Tag: friendly

Earthquakes fall to Club Tijuana 2-1 in friendly

Published on by Sports Radio ServiceLeave a comment

San Jose Earthquakes striker Timo Werner (#11) battles for the ball with Club Tijuana midfielder Gilberto Rafael Mora Zambrano (#15) during a friendly match between the two clubs at PayPal Park on Friday JUL 3, 2026. (San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE–The San Jose Earthquakes took to the pitch after over a month off for the World Cup break.

Club Tijuana of Liga MX defeated the Quakes 2-1 in an exhibition friendly match on Friday evening at PayPal Park.

Club Tijuana drew first blood in the sixth minute when Adonis Preciado headed in an Ignacio Rivero corner kick to make it 1-0. Just like that San Jose found themselves chasing the game.

The Earthquakes came close to answering four minutes later when a Timo Werner cross from the left wing was almost headed home by a surging Jamar Ricketts in the box.

San Jose scored the equalizer in the 16th minute with a high pressured attack. Preston Judd recovered the ball on the right wing and then found Beau Leroux in the center of the box. The midfielder took one touch and before Xolos goalkeeper Salím Hernández with a shot to make it 1-1.

The Quakes had an excellent chance to score in the 25th minute when Hernández came off his line and Daniel Munie was point-blank range in front of net, but the ball was cleared before he could muster a shot off

Then in the 40th minute, Judd had his own chance in the six-yard box, but his backheel for the far post was just wide. Two minutes later, Tijuana recaptured the lead when Preciado took the ball on the left wing, cut inside, and blasted a curler for the far post past Quakes goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. to make it 2-1 as the teams headed into the intermission.

In the second half, San Jose made wholesale changes, substituting out all 11 starters. The second wave of Quakes created chances almost immediately.

Jack Skahan unleashed a long-range attempt from the edge of the box that was deflected over the crossbar in the 48th minute. In the 61st minute, Club Tijuana called on their bench to replace half the lineup.

With time running out for San Jose, they turned on their sense of urgency. Bruce Arena’s squad had their opportunities to equalize once more but could not find the second goal. Their last descent chance to equalize came in the 89th minute when Paul Marie created space in the box on the middle left channel but his attempt was blocked. The ensuing corner kick floated dangerously inside the box but was punched away by Hernandez.

Homegrown midfielder Edwyn Mendoza, made his Quakes debut as he had a shot blocked in the first minute of stoppage time. San Jose gave it one last go when Jack Jasinski’s cross from the right wing spun toward net, but Marie’s header landed wide left.

UP NEXT: San Jose returns back to MLS play when they host Orlando City SC on Wednesday, July 22, at 7:30pm from PayPal Park.

Martins braces Quakes

Published on by smallforceLeave a comment

By Pearl Allison Lo

The first preseason game for the San Jose Earthquakes and Seattle Sounders was a Desert Diamond friendly in Tucson, Arizona Wednesday morning, resulting in a win for the team whose city won the Super Bowl.

Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei’s activity and the timing of the three goals summarized the flow of the game from Seattle to San Jose.

The battle for most yellow cards went to the Quakes, who had three in the game, including one in the 2nd minute.

Frei only needed to make one save in the first half, and it came against newbie Jean-Baptiste Pierazzi in the 24th minute, in his debut.

Obafemi Martins set up a tough hurdle to overcome, scoring in the 27th and 29th minutes.

San Jose goalkeeper David Bingham’s knocking the ball away and then out of bounds after a free kick attempt, set up the scene for the first goal. After the ensuing corner throw Jalil Anibaba bounced in, Lamar Neagle headed it to Martins who kicked the ball into the net. Anibaba was acquired from the Chicago Fire January 15.

The artful play that led to the second goal came after Neagle kicked the ball. Dylan Remick followed running in from the sideline and sent the ball in an arc over to Andy Rose. Rose then headed the ball to Martins who duplicated right up front to make it 2-0. Bingham was caught going back from defending Rose.

Sounders’ draft pick Jimmy Ockford had two friendly fire collisions in the second half. One was with fellow draft pick Damion Lowe, the other later with Frei after Mike Fucito’s goal.

Fucito was able to get one in the net for the Quakes in the 86th minute. Teammate trialist Andreas Gorlitz kicked the ball into the center and it bounced around blue and green jerseys, Atiba Harris and Fucito for San Jose. When it got loose, Fucito crossed it into Frei’s open side.

Game notes: February 3, the Quakes reported they signed Shea Salinas and Jordan Stewart to new contracts. The second and last Desert Diamond friendly as San Jose tries to even out, is Friday, February 8, at 2pm PST against the Houston Dynamo.