate those goals to my mother and my father and my family,” López said.

Jeremy Ebobisse, who came in as a sub in the 63rd minute for Jack Skahan, gave San Jose an insurance goal that ended up proving to be the game winner just four minutes later. Once again, a turnover by FC Dallas in the middle of the pitch led to a Quakes counterattack. Niko Tsakiris intercepted a pass that freed Ebobisse up the pitch. A give and go between Ebobisse and Tsakiris led to the veteran striker finishing a left-footed shot with authority into the back of the net for his sixth goal of the season.

FC Dallas, with their season on the line, didn’t go down quietly. Bernard Kamungo earned a penalty kick after VAR reviewed Wilson’s foul for knocking down Kamungo inside the box in the 89th minute. However, Daniel made a diving save knocking the bound out of bounds on Jesús Ferreira’s penalty attempt right before stoppage time.

Sebastien Ibeagha made it a one-goal game in the 90th minute when he headed in a corner kick from Sebastian Lletget into the far corner of the net for his second goal of the season. FC Dallas had one last chance to score the equalizer in the fourth minute of stoppage time but Kamungo’s bicycle kick from inside the box sailed just high over the net.

Daniel made three saves on four shots on goal to earn the victory. Maurer made one save on five shots on target in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with four corner kicks. FC Dallas had five.

Pellegrino’s 79th-minute assist was his second in MLS play and fourth in all competitions, running his goal contribution total to nine in MLS play (7g/2a) and 11 in all competitions (7g/4a).

Tsakiris recorded the first assist in his MLS career in the 83rd minute; it was his second assist and goal contribution in all competitions (0g/2a).

Espinoza’s assist of López’s 14th-minute goal was his 14th of the season in MLS play, lifting him to a tie for sixth on the overall league leaderboard. The assist also puts him now at 18 goal contributions in MLS play (4g/14a) and 21 in all competitions (5g/16a).

Espinoza also became the first player in Earthquakes history to have three straight seasons with 10 or more assists in MLS play (2022: 14; 2023: 13; 2024: 14 and counting).

San Jose is 30-22-22 in the overall series with FC Dallas.

UP NEXT: San Jose plays their regular season home finale on Saturday 10/5 against Real Salt Lake at 7:30pm at Pay Pal Park.