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Sporting KC outlasts Earthquakes in penalty shootout, advance to play St. Louis

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Sporting Kansas City forward Dániel Sallói celebrates with goalie Tim Melia after beating the San Jose Earthquakes in a shootout victory at Children’s Mercy Park on Wednesday OCT 25. 2023. (Sporting Kansas City)

by Marko Ukalovic

The Blue Hell continued to be a house of horrors for the San Jose Earthquakes.

Dániel Sallói kicked the winning goal in the shootout to give Sporting Kansas City a Wild Card win after winning the shootout 4-2 after both teams went scoreless for 90 minutes on Wednesday evening at Children’s Mercy Park.

Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia improved to 5-0 in penalty kick shootouts as his team will face St. Louis City SC in the best of three first round of the Western Conference playoffs. San Jose went home disappointed after making the playoffs for the first time in three years.

Johnny Russell opened the shootout with a goal. Cristian Espinoza then telegraphed his shot that Melia made a diving save on. Just as Alan Pulido gave the ‘Quakes life when his awkward shot was saved by an outstretched goalkeeper Daniel, captain Jackson Yueill killed any chance for a San Jose win when he overshot the ball high over the net.

Jack Skahan and Carlos Akapo scored for San Jose, but it was not enough as Sallói’s heroics in the fifth round sent the crowd of 17,437 into a frenzied celebration. The Earthquakes suffered a similar fate three years ago on the very same pitch the last time they were in the playoffs that also ended in a shootout loss.

“I thought our intensity was amazing, including our energy, our togetherness, and our work rate. I thought we got into the game eventually, and even in the second half we created good chances and with a few fresh legs coming in. I thought they did great. I thought we were unlucky at the end not to nick a last pass getting into the box. Getting just a different play that I think could have changed the game and put us in the win column in regulation. I am proud of the guys and the staff, and in our approach and our mentality going into the game,” ‘Quakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez said.

Russell was a thorn in San Jose’s side all match long with multiple scoring chances. His best chance came off a free kick in the 79th minute when his shot hit the right post. He also sailed a free kick six feet wide left from just outside the box in the 72nd minute.

Sporting KC had San Jose on its heels for the majority of the first half as they possessed the ball in the ‘Quakes zone only to have San Jose’s defense clear the ball out of the danger once it got inside the 18-yard box.

Gonzalez instilled some fresh legs in the second half in attempt to turn the tide of the momentum in his team’s favor. Forward Cade Cowell made the most of his substitution in the 57th minute when replaced Matthew Hoppe.

Cowell had the Earthquakes best scoring opportunity in the 66th minute with a long run past multiple Sporting KC defenders. However, his shot attempt into the middle of the box was blocked by a Sporting KC fullback and cleared out of danger.

Sporting KC had a golden opportunity late in the match to keep the game from going to a shootout. Sallói’s point-blank attempt in the 90th minute from 3-yards out was stoned away by a sliding Daniel after Sallói sneaked in unmarked past the ‘Quakes defense.

Daniel collected three saves and the Quakes’ defense blocked an additional four shots to keep the score deadlocked after 90 minutes despite Sporting Kansas City amassing 18 total shots.

Despite the early exit from the playoffs, it was a successful season under Gonzalez in his first year as the team’s manager. The club had a nine-point improvement from last season when it finished dead last in the Western Conference with just 35 points.

“We gave validation to all the work that we put into the season on and off the field. Trying to make our fans and families admire the way we act and play. We fought and kept building enough points to get into the playoffs. We came here on a mission and with motivation,” Gonzalez said.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with four corner kicks. Sporting KC had eight.

The Earthquakes’ defense earned their first postseason shutout in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs since Nov. 4, 2012, when San Jose defeated the LA Galaxy on the road, 1-0, in the first leg of the Western Conference Semifinals. Victor Bernardez scored the lone goal in the 94th minute to give the Quakes the victory.

San Jose’s all-time playoff record goes to 12-13-2 and 4-10-1 on the road, with an even 40 goals scored and 40 conceded. The Quakes’ postseason record against SKC drops to 2-2-1 with eight goals for and eight against.

Earthquakes clinch playoff spot with tie against Austin on Decision Day 1-1

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Photo courtesy of San Jose Earthquakes.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

SAN JOSE- The Earthquakes battled Austin on decision day and clinched a playoff spot with a 1-1 tie.

It was a sold-out crowd at PayPal Park of 18,000 ready to cheer on the Quakes into the playoffs.

There was a bit of nervous energy heading in as San Jose was barely holding on to a playoff spot with 43 points.

San Jose was able to cut through the energy with a quick goal just 17 minutes in from Cristain Espinoza on a turnover forced by Jeremy Ebobisse.

Not long after the goal Niko Tsakiris was called on a bad foul and given a yellow.

Despite all the pressure Austin countered and scored on a beautiful header in the box from Owen Wolff tying it up at one. Former Earthquakes player Nick Lima was credited with an assist as well as Sebastián Driussi.

The second half ended in a tie with San Jose registering eight shots on goal and six inside the box.

Kicking off the second half San Jose made a couple quick subs bringing in Jamiro Monteiro, Paul Marie, and Carlos Gruezo at the 57th minute.

The subs seemed to give the Earthquakes a second wind as Ebobisse hit the post on a glorious opportunity in the box.

During that play Austin was given it’s first yellow as Jhojan Valencia was called for a bad foul.

A little after the 70th minute the Quakes got a flurry of opportunities but just could not finish as keeper Brad Stuver helped keep Austin in the game.

Those saves and some missed opportunities ended up being enough for Austin to hold on to a 1-1 tie against San Jose.

At the end of the match San Jose had seven shots on target to Austin’s one. They also had a team XG of 1.3 in comparison to Austin’s 0.3.

“We’re not satisfied that we didn’t win tonight so we’re not over celebrating we’re actually quite disappointed,” manager Luchi Gonzalez said after the match.

The Earthquakes will end the season in ninth place with 44 points and a 10-10-14 record.

Due to their placement San Jose will have to play Sporting KC in a play-in game on the road on Wendsday at 6:30 p.m.

Earthquakes fight FC Dallas to 1-1 draw stay 8th in the West

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San Jose Earthquakes forward Cade Cowell battles for the ball against FC Dallas midfielder Facundo Quignon at Toyota Stadium on Saturday OCT 7, 2023. (MLS)

by Marko Ukalovic

It’s going to take Decision Day 2023 to determine the two final playoff spots in the Western Conference.

The San Jose Earthquakes battled FC Dallas to a 1-1 draw on the second to last game of the season on Saturday evening at Toyota Stadium.

With the draw, San Jose stayed one point ahead of FC Dallas for the eighth spot in the Western Conference with 43 points. Two points separates five teams from eight to 11th place with Portland and San Jose tied with 43, FC Dallas with 42 and Sporting KC and Minnesota United both with 41 points.

FC Dallas has a game in hand as their game on Wednesday against the Colorado Rapids was postponed due to rain and has been rescheduled for October 14th at Toyota Stadium.

“The point is important. The point allows us to still have an edge. Now it’s very clear, we’re disappointed. We were winning and we didn’t close that out in a way to qualify tonight. So that’s disappointing. I thought we had a fantastic first half, getting pressure on the ball, attacking sequences, and defensive organization. The point is still going to give us some type of advantage with those other teams,” ‘Quakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez said.

The Earthquakes will advance to the playoffs with a win in two weeks on Decision Day against Austin FC, who were eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the day. A draw or loss might move them out of the eight-ninth play-in game to determine the eighth and final seed of the Western Conference Playoffs.

“Look, I’ve been around long enough to know that Decision Day is crazy. We can still finish seventh or maybe even higher. Games in hand have to be won, they’re not automatic three points. We will see how the other teams do and be ready to push for the highest position possible on the last day,” ‘Quakes forward Jeremy Ebobisse said.

San Jose (10-10-13) drew first blood in the third minute. Cristian Espinoza found captain Jackson Yueill along the right wing. Yueill centered a pass into the middle where Ebobisse slid feet first to punch the ball past FC Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes for his 10th goal of the season.

Ebobisse became third ‘Quakes to score 10 plus goals in back-to-back seasons joining Chris Wondolowski and Ronald Cerritos.

“When we came into the game from the beginning, we wanted to go for three [points]. We wanted to clinch playoffs tonight. We started off quite well in that. I think that [FC Dallas] were naturally going to get some chances and build some momentum at home as any home team would. We did a pretty good job of repelling those with guys making some plays. Ultimately that dam broke a little bit. You have to manage each situation. The point is still very valuable,” Ebobisse said.

FC Dallas (10-10-12) scored the equalizer in the 57th minute. Jesus Ferreira glided a pass up the middle of the pitch. Jader Obrian raced out and got in front of Tanner Beason before depositing the ball over ‘Quakes goalkeeper Daniel for his fifth goal of the season.

Daniel finished four saves on five shots on target. Paes made two saves on three shots on target from San Jose to earn the draw.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with two corner kicks. FC Dallas had three.

The Quakes now hold a 29-21-22 record against FC Dallas, including a 12-13-10 record on the road. They have only lost once to Dallas in their last 13 MLS regular season matches (4-1-8)

Yueill’s fifth assist of the season was also his 17th of his MLS career.

Espinoza tallied his 13th assist of the season, furthering his own all-time club assist record to 57.

UP NEXT: San Jose concludes the regular season when they host Austin FC on Saturday 10/21 at 6:00pm at Pay Pal Park.

Earthquakes late goal in second half salvages 1-1 draw with Minnesota FC

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San Jose Earthquakes defender Rodriguez battles for a loose ball with Minnesota FC midfielder Franco Fragapane at Allianz Field on Saturday SEP 30, 2023. (Minnesota FC)

by Marko Ukalovic

The San Jose Earthquakes needed some late match comeback magic to earn a critical point.

Paul Marie scored the equalizer in the 82nd minute as the Quakes settled for a 1-1 draw with Minnesota FC on Saturday evening at Allianz Field.

San Jose stayed in eight place in the Western Conference with the tie to stay one point ahead (42) of FC Dallas (41) who earned a point with a 0-0 draw with the Houston Dynamo. Minnesota is on the outside looking in as they are tied for 11th place in the conference with Sporting Kansas City with 38 points.

Minnesota FC (9-11-11-38 points) controlled the first 15 minutes of the match as they generated scoring chances from Emanuel Reynoso and Bongokuhle Hlongwane only to have both players miss their targets.

San Jose (10-10-12-42 points) generated two scoring chances late in the opening 45 minutes when shots from Cristian Espinoza and Matthew Hoppe were off target against Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.

Minnesota FC broke the seal in the 56th minute on a counterattack. Bongokuhle tried to dribble through two ‘Quakes defenders inside the box when the ball deflected off Carlos Akapo. Teemu Pukki cleaned up the loose ball and buried a shot past ‘Quakes goalkeeper Daniel for his sixth goal of the season.

“In the first half, I thought we did have some moments of possession, but not enough. I thought we could have connected more and been a little more patient in our build up. I thought it was a pretty fair and even game. We started the second half quite well, but they hurt us in transition. We were down 1-0, and we responded with some aggressive subs with guys who could give us some verticality and speed and take the game to another gear,” Earthquakes head coach Luchi Gonzlez said.

Espinoza, who has been the catalyst for San Jose’s offense all season, set up the late match heroics when he made a move around Franco Fragapane just outside the box before depositing a cross to the left side where an unmarked Marie one-timed the ball with an arial volley into the upper right corner of net for his third goal of the season.

“Starting or not, (Marie) has been in rotation and involved. He’s important. I think he’s a starting caliber fullback/wingback, not just for us but for the league. I am proud of his mentality, being ready no matter what, starting or not. Knowing the game will have a role for him, and he came in showed that. I am very proud of him, and that shows what kind of a teammate he is to this group,” Gonzalez said.

Both goalies had one save on two shots on target to each the draw.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with seven corner kicks. Minnesota FC has four.

The Quakes now hold a 5-4-4 record against Minnesota United FC, including a 2-2-2 record on the road.

Espinoza tallied his 11th assist of the season and 56th of his MLS career. Akapo tallied his fourth assist of the season and of his MLS career.

UP NEXT: San Jose finishes its regular season road schedule against FC Dallas in a battle for 8th place in the West on Saturday 10/7 at 5:30pm at Toyota Stadium.

Earthquakes battle to frustrating tie against Nashville 1-1

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Photo courtesy of San Jose Earthquakes.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

SAN JOSE- After their loss against Portland San Jose looked for a bounce back against Nashville but was only able to force a draw 1-1.

Getting the start in goal for San Jose was Daniel while for Nashville Elliot Panicco was in-between the pipes. San Jose started in a 4-3-3 with Nashville countering in a 4-2-3-1.

After a quick chance for San Jose in the first half from Ebobisse things remained pretty quiet between the two teams. Both Nashville and SJ only totaled seven shots with only two on target.

There was two yellows given in the first with one against Cristian Espinoza and the other against Anibal Godov.

The second half ended up being an immensely different ballgame as San Jose completely dominated. In the second half alone the Earthquakes fired off 18 shots with four of them landing on target.

One of those shots on target went in from an unlikely player as Matthew Hoppe scored his second goal in as many matches. The goal come off of a pass from Carlos Akapo that streaked across the box and found Hoppe wide open to drive the ball home.

That goal came at the 74th minute and the pressure did not stop as they looked to break the tie.

At one point the Quakes had a flurry of chances as Monteiro was robbed off a header then Hoppe on the rebound had his shot blocked. The ball then bounced back out to Jackson Yueill who fired it off of the post. The chances didn’t stop there as Espinoza fired one on goal forcing Panicco to make another save.

With the crowd nearly on its feet a goal seemed inevitable as Hoppe came running in on a loose ball. Hoppe then proceeded to poke the ball in between Panicco’s legs but the ball rolled on the goal line and off the post.

Nashville continued to be on it’s heels for the rest of the half but San Jose could not deliver the killing blow ending the game in a tie at 1-1.

“I think with the few games we have left we know where we are on the table and we know that we need to maximize the points,” midfielder Jackson Yueill said after the match.

With the tie San Jose is now in eighth in the West with 41 points.

San Jose’s next match will be on Saturday against Minnesota on the road at 5:30 p.m.

Timbers edge Earthquakes 2-1 climb up to 8th in Western Conference

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Portland Timbers foward Cristhian Paredes battles San Jose Earthquakes defender Tanner Beason for a loose ball at Providence Park on Wednesday SEP 20, 2023. (Portland Timbers)

by Marko Ukalovic @MarkoUkalovic

Providence Park continues to be a house of horrors for the San Jose Earthquakes.

The Portland Timbers continued its dominance on their home turf against the ‘Quakes as they held on for a thrilling 2-1 victory on Wednesday evening.

Portland has won three matches in a row and are on a five-match point streak (4-0-1). San Jose had its three-match point streak snapped with the loss. The Timbers climbed up to eight place in the Western Conference with 39 points, one point behind the ‘Quakes who currently are in seventh place.

San Jose still has not been able to break the Providence Park curse as they have not won in 17 straight MLS matches in Portland with a record of 0-13-4.

Portland (10-11-9-39 points) controlled the majority of the possession in the first half as they spent the first half inside the San Jose’s zone generating quality scoring chances.

Late in the first half, San Jose (10-10-10-40 points) finally gained possession inside Portland’s zone attempting to take momentum away with a goal before halftime.

However, an errant pass led to a quick counterattack by the Timbers. Bryan Acosta got loose down the right wing before he centered a pass over to Cristhian Paredes who beat ‘Quakes goalkeeper Daniel to the far side with a sliding one-timer for his second goal of the season in the third minute of stoppage time right before halftime.

Portland doubled its lead in the 58th minute when Evander found himself at the right place at the right time. Sebastian Blanco’s shot attempted pinballed off two ‘Quakes defenders inside the box right over to Evander and the Brazilian midfielder chipped the ball over Daniel into the back of the net for his team leading ninth goal of the season.

‘Quakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez immediately brought in Cade Cowell and Nico Tsakiris to bring in some fresh legs and energy to the offensive attack.

San Jose cut the deficit in half two minutes later when Jeremy Ebobisse lofted a pass from left to right over to Cristian Espinoza. The Argentine striker’s one-timer was saved by Timber’s goalkeeper David Bingham but the subsequent rebound was buried home by Matthew Hoppe for his first career MLS goal and first in a ‘Quakes kit.

Hoppe, who made his first start for San Jose, was moved to central midfielder when the Cowell and Tsakiris were subbed in as wingers, a position he grew up playing up until he was a teenager.

“Growing up my whole life, I played midfielder up until the age of 16 or 17 (years old),” said Hoppe after the match. “Then I moved on up to the striker role. So, I’m comfortable in the middle and I told Luchi (Gonzalez) that. There was some good takeaways from today and you just have to build it towards the next game.”

Despite the offensive push from San Jose late in the match, Portland was able to hold down the fort and escape with three points in a crowded race for the top nine in the Western Conference.

“We knew it was going to be difficult, this is a hard place to get points. We knew that coming in. We embraced it in our prep. We talked about enjoying it. Enjoying this environment and the pressure of these last games. I thought we could be better in the attacking third. We scored a rebound goal. We need more of those and a little bit more determination and final action that I know we have in us,” Gonzalez said.

Bingham finished the match with one save on two shots on net to earn the win. Daniel made four saves, including a diving one off of a free kick by Evander from just outside the box in the 25th minute to keep the game scoreless at the time, on six shots on goal in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with five corner kicks. Portland had six.

Portland leads the overall series 17-6-10.

Cowell became the youngest player in MLS history to earn 100 MLS appearances.

Out of the 10 wins by Portland, eight of them have come at home.

The announced crowd at Providence Park was 21,518.

UP NEXT: San Jose hosts Nashville SC on Saturday 9/23 at 7:30pm at Pay Pal Park.

Quick start propels Earthquakes over Salt Lake 2-1

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Photo courtesy of San Jose Earthquakes Twitter. Goalkeeper Daniel celebrates a goal against Salt Lake on September 16th.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

SAN JOSE- Back on home turf after their tie against Washington San Jose came out swinging and beat Salt Lake by a final of 2-1.

Attendance: 15,390

For San Jose Daniel was in goal coming off a clean sheet against Washington when he made eight saves. On the other end Zac MacMath got the start for Salt Lake.

Typically the Earthquakes get off to poor starts however, this game ended up being quite the opposite. As less than two minutes in Cristian Espinoza feed the ball through to a streaking Jeremy Ebobisse who finished the play with a well placed shot. The goal was mainly due to a forced turnover by Cade Cowell which ended up being a running theme throughout the first half.

The second goal did not take much longer as off a corner at the 15th minute kick Salt Lake failed to clear the ball and it came right to Espinoza. Not wasting much time Espinoza took the turnover and chipped it to Rodrigues who tipped it in with his left foot getting his first goal of the season.

A little before the goal at the 13th minute the first yellow of the game was given to Salt Lake’s Brayan Vera for a bad foul.

Towards the end of the first half Salt Lake did start to push back leading to a header on goal by Rubio Rubín that was saved by Daniel. The rebound though popped up in the air and Cristian Arango tapped it just across the line scoring at the 44th minute and making it 2-1.

The second half began similarly to the first with San Jose dictating the pace and maintaining possession. At the 50th minute Espinoza almost picked up another assist as he feed it to Jamiro Monteiro but it was saved by MacMath.

Another yellow was given to Salt Lake this time at 69th minute on a bad foul by Arango.

Once again Salt Lake pushed towards the end of the half but Daniel stood tall making a save at the 89th minute off of Anderson Julio.

San Jose would hold on to get the victory bringing them up to 40 points and tied for fifth with Houston and Salt Lake in the Western Conference.

Daniel finished the night with six saves totaling 14 saves over his past two matches.

Of note was San Jose’s discipline as they only fouled five times and took no yellows.

“Yea we were aggressive but we were smart and we controlled emotions and we attacked without fouls,” manager Luchi Gonzalez said after the game.

San Jose won’t have much time to rest as they play Portland this Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. on the road.

Short-handed Earthquakes earn a point in scoreless draw with DC United

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San Jose Earthquakes defender Rodriguez keeps the ball away from D.C. United forward Christian Benteke during the 0-0 match at Audi Field on Saturday SEP 9, 2023. (San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic @MarkoUkalovic

The San Jose Earthquakes escaped the nation’s capital with a much-needed point.

Despite having a man advantage late in the match D.C United had to settle for a 0-0 draw with San Jose on Saturday evening at Audi Field.

D.C United has earned points in consecutive matches and remained in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. San Jose has drawn in two consecutive matches after failing to earn a point in the previous two and maintained seventh place in the Western Conference. They are one point ahead of Minnesota United, who lost 1-0 to New England.

DC United (9-12-7-34 points) enjoyed the final ten minutes up a man when Tannor Beason fouled Theodore Ku-DiPietro in the 88th minute. Initially ruled a yellow card by referee Tori Penso, Beason’s fouled was upgraded to a red card after a VAR review determined the foul was a clear path one.

Despite eight minutes of stoppage time Wayne Rooney’s squad weren’t able to take advantage as they missed out on an opportunity to climb the Eastern Conference standings.

“At this point in the season, every point matters. So, it would’ve been nice to leave here with three points, for sure,” Rooney said.

Defender Daniel Munie made his first start at left back for ‘Quakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez. Munie played all 90 minutes for San Jose and finished the match at center back.

“It was important to get that first start under my belt,” said Munie after the match. “I felt pretty good and felt confident after this whole time being out here and learning from these guys. The team having confidence in me helps me to go out there and perform to my best. I am getting better every day. It wasn’t perfect. I felt like it was a good performance. I’m going to keep working through this and get ready for whenever my name gets called next.”

D.C. United thought they had broken the deadlock in the 53rd minute when Steven Birnbaum slid a ball through the middle of the box over to Gabriel Pirani who made a nifty back tap with his left foot into the back of the net for his first MLS career goal. However, after a VAR review it was determined that Pirani was offsides cancelling out the goal.

The Earthquakes had two quality scoring chances just before halftime, but Cristian Espinoza and Jamiro Monteiro’s shot attempts missed the net.

“We had some challenges with player availability, with injuries and international callups. I am proud of our guys for adjusting to a different formation. Still, there are principles and concepts that we want to keep improving. I thought we had some good moments of building pressure and forcing turnovers, leading to good offensive transitions. I thought we rotated the ball quicker and with more simplicity. Credit to the guys, they put together a good effort,” Gonzalez said.

‘Quakes goalkeeper Daniel earned the Man of Match with his eight save performance as D.C United peppered him from inside and outside the box with shot attempts throughout the entire match. Daniel earned his fifth clean slate of the season as he tied his season-best for saves in a single match.

D.C United goalkeeper Alex Bono didn’t have as busy a night as Daniel did as he made two saves to earn his third clean sheet of the season.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with five corner kicks. D.C. United had seven.

The Quakes hold a 18-15-9 record against D.C. United, including a 9-10-2 record at home.

San Jose earned their eighth shutout of the season and have only lost one of their last four road matches.

Midfielder Jackson Yueill is now ranked fifth for most appearances in club history (172), passing Joe Cannon.

UP NEXT: San Jose hosts Real Salt Lake on Saturday 9/16 at 7:30pm at Pay Pal Park.

Earthquakes dominate but can’t finish in frustrating tie against Minnesota 1-1

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Photo courtesy of San Jose Earthquakes Twitter.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

SAN JOSE- In an important matchup against Minnesota the Earthquakes came out and fought to a tie 1-1.

Both teams came out in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Daniel in goal for San Jose while for Minnesota Dayne St. Clair was in between the pipes.

Many of the Earthquakes recent matches have been marked by slow starts and tonight would be no different. As just four minutes into the match on beautiful ball by Emanuel Reynoso he caught Teemu Puuki on a fast break. Pukki then caught and deposited the ball in the back of the net getting his second goal of the season.

That goal fueled more chances for Minnesota but thankfully Tanner Beason made a huge block and Daniel had a couple big saves keeping it at 1-0.

It did not take too long for San Jose to find a response as after a a corner kick at the 16th minute Jackson Yueill settled the ball and feed it to an open Cade Cowell. After a quick turn Cowell shot a ball that wasn’t particularly fast but seemed to had eyes for the net as it beat St. Clair to his right tying the game up at one.

The first half ended in a 1-1 tie and in the beginning of the second half San Jose’s offense came out flying. Chance after chance came at St. Clair but he could not be beaten. With his best save coming at the 66th minute when Jeremy Ebobisse got a header on from the dead centre in the box that he kept out.

Despite all the great chances Minnesota pushed back the other way and scored with Pukki once again finishing. However, the goal did go to review and was eventually called off for being a handball.

Daniel made another couple key saves towards the end of the second half totaling to six saves by the end of the match.

The game would end up in a 1-1 tie which for San Jose keeps them at eighth in the Western Conference standings with 36 points and -4 goal differential.

San Jose’s next match will be on the 9th against D.C. on the road at 4:30 p.m.

Controversial penalty gives Galaxy 3-2 comeback win over Earthquakes in Classico

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San Jose Earthquakes forward Cristian Espinoza dribbles past Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Diego Fagundez at Pay Pal Park on Wednesday AUG 30, 2023. (Nico Burgueno-El Show International)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — A controversial penalty call spoiled an exciting game.

The Los Angeles Galaxy defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on two second half goals, including the penalty kick, in the 98th installment of the California Classico on Wednesday evening at Pay Pal Park.

San Jose have lost two matches in a row since coming out of the League’s Cup match. Los Angeles are unbeaten in its past seven matches.

Los Angeles (7-10-7-28 points) drew first blood in the 16th minute. Raheem Edwards sent a long ball down the right wing where Tyler Boyd won the race to the ball. Boyd made a move around Jonathan Mensah before firing a shot from just inside the box past ‘Quakes goalkeeper Daniel for his team leading sixth goal of the season.

The Galaxy controlled the pace of play for the first 28 minutes of the match with an 80-20% advantage of possession as the Earthquakes played back on their heels. San Jose’s first shot attempt didn’t happen till the 28th minute.

The momentum of the match turned quickly just a minute later in San Jose’s favor. Off a corner kick Christian Espinoza had a give and go with Jamiro Monterio. Espinoza’s shot attempt deflected off of the head of Lucas Calegari and past Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Bond for an own goal.

San Jose (9-9-8-32 points) gained its first lead of the match two minutes later in the 31st minute. Monteiro got low inside the box before centering a feed into the middle where Jeremy Ebobisse chipped the ball high into the net from point-blank range for his eighth goal of the season.

It didn’t take long for Los Angeles to score the equalizer out of halftime. Riqui Puig made San Jose pay for falling asleep in its defensive zone. After receiving the ball from Edwin Cerillo, the Galaxy captain dribbled down the middle of the pitch unmarked before burying a right footed shot from just beyond the box past Daniel for his fifth goal of the season in the 50th minute.

San Jose conceded a penalty in the 58th minute when Edwards drew a penalty inside the box when he was knocked down by Miguel Trauco.

Dejan Joveljic converted the penalty in the 61st minute with a high shot into the middle of the net for his third goal of the season to give Los Angeles its second lead of the match.

The match was not one to write home about for referee Lukasz Szpala and his crew as there were numerous one-sided calls by Szpala that went against San Jose, especially in the second half.

San Jose thought they had tied the game in the 90th minute but the play was ruled offsides by the assistant official.

The Earthquakes had two back-to-back scoring chances in the first minute of stoppage time to score the equalizer, but Espinoza’s shot attempt from long range along the right corner hit off the crossbar and the subsequent rebound went just wide to the left side.

Bond made four saves on five shots on goal in earning the win. Daniel made two saves on four shots on target in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with 11 corner kicks. Los Angeles had seven.

The attendance for tonight’s match was 16,224.

The Galaxy lead the all-time series 43-33-18.

The Galaxy is unbeaten in its last four road matches versus San Jose, its longest unbeaten run in Classico.

Los Angeles is 5-1-4 in its last 10 matches.

Espinoza has scored eight of his 12 goals at home. Only LAFC’s Denis Bouanga has scored more goals (9) at home.

UP NEXT: San Jose hosts Minnesota United on Saturday 9/2 at 7:30pm at Pay Pal Park.