Tag: real salt lake

Earthquakes edge Real Salt Lake 2-1, improve playoff standing

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San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Niko Taskiris dribbles the ball between two Real Salt Lake defenders in the attacking zone during his team’s 2-1 victory at PayPal Park in the team’s regular season home finale on Saturday OCT 31, 2026. (San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Earthquakes defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1 on Saturday afternoon at PayPal Park in their final regular-season home game to rise to third in the Western Conference with just one match left to play before the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs.

The Quakes rose to third in the Western Conference (14-9-10-52 points), while RSL moved to 10th (12-15-6-42 points). The win clinched no lower than sixth for San Jose. A win combined with an LAFC draw/loss would clinch no lower than fifth. The top-four regular-season finishers in each conference will get home-field advantage in the Round One Best-of-3 Series starting the week of Nov. 20.

“First of all, playing at altitude is always difficult, and that was certainly a factor,” said Quakes head coach Bruce Arena. “But give Salt Lake credit; they played really well today. They needed a result given their position in the standings, and they put a lot of pressure on us. We were fortunate to get those two early goals, but we had to battle throughout the game. I give our opponent a lot of credit. Playing at home helps, but if you look at the statistics, it was a pretty even game. This wasn’t one of our better performances, and we played better at home in our last game. Ultimately, I’m pleased with the three points.”

In the first minute of the game, RSL defender Dominik Marczuk fouled Jamar Ricketts at the left edge of the 18-yard-box near the goal line. One minute later, Ousseni Bouda buried the ensuing free kick from close range for the near post past goalkeeper Rafael Cabral to make it 1-0. The Quakes doubled their advantage in minute 17 when Niko Tsakiris charged down the left wing and left flicked a cross in the box for Preston Judd, who deflected it to a streaking Jamar Ricketts near the same spot on the edge where Bouda scored. Ricketts crossed it back into the box for a slidiing Benji Kikanović who poked it into the back of the net to make it 2-0.

“I think we have to stay in the moment and take it one game at a time. We’ve tried to do that all season, and there have been a lot of ups and downs. But to be in this position at this time of year is great. We have to stay focused, go to Minnesota, give them a fight and try to get another three points to position ourselves as high as possible in the standings. Right now, we just have to stay in the moment and build some momentum that we can carry into the playoffs. That’s the goal,” Bouda said.

Real Salt Lake pulled one back in minute 23 when Sam Junqua sent in a cross from the left wing and Juanma Sanabria headed it past Quakes goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. for the far post to make it 2-1. After intermission, both sides had their opportunities in front of net, but the final score held and the Quakes made their ascent to third place by afternoon’s end—noteworthy because the top-four finishers in each conference will enjoy home-field advantage in Round One of the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs. San Jose has now captured 52 points—surpassing the team’s highest total since 2013 (51).

Aside from a 1-0 hiccup in 2024 at PayPal Park, San Jose has now earned points in four of their last five meetings at home against RSL dating back to 2022 (3-1-1), including a 4-0 shutout of the Claret-and-Cobalt in the 2025 season opener—Arena’s very first league game in charge of the Black and Blue.

Arena has now guided an astounding fifth MLS club to the playoffs in his second season (D.C. United, Red Bull NY LA Galaxy, New England Revolution) after clinching a postseason berth with San Jose on Oct. 17. He has also guided the Quakes to 52 points—surpassing the team’s highest total since 2013 (51).

Arena said he’s going to reward his players with a couple of days off before they prepare for their season finale against Minnesota next Saturday November 7th at 4pm at Allianz Field.

“I think we’re going to give the players two days off and then gradually build toward the end of the week. We want to carry some momentum into Minnesota and play well, although I know that will be challenging. Who knows what the weather will be like there this time of year? We could be playing in a snowstorm. It’s another tough game, and we’ve played a lot of road games in October, which has been challenging. It’ll be good to have a couple of days off to refresh mentally and physically and hopefully put us in a good position to play well against Minnesota,” Arena said.

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.

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Marko Ukalovic: Quakes headed for playoffs; End regular season Sunday in Seattle

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On the Quakes podcast with Marko:

#1 Marko, the Quakes are on high octane right now they have gone undefeated in four of their last five games and get another big win for the second time this season against Mighty LAFC in a one goal 3-2 win.

#2 The Quakes have now managed to string two wins in a row together, they have three undefeated shutouts in their last five games which included that first win over LAFC 4-0 back on Oct 14th in LA.

#3 Marko, the win was big the Quakes get a better grip on the last and final spot in the Western Conference and clinch for a playoff berth that has to be something special for a team who hasn’t been in the post season in a while.

#4 Marko, Talk about Chris Wondolowski on Wed Oct 28th’s match against Real Salt Lake Wondolowski did all the scoring in that game with two goals for a 2-0 win and his goal on Wednesday night kept the Quakes in for the crucial one goal win 3-2 over LAFC.

#5 Another critical game against the Seattle Sounders at Centurylink Field in Seattle on Sun Nov 8th. How much is this match going to be for the Quakes playing one of the best team’s in the MLS previous to post season play?

Join Marko for the Earthquakes podcasts each Friday night at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana Kieu: What is going on with the Quakes?

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

On the San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Ana:

1. The Quakes lost 1-0 to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah last Wednesday.

2. The Quakes dropped a 2-1 decision to NYC FC at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx last Saturday.

3. The Quakes have lost five of their last seven matches. What do they need to do in order to beat Atlanta United?

4. How did San Jose State do during their bye week?

5. Former San Jose State quarterback Jeff Garcia was nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Ana does the San Jose Earthquakes podcast each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Earthquakes fall short in 1-0 loss to Real Salt Lake 

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By Pearl Allison Lo

In a highly contested game between the fourth and fifth teams in the Western Conference, Real Salt Lake won out at home as the San Jose Earthquakes struggled on the road again.

Real Salt Lake moved to a second-place tie with the Seattle Sounders after the game. Meanwhile, it was the Quakes’ fourth straight road loss. They have been shutout in the last two with a total of two goals scored during the four-game stretch. San Jose was outshot also (12-9) for the first time since they last played Real Salt Lake on July 6. 

6’1” Damir Kreilach was the hero for Real Salt Lake. His fifth shot of the match broke an eight-game scoreless match since July 13. After a corner, Brooks Lennon chased down the ball on the other side of the net, sent the ball back and Kreilach headed the ball successfully in the 75th minute. 

After a ball from San Jose’s Cristian Espinoza, Carlos Fierro had a chance on net in the 16th minute, but Nick Rimando off his line, was able to diverte the ball sideways. 

Vega made a critical save in the 36th minute. After Paul Marie was intercepted by Lennon near midfield, Kreilach sent forward a downwards header, but Vega was able to block it with his right lower leg.

Kreilach was the only one with multiple shots in the first half. His two shots were both on goal. For the game, the players with the second-most shots only had two apiece.

Judson was able to avoid a serious ankle injury in the second half.

Vega warded off a free kick by Sebastian Saucedo in the 68th minute, but could be seen favoring his left thigh after.

In stoppage time, Real Salt Lake’s Jefferson Savarino nearly had a goal of his own, hitting the bar from the near post, in between yellow cards issued to the Quakes’ Florian Jungwirth and Anibal Godoy.  

Notes: Godoy had his first start since the game versus Los Angeles Football Club. Fierro made his first MLS start. Real Salt Lake’s Douglas Martínez made his MLS debut.

Up Next: San Jose next plays New York City Football Club quickly on Saturday in a 9:30 am start for the middle game of their road trip. 

San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Marko Ukalovic filling in for Ana Kieu: Hoesen was an unforeseen hero against Real Salt Lake

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Photo credit: sjearthquakes.com

On the San Jose Earthquakes podcast with Marko:

1. The Quakes lost to Minnesota United 3-1 at Allianz Field last Wednesday.

2. Danny Hoesen lifted the Quakes to a 1-0 shutout over Real Salt Lake at Avaya Stadium last Saturday.

3. US Men’s Soccer lost to Mexico 1-0 in the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final at Soldier Field on Sunday.

4. Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski and Reno 1868 FC midfielder Seth Casiple were named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 17.

5. With the Quakes’ newfound success, how much of an impact does Matias Almeyda have on his team?

6. The Quakes head to L.A. to face the Galaxy always a battle when both of these teams meet up they faced each other last in June at Stanford Stadium.

Marko Ukalovic is a Quakes beat writer and catch Ana Kieu on the San Jose Earthquakes podcasts each week at http://www.sportsradioservice.com

Earthquakes never say tie in 1-0 shutout over Real Salt Lake

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: Ana Kieu

The San Jose Earthquakes had looked to bounce back at home with a win over Real Salt Lake on Saturday night. The Quakes celebrated Japantown Neighborhood Night presented by Wells Fargo.

The Quakes’ starting lineup featured Daniel Vega, Marcus Lopez, Florian Jungwirth, Guram Kashia, Tommy Thompson, Judson, Jackson Yueill, Cristian Espinoza, Magnus Eriksson, Vako, and Chris Wondolowski.

Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

San Jose was off to a great start, thanks to early chances from the get-go. The Quakes looked positive and were assertive in the possession department. Moreover, Cristian Espinoza’s meg in the 10th minute justified that he was having a home field day.

Judson made a notable kick in the 41st minute. However, the Brazilian midfielder’s kick was blocked by Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Nick Rimando.

San Jose and Real Salt Lake played to a scoreless tie at the end of the first half. Shots were even at six apiece. Moreover, the Quakes dominated in possession, passes, and pass accuracy.

Florian Jungwirth blocked a shot in the 52nd minute. Also, Daniel Vega came in clutch with a few noteworthy saves of his own, like the one in the 54th minute.

San Jose’s first substitution occurred in the 66th minute. Shea Salinas entered the match for Marcus Lopez.

San Jose’s second substitution occurred in the 71st minute. Paul Marie entered the match for Tommy Thompson.

San Jose’s third and final substitution occurred in the 74th minute. Danny Hoesen entered the match for Judson.

San Jose put up offensive signals in the final minutes of the match by knocking on the door in the 80th minute, having Vako take down a Real Salt Lake defender in the 85th minute, and most importantly, Danny Hoesen scoring the game-winning goal in the 93rd minute. The Quakes won 1-0.

Fans in attendance also won with a free Jumbo Jack with a large drink purchase at Jack in the Box. Jack in the Box offers some of the most unhealthy items among fast food restaurants, but hey, you can’t turn down free food. Plus it’s pretty cool to see Jack in a Quakes uniform and juggling a soccer ball with his knees.

The Quakes head to Dignity Health Tennis Center to take on the LA Galaxy on Saturday, July 12 at 8:00 pm.

Earthquakes and Real Salt Lake battle to scoreless draw

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By: London Donson

SAN JOSE, Calif. — It was a gorgeous evening in San Jose, California as the ever-reeling Earthquakes hosted the Real Salt Lake at Avaya Stadium Saturday night. With exactly three months until the Quakes’ final regular season match, San Jose is trying to salvage a season that is long lost to them at this point. With only two wins, they are the bottom feeders with 12 points, the least in all of Major League Soccer. Real Salt Lake sits at sixth in the Western Conference and looking to improve on their postseason position.

The beginning of the game was punctuated by injury as several fouls early contributed to stoppage time. In the seventh minute, Real Salt Lake’s Albert Rusnak was the game’s first substitution. Aggressive, chippy play would prove to be the story of the night. 34 fouls were committed, 16 by the Quakes, and 18 by Real Salt Lake with five yellow cards between both clubs. Both teams we consistently off balance and chances were squandered all match.

Credit should be given to the Quakes goalie Tarbell, who had a number of quality saves to keep the score at nil-nil. If he can continue to gain clean sheets with his level of play, the rest of the club will be able to figure it out offensively. The Quakes’ offense never gained any steam. No matter how many chances they had deep in the scoring third they failed to connect on key passes, were often out of position, and lacked synchronicity. Given their lack of offensive execution, they did a good job grinding out a draw against a team in Real Salt Lake, who is having a far better season.

Final: Quakes vs. Real Salt Lake match ends in scoreless draw.

Up Next: The Quakes will continue to look for answers on August 4 when they go on the road to face the No. 1 seed in the West–FC Dallas. Match time is set for 5:00 pm PDT.

Earthquakes withstand 28 shots to draw with Real Salt Lake 1-1

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Photo credit: @SJEarthquakes

By Pearl Allison Lo

Both the San Jose Earthquakes and Real Salt Lake scored a goal apiece in the second half at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday evening in their return from World Cup break.

The last time Real Salt Lake drew was back on March 3rd. It was the Quakes’ second straight draw. Meanwhile, San Jose’s winless streak continued to stand at seven games.

Real Salt Lake’s club-tying six straight home wins fell, but it came down to the 94th minute. Marcelo Silva hit the crossbar after a corner kick.

The Quakes’ last attempt came by goal-scorer Danny Hoesen in the 92nd minute, who had an open area near two defenders.

Real Salt Lake finished with 64.1% possession.

The home team was heavily dominant in the first half with 72 to 28 percent possession and a 12-4 shot advantage. Seven of the shots were off target. Jefferson Savarino led all in the first with four shots. However, San Jose managed to stay strong and keep the game scoreless with 10 clearances.

Real Salt Lake’s Damir Kreilach received a yellow card in the 12th minute for fouling the most fouled player in MLS, Magnus Eriksson.

Justen Glad and Florian Jungwirth collided in the 17th minute and Glad left for a brief moment. After Glad went down again in the 31st minute, he was subbed out.   

Real Salt Lake’s Sebastián Saucedo had two straight attempts in the 52nd minute. After his shot was saved at the post, his next shot went high.

Quakes goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell made another loose save in the 54th minute versus Albert Rusnák. That same minute, Real Salt Lake finally broke through with a successful set piece. Corey Baird’s kick went straight to the head of Kreilach.

Rusnák narrowly missed in the 60th minute, hitting the crossbar as the ball fell down onto the goal line.

Vako’s shot was saved in the 64th minute, but Hoesen captured the rebound before goalie Nick Rimando was able to get properly settled to make it 1-1 in the 65th minute. It was Hoesen’s third straight goal in two games and sixth straight point in four games. If not counting the game where San Jose was blanked, Hoesen has now scored in six of his last seven games.

Vako hit the post in the 85th minute. He finished with a game-high seven shots.

Up Next: The Quakes next go home for a spell to host the Los Angeles Galaxy at Stanford Stadium for the highly anticipated California Clasico next Saturday at 7 pm PDT.

Earthquakes earn a 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake

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~ Photo credit – rsl.com

~ By Pearl Allison Lo

~ The San Jose Earthquakes finished their two games in Tucson, Arizona with another draw Wednesday, this one 1-1 against Real Salt Lake.

Both teams had two different lineups for each half, except goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell played the whole game.

Real Salt Lake and San Jose scored five minutes apart in the second half.

Alfredo Ortuno had strength in numbers when he struck first for Real Salt Lake in the 55th minute.

Quincy Amarikwa then evened the score in the 60th minute with a leaping header. It started from one side of the goal box to the other with a kick from Joel Qwiberg to Tommy Thompson, who in turn headed the ball to Amarikwa.  

The Quakes also had chances in the 5th minute (Chris Wondolowski – deflected), 7th minute (Vako – Nick Rimando save), 27th minute (Danny Hoesen – blocked by Rimando), 58th minute (Jahmir Hyka – save) and 75th minute (Chris Wehan – high).

San Jose goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell made a body save (Brooks Lennon) in the 16th minute and a hand save in the 19th minute (Albert Rusnak).  

The Quakes’ Shea Salinas got a yellow card in the 43rd minute.

Game notes: San Jose (first half): Tarbell; Shea Salinas, Yeferson Quintana, Harold Cummings, Nick Lima; Vako, Anibal Godoy, Jackson Yueill, Magnus Eriksson; Wondolowski, Hoesen. Earthquakes (second half): Tarbell; Qwiberg, Francois Affolter, Jimmy Ockford, Paul Marie; Hyka, Luis Felipe, Fatai Alashe, Thompson; Amarikwa, Mohamed Thiaw (Wehan 72) San Jose will face its younger sibling Reno 1868 FC at Avaya for the first 2018 home preseason matchup open to all, Saturday at 2pm.