Category: San Jose Earthquakes

Vancouver’s Picault and Armstrong each with a goal defeat Quakes 2-0 at BC Place

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San Jose Earthquakes Tanner Beason (15) blocks the penalty kick by the Vancouver Whitecaps Ali Ahmed (22) in first half action at BC Place in Vancouver on Sat Sep 14, 2024 (Canadian Press via AP photo)

By William Espy

The San Jose Earthquakes are back on the road, this time heading to BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia to take on the Vancouver Whitecaps. Since the Leagues Cup, Vancouver is 1-0-1, defeating Austin FC and drawing with FC Dallas. Meanwhile, the Quakes are 1-1-0, defeating Real Salt Lake and falling to Minnesota United FC.

Vancouver entered the night as a heavy favorite, and that’s for good reason. Not only did they have the all-important home-field advantage, but they also found themselves sixth in the Western Conference while the Earthquakes were last in the conference by a considerable margin. The Quakes were shutout on Saturday night at BC Place in Vancouver 2-0, as the Whitecaps got goals from Fafa Picault and Stuart Armstrong.

Earthquakes Starting XI: Daniel, Marie, Beason, Rodrigues, Akapo, Kikanovic, Yueill, Tsakiris, Lopez, Espinoza, Judd

Whitecaps Starting XI:Takaoka, Utvik, Veselinovic, Blackmon, Ahmed, Vite, Priso, Schopf, Adekugbe, Picault, Gauld

The Whitecaps were controlling the game in the first half. They more than doubled up the Earthquakes on shots, both total and on target. The Whitecaps had 8 total, five of which were on target. Meanwhile, the Quakes only had 3 and 2 respectively.

Possession was in Vancouver’s favor as well, with them having 56% possession after 45 minutes. Despite that, it took Vancouver until the 35th minute to get on the scoreboard when Fafa Picault scored off of an assist by Ryan Gauld on a set piece. Gauld took the corner kick, and it landed directly on Picault’s head giving Daniel no chance to make a save. It was a picture-perfect corner by Vancouver.

With the Whitecaps already the favorites heading into the match, and their early lead making it even more likely that they walk away with three points, the Earthquakes had a lot of work to do to overcome the odds.

San Jose had a couple of substitutions to start the second half with Ousseni Bouda and Vitor Costa coming on for Preston Judd and Benjamin Kikanovic. About ten minutes later, they make another change, taking off Niko Tsakiris for Alfredo Morales.

Despite the changes, Vancouver looked even more dominant to start the second half. They were controlling possession at an even more extreme rate, weren’t allowing the Quakes to get shots off, and overall were outplaying the visitors.

They fired a considerable number of shots at Daniel, and many of them forced the goalkeeper to make a save. All in all, they’d have 11 shots on target and 19 total.

In the 86th minute, Gauld got his second assist of the night on a very unselfish pass which found Stuart Armstrong wide open. He was able to put it away with no issues, giving the Whitecaps a 2-0 lead which they’d carry to the end of the match. The Earthquakes only managed two shots for the entirety of the second half, and none of them forced the goalkeeper to make a save as they were both off target.

It’s not very surprising that the Earthquakes dropped points against a top-half team in the Western Conference while on the road. The Whitecaps are a strong side in the midst of a playoff push, while there isn’t much optimism around the Earthquakes in general at the moment.

The lack of any type of offensive production, specifically in the second half certainly should be concerning though. In a season where there’s no hope in the standings, you have to at least hope for a moral victory, and in this case there weren’t even any of those to speak of. The Earthquakes will look to right the ship as their road trip continues in Seattle to take on the Sounders this Wednesday.

Quakes Espinoza and Pellegrino score in shutout against Real Salt Lake 2-0 at America First Field

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The San Jose Earthquakes got scoring help from Cristian Espinoza and Amahl Pellegrino against Real Salt Lake at America First Field in Sandy UT on Sat Aug 24, 2024 (San Jose Earthquakes image)

By William Espy

The San Jose Earthquakes visited Real Salt Lake in Utah on Saturday night. It was the second straight night that a team from the Bay Area played at America First Field in Sandy UT, as Bay FC was there the night before. After a surprisingly strong showing in the Leagues Cup, the Quakes were hoping to use that momentum to move up the table in the MLS. They did when they got a shutout against Real Salt Lake 2-0.

Earthquakes Starting XI: Daniel, Costa, Rodrigues, Munie, Kikanovic, Gruezo, Yueill, Pellegrino, Lopez, Espinoza, Bouda

Salt Lake Starting XI: MacMath, Hidalgo, Glad, Vera, Katranis, Eneli, Ojeda, Chang, Crooks, Goncalves, Arango

Right out of the gate, Salt Lake brought some heavy attacking power getting a few low-quality scoring chances in the opening minutes. Ultimately though, it wouldn’t matter as Cristian Espinoza would get the visitors on the board first with a goal despite it being a low percentage chance in the 20th minute off of an assist by Jackson Yueill. The Earthquakes had an early lead, but playing with a lead has been one of their biggest issues so far this season. They’re used to trailing, and as a result they seem to panic when they’re the team in front.

It wouldn’t take long for the Quakes to extend their lead, as Amahl Pellegrino would score from inside of the box in the 33rd minute to make it 2-0 in favor of San Jose. The Earthquakes would hold the lead into the break, as Real Salt Lake was unable to get on the board before half time.

Despite the fact that Salt Lake was dominating in terms of possession, they weren’t creating the same quality of chances that the Earthquakes were. The total number of shot attempts were similar, however much more of San Jose’s were getting on target and as a result they had a much higher expected goals. The Quakes were also doing a good job of blocking shots to prevent quality scoring chances.

Statistically, Salt Lake played a strong game. They were completing a lot of passes, maintaining possession and earning themselves quite a few corner kicks. They were generating chances as well, but since they weren’t on target it didn’t do much to help them out. It was essentially the reverse of the Bay FC vs Utah Royals game from the night before, as the home team couldn’t score but the visitors were taking advantage of their opportunities, even if they were low quality.

Considering the fact that Real Salt Lake was third in the Western Conference entering the match and the Earthquakes were dead last in the conference, most likely would have written off San Jose before the game even started. The Quakes showed that their improved performances in the Leagues Cup wasn’t a fluke though, as they aim to finish the season on a much more positive note. San Jose is quite a ways off of the team in front of them, as St Louis had a 9 point advantage, however it’s a step in the right direction for the Earthquakes and something they’ll need to build off of.

Salt Lake didn’t get much of an opportunity in stoppage time, as only two minutes were added. When the final whistle blew, it marked a clean sheet for the Earthquakes as they walked away with a 2-0 victory over one of the top teams in their conference. It’s a bit ambitious to think of this as a massive spark for the team moving forward, but it certainly doesn’t hurt and can get them on the right track for the remainder of the season.

Guadalajara-San Jose battle to a 1-1 draw at Levis Stadium

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The San Jose Earthquakes celebrate after San Jose Earthquakes’ Vitor Costa (94) kicks in the winning penalty kick against Chivas de Guadalajara at the end of a Leagues Cup game at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Saturday, July 27, 2024. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)

By William Espy

SANTA CLARA–The San Jose Earthquakes started the Leagues Cup group stage against Chivas de Guadalajara on Saturday night at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara. Despite the game being played in the Bay Area, the Quakes were officially the away team and Guadalajara were hosting.

There were some family ties between both teams as Cade Cowell, a native of Ceres, California was in the lineup for Chivas. His younger brother Chance Cowell is a member of the Earthquakes organization but is currently part of their MLS Next team. For the Earthquakes, they got some good news for once with Daniel returning to the lineup following an injury earlier in the season.

The attendance of 50,675 set a new record for the Leagues Cup as well, making the matchup a monumental occasion for the competition. Fittingly, since it was technically a Chivas home game it seemed like the majority of the crowd was donning their iconic red-and-white striped jersey as well.

Guadalajara and San Jose dueled to a 1-1 tie at Levi Stadium in Santa Clara on Saturday night.

Earthquakes Starting XI: Daniel, Costa, Rodrigues, Beason, Kikanovic, Lopez, Gruezo, Yueill, Pellegrino, Ebobisse, Espinoza

Chivas Starting XI: Rangel, Mozo, G. Sepulveda, L. Sepulveda, Chavez, Gonzalez, Marin, Guzman, Gutierrez, Cowell, Perez

Cowell tried to get some offense going in the opening minute, but his shot was blocked. Cristian Espinoza and Hernan Lopez tried to work their magic for the Quakes in the fourth minute, but Lopez’s shot was blocked and floated down to the goalkeeper Jose Rangel.

The Earthquakes got themselves on the board first though, a header from Jeremy Ebobisse found the net after a great pass by Espinoza, making it 1-0 less than ten minutes into the match. Rangel almost made a major mistake moments later, a bad pass to the centerback caused the ball to pop up into the air, and Espinoza nearly got possession with the goalkeeper well out of position.

Chivas were able to recover and prevent the MLS’s representative from taking a 2-0 lead. Chivas had a chance to score an equalizer in the 18th minute when the Earthquakes got discombobulated in their own box, but through the chaos they were unable to capitalize on the opportunity.

During the first 20 minutes, it felt like the Earthquakes were firmly in control of the match. Cowell continued trying to be a difference-maker for his side though, forcing Daniel to make a save in the 21st minute.

Cowell was undoubtedly the Chivas’ best player early in the match but his efforts alone wouldn’t be enough for them to walk away with a win. 25 minutes into his return, Daniel went down in some discomfort and required medical attention.

He would remain in the match and it would get back underway shortly. Ebobisse nearly made it a brace in the 27th minute, but Rangel was able to make the save and the ball went out for a corner. After a scramble in front of the goal in the 28th minute, Chivas attempted to appeal for a penalty when an attacker went down inside the box but play went on with no call on the play.

The remainder of the first half was end-to-end action, with neither team really getting a major advantage. Chivas got their best opportunity of the half as stoppage time expired, but the defender in front of the goal was able to get in front of it and the Quakes cleared it out. The score would remain 1-0 in favor of the Quakes heading into the break.

Chivas had 45 more minutes to find an equalizer, while the Earthquakes looked to pull off a major upset to open the Leagues Cup. The Chivas had a promising attacking opportunity in the 51st minute, but the two attackers ran into one another inside of their own box allowing the Earthquakes to recover defensively and clear the ball.

Ebobisse tried to recreate his opening goal in the 56th minute with another header attempt, but the shot went just wide of the goal. Chivas were desperate to get the tying goal, but they were struggling to do so. They were creating chances in the second half, but San Jose’s defense and goalkeeper were holding strong.

Roberto Alvarado fired a long shot in the 70th minute which forced Daniel to jump in an attempt to tip it over the goal. The ball stayed out of the netting, but Daniel once again needed to get medical attention. As the final 20 minutes got underway, the Earthquakes were maintaining their lead but Chivas were bringing pressure.

Chivas nearly scored in the 73rd minute but fouled Daniel on the play and as a result, possession was given to San Jose. Mateo Chavez was on the wrong side of a brutal, but seemingly clean slide tackle in the 78th minute which saw him out of the play as the Earthquakes launched a counter-attack.

He eventually got back up and remained in the game, but was very slow to get up. In the 80th, Chivas got a very dangerous free-kick chance after a foul by Espinoza but were unable to capitalize on it, as the ball went out for a corner, giving them another attacking opportunity.

Armando Gonzalez’s shot would go wide of the goal on the following play though, and the Quakes would get a goal kick. Physicality was the main story in the second half, and it came to a head when Fidel Barajas ran into Daniel resulting in a scuffle in midfield.

Moments later, a midfield collision led to the official handing out multiple yellow cards after another scuffle with quite a few players from both teams involved. Frustration had clearly set in for Chivas, who were likely embarrassed by trailing the opposition they viewed as inferior.

Daniel went down in the 90th minute following another collision. He attempted to remain on his feet as Chivas attacked but kept dropping to a knee until play stopped and he got medical attention. Eight minutes of stoppage time were awarded after there were quite a few delays during the half.

A win was in sight for the Earthquakes though, they just needed to hold on a little longer. Daniel made a save in the 94th minute, when he hit the ground though the ball nearly bobbled loose into the goal but he was able to recover it.

Chivas had an almost certain equalizer in the 95th minute off of a header, but it rang off the goalpost. For the first time this season, it seemed like luck was in the Quakes’ favor. The crowd erupted in the 98th minute when the Chivas finally got their equalizer off of a shot by Roberto Alvarado.

Fans instantly began throwing things on the field in celebration. The game would end in a 1-1 tie, but went to a penalty shootout for an extra point in the group stage. Daniel saved the Chivas’ first shot. Jack Skahan stepped up first for the Quakes and scored, giving them a 1-0 lead in the shootout.

Alan Mozo was next for Chivas,and he scored. Paul Marie stepped up to the spot for San Jose, and he missed the shot. It was tied up heading into the third round. San Jose’s decision to substitute off all of their dangerous offensive players backfired.

Erick Gutierrez scored for Chivas, and Rodrigues came up for San Jose and kept it tied. Cowell was next for Chivas and he shot it well over the goal and Alfredo Morales gave the Quakes a lead. Fernando Beltran missed his opportunity, and Costa put it away for the Earthquakes who walked away with the extra point.

Minnesota shuts out Earthquakes 2-0 in St Paul; Loss is third in a row for SJ

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Scoreboard says it all as the San Jose Earthquakes are shutout by the Minnesota United FC at Allianz Field in St Paul MN on Sat Jul 20, 2024 (San Jose Earthquakes X image)

By William Espy

The San Jose Earthquakes were on the road visiting Minnesota United FC at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, MN on Saturday night. Minnesota entered the night battling for a playoff spot in the Western Conference despite a 3-game losing streak at home while San Jose was trying to claw their way out of the league’s basement. The Quakes picked up their third straight loss of their own making getting shutout 2-0 by the United.

Earthquakes Starting XI: Yarbrough, Verhoeven, Rodrigues, Beason, Kikanovic, Gruezo, Yueill, Pellegrino, Lopez, Espinoza, Ebobisse

Minnesota Starting XI: St. Clair, Jeong Sang, Harvey, Tapias, Padelford, Rosales, Lod, Dotson, Bran, Hlongwane, Oluwaseyi

It took until the ninth minute for either team to get an opportunity when Jeremy Ebobisse fired a shot that sailed wide to the left, giving the Earthquakes the first shot of the night. Minnesota was playing a physical game early on, leading to quite a few fouls by the home side in the opening 15 minutes. The Quakes were getting some dangerous free kicks as a result but weren’t capitalizing on them.

The first card of the night came in the 25th minute when Alejandro Bran blatantly fouled Hernan Lopez. Pellegrino had the best opportunity of the night so far in the 31st minute when he received a pass from the corner and shot it first-time but a defender was able to get a foot on the shot and deflect it over the goal.

Ebobisse got another opportunity moments later, but his header went wide of the goal. Bran got substituted out in the 33rd minute for Franco Fragapane. Minnesota got their first corner of the night in the 35th minute but were unable to do anything with it.

Despite San Jose leading in possession, shots and almost every important statistic in the first half, Minnesota got a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute when Tanner Beason deflected the ball past William Yarbrough and into his own net.

Carlos Gruezo picked up a yellow moments before the end of the half. Minnesota would maintain that lead into the break, it was 1-0 in favor of the home team at the half.

The Earthquakes started the second half with a hill to climb. Despite being the better team in the first 45 minutes, they trailed 1-0 due to a single mistake. Given their typical performance this season, it was very unlikely that they completed the comeback and walked away with three points, but every game has the potential to be a different story.

Lopez tried to tie it up early in the second, but a low percentage shot went over to the left. Joseph Rosales picked up Minnesota’s second booking of the night in the 59th. Just a couple of minutes later Yarbrough made his biggest save of the night on a shot from the center of the box by Bongokuhle Hlongwane.

Hlongwane was determined to extend his team’s lead, following up with two more quality shots but wasn’t able to score. The Quakes made a couple of substitutions in the 62nd minute with Lopez and Verhoeven coming out for Thompson and Jack Skahan.

Late in the 68th minute Minnesota got another yellow card, this time for Lod. Hlongwane’s effort was finally rewarded in the 75th minute when he extended Minnesota’s lead to two.

Despite a strong start to the game, the Earthquakes did themselves a hole they were unable to come out of. It seemed clear that Minnesota wanted it more once the second half started, and they’ll be glad their winless streak at home has come to an end. Meanwhile, the Earthquakes still need quite a bit of work if they’re going to climb up the standings at any point in the season.

Earthquakes fall just short of comeback against Kansas City 2-1

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Photo courtesy of San Jose Earthquakes.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

After picking up only their fourth win of the season the Earthquakes looked to keep the good times rolling against Kansas City on Saturday evening.

The Earthquakes came out in a 3-4-3 with William Yarbrough in between the pipes. On the other side of the field Kansas City started in a 4-2-3-1 with Tim Melia getting the start in goal.

Kansas City was quick to get the upper hand in the match as they had a couple solid looks before the 20-minute mark.

At the 37-minute mark the Earthquakes were given the first yellow of the match as Benjamin Kikanovic was given one for a bad foul.

Only a minute later Sporting KC was handed a yellow with Tim Leibold being given the card for a bad foul as well.

Right before the first half came to a close, Kanas City got the first shot on goal in the match as Alan Pulido was denied by Yarbrough.

The second half of the match gave fans some action early on as at the 48th minute Erik Thommy put Kansas City on the board. It was a breakdown defensively from the Earthquakes but also just a nice move from Thommy who faked the shot made a nice cut and deposited the ball in the net.

With the momentum clearly in their favor Sporting KC struck again at the 57-minute mark as Alan Pulido scored off a beautiful feed from Nemanja Radoja.

The Earthquakes would make some late subs bringing on Jack Skahan and Paul Judd in exchange for Jeremy Ebobisse and Cristian Espinoza.

One of those subs ended up paying off as Skahan got the ball on the rush and passed it into the net off of one of the Kansas City defenders cutting the deficit in half. Khiry Shelton was the defender who the ball went in off of.

Not long after the goal the Earthquakes were given their second yellow of the game as Skahan was given one for a bad foul.

Still down by a goal San Jose was desperately looking to tie the game and they had a great look as Preston Judd got the ball right in the center of the box. Judd unfortunately though spiked the ball wide of the goal and the Earthquakes ended up failing to tie the game.

With the loss San Jose falls to 4-17-2 and Sporting KC moves up to 6-13-5.

The Earthquakes won’t have much time to rest as they take on Houston on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at home.

St Louis City’s Kijima and Lowen scores goals in 2-0 shutout of Earthquakes

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The 12th and 14th place teams in the Western Conference faced off on Wednesday night, as the San Jose Earthquakes visited Saint Louis City SC. Neither team has lived up to expectations to start the season and both have already made a manager chance this season.

For the Quakes, Ian Russell took over for Luchi Gonzalez on June 24. Meanwhile on July 1, Saint Louis fired Bradley Carnell who was replaced by John Hackworth on an interim basis. The change of coaches for St Louis must have worked Hackworth coached St Louis City SC to a 2-0 shutout of the Earthquakes.

Earthquakes Starting XI: Yarbrough, Costa, Beason, Rodrigues, Munie, Tsakiris, Skahan, Yueill, Kikanovic, Judd, Espinoza

Saint Louis Starting XI: Burki, Totland, Durkin, Parker, Reid, Blom, Klein, Lowen, Kijima, Vassilev, Thorisson

Saint Louis came out with a lot of pressure early, getting a couple shots in the first few minutes and dominating possession right out of the gate. San Jose got their first quality chance in the 9th minute when a counterattacking opportunity by Preston Judd forced Roman Burki to make his first save of the night.

The ensuing corner led to Burki punching the ball away before the play was ultimately called offside, ending the attack. In the 15th a Saint Louis cross found Nokkvi Thorisson right in front of the net, but he kicked it over the goal.

A shot from John Klein in the 20th minute nearly gave the home team an early lead but William Yarbrough was able to get a hand on it and tip it wide. Off of the corner Tim Parker had an attempt off of a header which went wide right of the goal.

Saint Louis broke the deadlock in the 28th minute when Yabrough misjudged a bouncing ball which went into the back of the net following a soft shot from Eduard Lowen. In the 41st minute, Saint Louis added a second goal off of a free kick.

The cross landed right in front of the goal, and Hosei Kijima tapped it into the netting. Tanner Beason prevented Saint Louis from making it 3-0 in the 45th with a fantastic goal line clearance after the ball was tipped by Yarbrough.

Despite the fact that the home team had a two goal lead heading into halftime, that score line didn’t fully show just how dominant of a performance it had been for Saint Louis. They were undoubtedly the 12th and 14th place teams in the Western Conference faced off on Wednesday night, as the San Jose Earthquakes visited Saint Louis City SC.

Neither team has lived up to expectations to start the season and both have already made a manager chance this season. For the Quakes, Ian Russell took over for Luchi Gonzalez on June 24. Meanwhile on July 1, Saint Louis fired Bradley Carnell who was replaced by John Hackworth on an interim basis.

Earthquakes Starting XI: Yarbrough, Costa, Beason, Rodrigues, Munie, Tsakiris, Skahan, Yueill, Kikanovic, Judd, Espinoza

Saint Louis Starting XI: Burki, Totland, Durkin, Parker, Reid, Blom, Klein, Lowen, Kijima, Vassilev, Thorisson

Saint Louis came out with a lot of pressure early, getting a couple shots in the first few minutes and dominating possession right out of the gate. San Jose got their first quality chance in the ninth minute when a counterattacking opportunity by Preston Judd forced Roman Burki to make his first save of the night.

The ensuing corner led to Burki punching the ball away before the play was ultimately called offside, ending the attack. In the 15th a Saint Louis cross found Nokkvi Thorisson right in front of the net, but he kicked it over the goal.

A shot from John Klein in the 20th minute nearly gave the home team an early lead but William Yarbrough was able to get a hand on it and tip it wide. Off of the corner Tim Parker had an attempt off of a header which went wide right of the goal.

Saint Louis broke the deadlock in the 28th minute when Yabrough misjudged a bouncing ball which went into the back of the net following a soft shot from Eduard Lowen. In the 41st minute, Saint Louis added a second goal off of a free kick.

The cross landed right in front of the goal, and Hosei Kijima tapped it into the netting. Tanner Beason prevented Saint Louis from making it 3-0 in the 45th with a fantastic goal line clearance after the ball was tipped by Yarbrough.

Despite the fact that the home team had a two goal lead heading into halftime, that score line didn’t fully show just how dominant of a performance it had been for Saint Louis. They were undoubtedly the better team, and looked to be taking advantage of the boost that typically comes with a coaching change.

Heading into the second half neither team made any changes, which was surprising for the Earthquakes. The first booking of the match came in the 56th minute when Jayden Reid tripped up Benjamin Kikanovic.

After the ensuing free kick, two members of Saint Louis went down for a short period of time before getting back up to their feet. Paul Marie, Hernan Lopez, Jeremy Ebobisse and Alfredo Moralesentered the match for Cristian Espinoza, Judd, Rodrigues and Niko Tsakiris in the 62nd minute.

For Saint Louis’s first substitution of the night, Sam Adeniran came on for Thorisson in the 64th. Adeniran nearly made an instant impact when he found himself inside the box with the ball and some space, but the shot went directly to Yarbrough.

San Jose’s substitutions weren’t doing quite as well, in the 66th minute Lopez picked up an almost instant yellow card. Vitor Costa got called for a foul and shown a yellow card during the 72nd minute. As the game seemed to be a lock for the home side by this point, Saint Louis made a couple of more substitutions in the 80th.

Although San Jose played better in the second half, they were unable to break the shutout and Saint Louis walked away with a 2-0 win. better team, and looked to be taking advantage of the boost that typically comes with a coaching change.

Heading into the second half neither team made any changes, which was surprising for the Earthquakes. The first booking of the match came in the 56th minute when Jayden Reid tripped up Benjamin Kikanovic.

After the ensuing free kick, two members of Saint Louis went down for a short period of time before getting back up to their feet. Paul Marie, Hernan Lopez, Jeremy Ebobisse and Alfredo Moralesentered the match for Cristian Espinoza, Judd, Rodrigues and Niko Tsakiris in the 62nd minute.

For Saint Louis’s first substitution of the night, Sam Adeniran came on for Thorisson in the 64th. Adeniran nearly made an instant impact when he found himself inside the box with the ball and some space, but the shot went directly to Yarbrough.

San Jose’s substitutions weren’t doing quite as well, in the 66th minute Lopez picked up an almost instant yellow card. Vitor Costa got called for a foul and shown a yellow card during the 72nd minute.

As the game seemed to be a lock for the home side by this point, Saint Louis made a couple of more substitutions in the 80th. Although San Jose played better in the second half, they were unable to break the shutout and Saint Louis walked away with a 2-0 win.

Earthquakes drop Cali Clásico against Galaxy 3-0

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Photo courtesy of San Jose Earthquakes.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

STANFORD- The Earthquakes took on the Galaxy in their special Cali Clásico match hosted at the Stanford’s stadium.

Tonight’s match saw Ian Russel lead the squad for the first time since the team parted ways with former head coach Luchi Gonzalez. For the time being Russel is still considered an interim manager after being promoted from his assistant coaching position.

For the Earthquakes it was William Yarbrough in-between the pipes while for the Galaxy John McCarthy got the nod.

It was a solid start for the quakes who had a couple solid early looks from Jeremy Ebobisse and Hernán López. That pressure lead to Mark Delgado being issued a yellow for a foul at the 22 minute mark giving Amahl Pellegrino a free kick.

Only seven minutes later the Galaxy got their second yellow of the night as this time Edwin Cerrillo was awarded one for a foul.

Once again San Jose was pushing as they forced McCarthy to make two saves in the span of just a few minutes. Despite all that LA got the first goal of the game at the 37 minute mark from Joseph Paintsil as he hit the back of the net with a shot from the center of the box.

The yellow’s in the first half were not done though as Jalen Neal was issued one at the 39th minute and San Jose’s Antônio Josenildo Rodrigues de Oliveira was given one for a foul as well.

At the 55th minute star center back Riqui Puig was subbed into the match and made an immediate impact. Just a couple minutes after being subbed in he won a free kick and then got a shot on goal at the 65th minute that was saved by Yarborough. He was not finished though as at the 72nd minute he surged forward and fired a bullet that beat Yarborough but hit iron. Thankfully for LA Dejan Joveljic was standing right there for the rebound and he headed the ball into a gaping cage making it 2-0.

More yellow’s were handed out as this time McCarthy was given one for poor sportsmanship.

With the game now winding down heading into stoppage time LA completely put the game away scoring at the first minute of stoppage time. The goal came from Mauricio Cuevas and ended up being the last one of the match finishing this one at 3-0.

The victory for LA is now their fourth in a row and now puts them up to 11-3-7.

With the loss San Jose falls to 3-15-2 as this club continues to look for answers in what has been a nightmare season.

San Jose will look to end their losing streak on July 3rd when they take on St. Louis on the road at 5:30 p.m.

Earthquakes annihilated by LAFC 6-2

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Photo courtesy of LAFC Twitter.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

The Earthquakes looked to pick up their first regular season win since May 11th against their California rivals LAFC.

The starting formation was the same on both sides of the pitch as both teams lined up in a 4-3-3. In goal for San Jose was Jacob Daniel Jackson while for LAFC it was Hugo Lloris.

LAFC’s domination started early in this one as just five minutes into the match Kei Kamara hit the post from the right side of the box.

After ten minutes passed LAFC would strike as Mateusz Bogusz scored a magnificent diving header from the center of the box assisted by Sergi Palencia.

Tacking onto the lead only a little later was Denis Bouanga who easily found himself wide open for a left footed finish from the center of the box.

With the score now 2-0 LAFC only pressed harder and scored yet again this time on a great header from Kamara assisted by Bogusz.

Despite the score the Earthquakes did respond with a flurry of chances but were unable to cash in on four attempts with two of them being on goal.

Right before the half Ryan Hollingshead was fortunate enough to score a lucky one as his shot deflected off an Earthquakes defender and past a helpless Jackson.

The scoring in the first half wasn’t finished as San Jose snuck one in at the third minute mark of stoppage time. The goal came from Antônio Josenildo Rodrigues de Oliveira with the goal being assisted by Cristian Espinoza.

The goal didn’t seem to kill LAFC’s momentum as they would score just three minutes into the second half as once again Bogusz found the score sheet making it 5-1.

San Jose managed to sneak another one past Lloris as the 57 mark as Benjamin Kikanovic headed one in off an assist from Hernán López.

In garbage time LAFC got another one to pad the stat sheet as Tomás Ángel scored assisted from Nathan Ordaz.

With an embarrassing loss tonight the Earthquakes now drop to an abysmal 3-14-2 putting them dead last in the western conference. On the flip side LAFC secures another win moving up to 11-4-4 making them first in the west due to their PPG of 1.95.

San Jose’s next regular season game will be the California Clasico at Stanford Stadium against the LA Galaxy on June 29th at 7:30 p.m.

NYCFC’s Martinez gets a hat trick as Quakes routed 5-1 in New York

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NYCFC’s Alonso Martinez (bottom center) is mobbed by his teammates after scoring a goal. Martinez scored a hat trick against the San Jose Earthquakes at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx on Fri May 31, 2024 (New York FC X photo)

By William Espy

The San Jose Earthquakes headed to New York City, specifically Yankee Stadium in the Bronx to take on New York City FC. San Jose has climbed out of the bottom spot in the Western Conference while NYC FC has been playing well, currently sitting in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. San Jose was running shorthanded on the backline, as both Carlos Akapo and Vitor Costa were suspended due to yellow card accumulation.

NYCFC’s Alonso Martinez scored himself a hat trick in a 5-1 win over the Quakes at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.

San Jose Starting XI: Yarbrough, Marie, Wilson, Rodrigues, Beason, Tsakiris, Yueill, Pellegrino, Lopez, Espinoza, Ebobisse

New York City Starting XI: Freese, Gray, Thiago, Risa, O’Toole, Sands, Parks, Fernandez, Santiago Rodriguez, Wolf, Milatovic

The first ten minutes featured some end-to-end action, but San Jose was giving up some dangerous set pieces near their box early on. In the 15th minute, New York had a strong scoring chance after a nice passing play found its way to Hannes Wolf.

Had Bruno Wilson not been positioned perfectly, the shot would have easily found its way into the net, but the defender was able to get in front of it. Moments later, Wilson blocked a second shot, this time from Julian Fernandez. Immediately afterward, Fernandez fouled Amahl Pellegrino and picked up the night’s first yellow card.

Minutes later, Strahinja Tanasijevic fouled an attacking Niko Tsakiris and picked up New York’s second booking of the night, giving the Quakes a dangerous set piece of their own. They were unable to convert though.

In the 21st minute, Cristian Espinoza had a giveaway in San Jose’s defensive half. It gave New York a quality opportunity, but Kevin O’Toole was unable to get a strong shot off and it trickled out of play. In the 23rd, Jackson Yueill unintentionally elbowed Santiago Rodriguez and got San Jose’s first card of the night. In the 33rd minute, NYC nearly took the lead when Rodriguez had a great run into the box, then fired a shot that went just over the crossbar.

During that play, Wilson picked up an injury and exited the game, weakening the Earthquakes defense even more significantly. Daniel Munie came into the game to take Wilson’s place.

In the 38th, New York had an injury of their own as O’Toole went down holding his hamstring. He would also be substituted out, with Mitja Ilenic entering the match. Paul Marie nearly gave the Quakes a lead late in stoppage time, but was denied by the goalkeeper. Stoppage time would expire, and it would head into the break 0-0.

Just a minute into the half, a shot by Hernan Lopez went just wide of the goal. Wolf broke the deadlock for New York City in the 50th minute, despite the Earthquakes having a strong start to the half. It wouldn’t take long for the Earthquakes to get an equalizer though, as just three minutes later Pellegrino received a perfect pass from Lopez and put away his fifth of the season to make it a 1-1 game.

In the 58th, New York made a pair of substitutions hoping to get a spark and restore their lead. In the 61st, Tsakiris almost gave the Quakes their first lead of the night, but his shot rang off of the crossbar. Had the shot been just a bit lower, it would’ve been 2-1 in favor of the visiting side.

Rodriguez gave his team the lead once again just moments into the 80th minute when San Jose got pinned into their own box and were struggling to clear it. Maxi Morales passed it to Alonso Martinez who put the game away in the 85th minute, making it 3-1 with very little time remaining however New York wasn’t done yet.

Martinez made it a brace, with his second of the night just seven minutes later in stoppage time. Once again, that wasn’t all. Martinez added a third and final goal to complete a hat trick and New York walked away with a 5-1 victory. It was a game that was even for most of the night, but when it mattered most, New York wanted the result more and that was clear.

Portland’s quick start puts down San Jose 4-2 at Providence Park

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The Portland Timbers get a two goal defeat over the San Jose Earthquakes at Providence Park in Portland on Wed May 15, 2024 (San Jose Earthquakes image)

By William Espy

The San Jose Earthquakes concluded their short two-game road trip on Wednesday night against the Portland Timbers at Providence Park. The Quakes pulled off a comeback in their last outing against the Colorado Rapids and hoped for a much better start in this affair. The Quakes couldn’t repeat the same performance taking loss to the Timbers 4-2.

San Jose Starting XI: Yarbrough, Costa, Wilson, Rodrigues, Akapo, Tsakiris, Gruezo, Pellegrino, Lopez, Espinoza, Ebobisse

Portland Starting XI: Crepeau, Zuparic, Mabiala, Miller, Mosquera, Chara, Evander, Asprilla, Antony, Mora, Moreno

Portland got off to a quick start, getting the first scoring attempt of the night in the second minute on a Dairon Asprilla shot that was saved by William Yarbrough. They continued bringing pressure as well, however, the Earthquake’s backline was holding strong as a shot from Antony from inside of the box a minute later was blocked by Carlos Akapo.

The following corner didn’t yield any results for the Timbers, but another scoring opportunity from Juan Mosquera sailed over the crossbar in the fourth minute. From there, things turned the corner a bit. The Earthquakes attack woke up and started creating some offensive opportunities of their own. Hernan Lopez and Cristian Espinoza both had shots blocked by Kamal Miller before Carlos Gruezo’s shot sailed wide left.

Things evened out a bit from there, with opportunities being far in between for roughly the next 20 minutes. Maxime Crepeau had to make his first real save of the night in the 31st minute when he got in front of a Jeremy Ebobisse header, however, it immediately led to Amahl Pellegrino getting it past him to make it 1-0 for the Quakes.

Just three minutes later, Hernan Lopez continued his dominant performance since joining the MLS by adding one of his own to make it 2-0 in favor of the visiting team. It quickly went from a tied game to the Timbers finding themselves in a very tough situation.

They desperately tried to get themselves on the board before halftime but were ultimately unsuccessful and heading into the break, the Earthquakes maintained their lead.

The TImbers made a couple of substitutions in the second half, bringing on Eric Miller and Jonathan Rodriguez to start the second half. The Earthquakes continuing their strong attack to start the second half, with Ebobisse having another shot blocked just a couple of minutes in.

In the 51st minute, Lopez nearly scored a second of the night but hit the crossbar. From there, Portland’s attack came alive with scoring chances from Antony and Rodriguez in short succession. Over the next 20 minutes, there was a lot of back and forth between the two teams, however, everything changed in the 71st minute when Bruno Wilson was shown a red card and the Earthquakes went down to ten men.

Just three minutes later, the Timbers would get themselves on the board when Evander scored on a penalty resulting from Wilson’s foul. The Quakes made a few moves at this point, bringing on Preston Judd and Tanner Beason. It wouldn’t take Portland long to tie things up, scoring a second goal in the 80th minute when Rodriguez was able to find the back of the net.

In the 90th minute, the Timbers would end up getting a second penalty and scored on that attempt as well to give them a 3-2 lead heading into stoppage time. They controlled the attack for the entirety of stoppage time, and eventually, Rodriguez scored his second of the night in the 100th minute making it 4-2 and that’s how the game would end.

The Earthquakes started off strong, but a red card was ultimately the difference between them potentially walking out with another victory and another heartbreaking loss