Tag: San Jose Earthqaukes

Earthquakes and Timbers play close match leading to tie 0-0

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Photo courtesy of San Jose Earthquakes.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

SAN JOSE- The Earthquakes welcomed the Timbers to their home and played a tight match leading to a 0-0 tie.

In between the pipes for San Jose was Daniel de Sousa Brito and for Portland David Bingham was the starting goaltender. The Earthquakes came out in a 4-3-3 formation while Portland started in a 4-4-2 formation.

Early on in the match the blue-and-black got close to getting a goal as Tanner Beason just missed a header from in close that went wide left.

Just four minutes after that attempt Judson Silva Tavares got a right footed shot off from outside the box that went just high.

At the 18th minute mark of the first half a yellow card was handed out to Portland as Santiago Moreno was called for a bad foul.

Just a couple minutes after the card Daniel had to make a save as Franck Boli got a shot on goal from the centre of the box.

Christian Espinoza responded with a shot of his own from the right side of the box that Bingham saved. Boli also got another shot on goal but that one was saved as well by Daniel.

At the 36th minute of the first half San Jose was awarded a free kick on a foul by Dairon Asprilla. The free kick was right at the top of the box and looked to be a great chance for the Earthquakes. Jeremy Ebobisse took the kick and dinged it off the bar and out keeping the score at 0-0.

Right before the end of the first half Dario Zuparic was given a yellow card for a bad foul bringing Portland’s total cards in the first half to two.

The second half was kicked off by a fantastic save by Daniel off a header by Evander da Silva Ferreira that came from extremely close range.

Later in the second half San Jose got their first yellow as Cade Cowell was given on for a bad foul. Then only three minutes later Paul Marie got a yellow card as well.

After a couple attempts on both sides the Earthquakes made a sub brining in Tommy Thompson for Judson. A minute after the sub Portland got another yellow as Eric Miller this time was given on for a bad foul.

Then at the 67th minute of the second half San Jose hit another post as Thompson hit the right post from the centre of the box.

There would be seven minutes of added time in this match and Portland did not let it go to waste. As at the 93rd minute Asprilla also hit the right post with a right footed shot from outside of the box.

Even with three posts being hit during the match that did not matter as the game ended in a tie 0-0.

At the end of the match possession favored San Jose at 54.8% to 45.2% while shots favored Portland 16-12.

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

Earthquakes get big win on home turf over Philadelphia 2-1

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Photo courtesy of San Jose Earthquakes.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

SAN JOSE- The Earthquakes took on one of the best teams in the east and came out with a hard fought victory 2-1.

San Jose came out tonight with a 4-3-3 formation and with Daniel de Sousa Brito starting in goal. While for Philadelphia they came out in a 3-4-1-2 formation with Andre Blake in between the pipes.

The black-and-blue’s offense got off to a quick start in this match as Cade Cowell received a crisp pass from Jeremy Ebobisse in the midfield. Cowell took the pass and ran with it but with a defender on him he cut back and made a beautiful pass to Ebobisse who was just outside of the box. Ebobisse took the pass and deposited into the left part of the net giving San Jose an early 1-0 lead at just the eight minute mark.

It did not take long for Philadelphia to respond as they got a couple free kicks go their way. Then on a corner kick at the 16 minute mark for Philadelphia Damion Lowe was left wide open out front. He headed the corner home and tied the game back up at one.

At the 29 minute mark of the first half the away team continued the pressure as Mikael Uhre got an attempt on goal that Brito saved. The rest of the first half saw San Jose not get another attempt on net while Philadelphia finished with five.

The second half got started with Brito having to make another save as this time Julián Carranza got a shot on goal.

After the save the Earthquakes got a burst of chances as they got three attempts with all of the missing.

Not long after the rush of offense from San Jose Miguel Trauco received a pass from Carlos Gruezo just outside of the box. Despite the distance Trauco shot an absolute bomb and picking the right corner of the net and giving the Earthquakes a 2-1 lead at the 57 minute mark.

The goal despite firing up the crowd seemed to fire up Philadelphia as well as Uhre once again got another shot on goal.

The rest of the second half saw San Jose just barely holding on as Philadelphia dominated possession and chances.

With only three minutes of added time the Earthquakes were able to hold on to their one goal lead winning 2-1.

The stats in this one favored the away team mostly as possession at the end of the match was 52% to 47% in favor of Philadelphia. The shots on goal showed that as well at 7-2.

The Earthquakes next match will be on Saturday against Portland at home at 7:30 p.m.

Earthquakes beat LAFC at Levi’s Stadium 2-1 in front of 45k+ fans

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Photo courtesy of San Jose Earthquakes Twitter. The Earthquakes celebrate their victory after their win over LAFC at Levi’s Stadium.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme) and Marko Ukalovic

SANTA CLARA- The battle for the bay between the Earthquakes and LAFC was an exciting one that went down to the wire with San Jose ending up on top 2-1.

San Jose went into this match with a 4-3-3 record while LAFC came in with a 5-0-3 record.

The attendance at Levi’s Stadium was a solid 45,112 while the weather was slightly overcast with no rain during the game.

Both teams started in a 4-3-3 formation as JT Marcinkowski faced off against John McCarthy in goal.

The match got off to a great start for San Jose as just eight minutes in Cristian Espinoza received a beautiful pass from Jamiro Monteiro which Espinoza struck from the centre of the box into the net. The goal sent all 45,000 plus fans into a frenzy with the goal being Espinoza’s eighth of the season.

The goal gave the Earthquakes a solid spark of momentum as right after Espinoza had an attempt on net and Paul Marie had an attempt go wide.

At the 29th minute mark of the match Mateusz Bogusz was given a yellow card on a bad foul. Despite the foul Bogusz put a shot on target that Marcinkowski saved however Dénis Bouanga picked up the rebound and scored tying the game at one.

The rest of the first half saw LAFC put the heat on the Earthquakes with Marcinkowski having to make two big saves one off of Bouanag and the other off of a strike from Denil Maldonado.

Despite the pressure San Jose held on to the tie at half 1-1. At the end of the first half the total shots favored LAFC 10-6 as well as possession at 57.7%-42.3%

The beginning of the second half saw LA continuing their pressure with a couple missed attempts.

At around the 76th minute mark as there was a delay in the match because of an injury to both Paul Marie and Aaron Long though thankfully both were able to continue to play.

Not long after the delay Jeremy Ebobisse drew a foul in the penalty area brining the fans at Levi’s Stadium to their feet. Taking the penalty of course was Espinoza who converted on the penalty hitting the bottom right of the net.

A little after the goal Maldonado was given a yellow card on a bad foul continuing their foul trouble.

For LA it was crunch time as they pushed hard for a goal throwing everything at San Jose. The most threatening moment being when Timothy Tillman missed a header over the net. San Jose was able to hold on and win the match over LA by a final of 2-1 at Levi’s Stadium.

“I think we can always be dangerous at any point it’s almost a little unpredictable and I love that because I think it’s one of our strengths,” head coach Luchi Gonzalez said after the match.

San Jose plays LA Galaxy next this time on the road on 5/14 at 6:30 p.m.

Real Salt Lake’s two goals in the second half bury Earthquakes 3-1

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Real Salt Lake celebrate their win over the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 at America First Field on Saturday APR 22, 2023. (Major League Soccer)

by Marko Ukalovic

Real Salt Lake scored two goals in the second half to defeat the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 on Saturday evening at America First Field.

San Jose had its four-match unbeaten streak snapped with the loss and are winless on the road this season (0-3-1). Real Salt Lake has won two of its past three matches.

RSL (3-5-0) drew first blood in the 39th minute. Danny Musovski led a three-on-one odd man counterattack. He found Jasper Löffelsend who beat ‘Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski with a shot just underneath the crossbar for his first goal of the season.

San Jose (4-3-2) scored the equalizer early in the second half off a set piece. A free kick by Christian Espinoza in the 49th minute deflected off Rubio Rubin just inside the left post for team-leading sixth goal of the season.

“I thought we were in it,” said ‘Quakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez about the match. “I thought we responded well the second half getting the early goal. For moments, I thought they showed some moments of quality and were putting away their chances, whereas we didn’t.”

Real Salt Lake regained the lead five minutes later. Andrés Gómez found Jefferson Savarino along the left wing. Savarino made a move inside before firing a shot to the far corner of the net for his team-leading third goal of the season in the 54th minute.

RSL put the game away in the 80th minute with an insurance goal. Bryan Oviedo centered a ball into the middle where Gómez made one touch before firing a shot past Marcinkowski for his first goal of the season.

“We pride ourselves on being a compact team, a team that doesn’t allow chances to be created through those this year, but they were able to find a way to do it. I think it’s about keep doing what we’ve been doing. I know it was a little bit too spacious. We could’ve been tighter between our lines and maybe could’ve prevented it, but I think they have fast players and good players that can hurt you in those moments,” ‘Quakes captain Jackson Yueill said.

Real Salt Lake goalkeeper Zac MacMath made two saves on three shots on target to earn the victory. Marcinkowski made three saves on six shots on target in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished the match with one corner kick. RSL had three.

The Quakes are now 14-14-12 all-time vs. Real Salt Lake, including a 5-8-7 record on the road.

UP NEXT:

Earthquakes dominate at home over Kansas City 3-0

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Photo courtesy of San Jose Earthquakes. The Earthquakes celebrate a goal at home.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

SAN JOSE- In what was a very strong performance at home the Earthquakes came out and got the win over Kansas City 3-0.

JT Marcinkowski got the start for San Jose while Tim Melia was in between the pipes for Kansas City.

The match saw a quick strike from the quakes as Cristian Espinoza just nine minutes in scored on a beautiful cross from Cade Cowell.

Just before the end of the first half Jeremy Ebobisse scored on a penalty as Robert Castellanos was given a red card for a professional foul.

The second match started with more offense as Paul Marie found Ebobisse in the box who quickly deposited the ball in the net extending their lead to 3-0.

That goal ended up being the last of the match as the Earthquakes got a convincing home win.

With that win San Jose now finds themselves fifth in the western conference with four wins.

There were three yellow cards given out during the match with all three against San Jose. Possession also favored San Jose at 53.9% to 46.1%.

The final shots favored the Earthquakes 10-9 while shots on goal finished at 6-3 in favor of San Jose as well.

The Earthquakes next game will be against Salt Lake next Saturday on the road at 6:30 p.m.

The Earthquakes remain undefeated at home beating Houston 2-1

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Photo courtesy of San Jose Earthquakes. The Earthquakes ready themselves before the start of the second half.

By Titus Wilkinson (@TitusWisme)

SAN JOSE- In what was an interesting match to watch the Earthquakes scored two penalties against the Dynamo to win by a final of 2-1.

For San Jose JT Marcinkowski got the start while for Houston Steve Clark was in between the pipes.

The match got off to a quick start for San Jose as they played with strong pace and lead to Teenage Hadebe getting called for a handball in the penalty area.

Cristian Espinoza took the penalty shot and scored at the 7′ mark of the first half striking the bottom left part of the net.

A little later in the first Jonathan Mensa was issued a yellow card on a bad foul and at the 33′ mark Carlos Akapo was given one as well.

At the 40′ mark Michael Baldisimo was issued a foul in the penalty area though it was under questionable circumstances.

Despite that Amine Bassi took the penalty shot and scored hitting the centre of the net tying the game back up. Not

Not long after the penalty Artur for the Houston Dynamo was issued a yellow card.

The end of the half showed how few shots there were as collectively there was only two shots on target between the two teams which were the two penalties.

The Earthquakes did maintain the possession in the first half at 51.3% to Houston’s 48.7%

The second half started out quite opposite to the first as early on Corey Baird got a good shot on goal that Marcinkowski fought off.

In response Espinoza also got a great shot on target that leaked through Clark’s legs but stayed out as he scrambled back and covered it.

Just two minutes after the shot Jamiro Monteiro was issued a yellow card on a bad foul.

San Jose continued the pace and Cade Cowell lead a good charge into the box but lost possession of the ball.

A little after that play the refs looked back and saw that Cowell was fouled in the penalty area and thus San Jose was awarded another penalty.

Espinoza took the penalty and scored once again this time hitting the bottom right part of the net making it 2-1.

Houston later in the half made a couple substitutions including putting out on the field Sebastián Ferreira who last year scored multiple goals against San Jose.

In stoppage time Houston was given one last chance as they were awarded a free kick on a foul by Paul Marie.

The free kick was from a dangerous position but Marcinkowski came up with an easy save as the Earthquakes held on to win 2-1.

The Earthquakes next match will be on 4/8 against New York on the road at 4:30 p.m.

Earthquakes battle Toronto FC to 0-0 scoreless draw

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San Jose Earthquakes Benji Kikanovic attempted a shot against Toronto FC in a 0-0 draw at Pay Pal Park on MAR 25, 2023. (Jose Rocha/Tectanoic Takes)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — The San Jose Earthquakes earned a point against Toronto FC as both teams ended their match with a 0-0 draw on Saturday evening at Pal Pay Park.

San Jose has points in two of its past three matches. Toronto FC has earned points in four of its five first matches.

San Jose (2-2-1) head coach Luchi Gonzalez was forced to tweak his starting 11 as Jamiro Monteiro was out on international duty and Carlos Gruezo out with an injury. Benji Kinkanovic and Michael Baldisimo made their first starts of the season.

“I mean we’ve had our challenges with injuries and also missing guys. So definitely both Toronto and us had challenges in that regard. But I am happy with some of the things we created in terms of our expected goals. We definitely created enough chances to score at least a goal. We defended very well collectively and individually, shutting down a few of their key guys and that’s important. If we can have an effort like that, consistently, defensively, things will bounce our way offensively I believe in our process,” Gonzalez said.

The Quakes controlled the majority of the possession in the opening 45 minutes but were a tad off here and there on passes deep inside Toronto’s zone that prevented them from having a shot on target.

The closest Toronto FC (1-1-3) threatened to put a dent in the scoreboard in the first came in the seventh minute when Deandre Kerr’s right footed shot from the center of the box was knocked away by Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski.

“In the first half we couldn’t connect with each other, but I think that was because in the first half teams normally come with a lot of energy,” said Quakes forward Christian Espinoza regarding the teams chances. “We knew that in the second half they were going to drop that energy, so that we could create more chances to score. That is what happened on the field, but today we couldn’t connect on a couple of crosses and the chances that we had. But we are happy with this point and clean sheet, and we have to keep going.”

San Jose’s Rodrigues had two quality headers in a two-minute off set pieces in span from the 54th minute to the 56th that went just wide of the net of Toronto FC goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

Toronto FC played more of the same defensive style in the second half with as it only generated two shots on goal.

The Quakes had it chance for a game winning goal in the second minute of stoppage time in the second half when Jackson Yueill’s low line drive shot was saved by an outstretched Johnson. Tommy Thompson had a chance to clean up the rebound with Johnson down on the ground but his mistimed his attempt and fell to the ground without getting off a shot.

Both Marcinkowski and Johnson were credited with two saves in each earning a clean sheet.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with six corner kicks. Toronto FC had three.

San Jose has earned 7+ points from their first three home matches for the first time since 2017.

The Quakes have conceded one total goal across the three home matches and have an active 253-minute shutout streak at PayPal Park.

San Jose is now 6-5-8 all-time vs. Toronto FC, including a 3-2-4 record at home. With the draw, the Quakes extended their unbeaten streak against Toronto to five matches (1-0-4) dating back to 2018. San Jose’s last home loss vs. Toronto came in 2010.

The attendance at Pay Pal Park was 12,434.

UP NEXT: San Jose host the Houston Dynamo on Saturday 4/1 at 7:30pm at Pay Pal Park.

Espinoza’s first tally of the season provide Earthquakes 1-0 shutout win over Rapids

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San Jose Earthquakes forward Christian Espinoza celebrates his game winning goal over the Colorado Rapids on Saturday MAR 11, 2023. (Dario Cruz-Tectonic Takes)

by Marko Uklaovic

SAN JOSE — Christian Espinoza is proving he’s the guy you count on to seize the opportunity.

Espinoza’s first goal of the season in the 78th minute, proved to be the game winner as the San Jose Earthquakes shutout the Colorado Rapids 1-0 on Saturday evening at Pay Pal Park.

San Jose has won two of its first three matches to start the season. Colorado had its third consecutive game without scoring a goal. It is the first time since 2015 that they have gone scoreless in its first three matches to start the season.

Espinoza, who is only five assists away from becoming the all-time assist leader in Quakes history, gathered the rebound off of a Miguel Trauco shot. The Argentinean striker dribbled to the right before firing a right-footed shot top from just beyond the box top shelf past Rapids goalkeeper William Yarbrough for his first goal of the season that sent the Quakes faithful into a frenzy.

“He is lethal with his right foot in terms of a cross or a shot,” said Quakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez regarding Espinoza. “Can we get him opportunities to get more shots? That is something that we want to keep working on. Also with his left foot, he is good at cutting inside and scoring with his left as well. He showed that in preseason. We are really proud of him and a player that is relentless with his energy and his mentality, and then when he has a little bit of space and can get a shot or a cross in, we know he can create issues. We want to keep doing that.”

San Jose (2-1-0) had the pitch tilted in its favor for the majority of the first half as the generated numerous scoring chances. Their best chance came in the 35th minute when Espinoza’s attempt from 25 yards out was knocked off the cross bar when Yarbrough was able to get a hand on the ball keeping it out of the back of the net.

Carlos Akapo made his first career MLS start at right back for San Jose and made an impact with helping out on the offensive attack while providing stability on the backline.

Colorado (0-2-1) played on their heels throughout the opening 45 minutes as were not able to generate any quality scoring chances as the Quakes backline held down the fort.

Throughout the second half San Jose came close to breaking through on the scoreboard as they generated four quality scoring chances, that included two saves from Yarbrough, before Espinoza’s tally.

Gonzalez praised his team’s effort and was happy San Jose came away with three points and not just one.

“You saw me celebrate it (Espinoza’s goal). I’m very happy for him (Espinoza) and the team find a goal because it wasn’t easy. Colorado defended well. Look had we not scored, and it ended up tied, I would’ve still been proud of how the guys played. Of course, I would’ve been disappointed had we not scored but would’ve been proud with the identity of our team we’ve established since training in the preseason,” Gonzales said.

Espinoza was glad he was able to contribute to the team’s success this early into theseason.

“We always try to find the free spaces to take that kind of shot, especially in front of the goal. Sometimes we can do it, and sometimes we can’t. But for that it’s very important that the team is committed to move the ball side to side and today I think that we had a great game,” Espinoza said.

‘Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski, who made his first start of the season, had a perfect clean sheet as Colorado failed to generate any shots on target during the match. Yarbrough made three saves on four shots on target in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with five corner kicks. Colorado had three.

San Jose is now 32-25-18 all-time vs. the Colorado Rapids, including a 19-9-9 record at home. They went 1-4-2 against Colorado last season.

The Quakes have only lost once when hosting the Rapids at PayPal Park since its opening in 2015 (6-1-2).

Midfielder Jackson Yueill made his 150th MLS appearance. Yueill is now tied with Jon Busch for the ninth most appearances in club history.

Tonight’s attendance was 13,383.

UP NEXT: San Jose will play its inaugural game against St. Louis City next Saturday at 5:00pm at CityPark.

Akapo’s late goal propels Earthquakes to 2-1 win over Whitecaps in home opener

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The San Jose Earthquakes celebrate their 2-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps at Pay Pal Park on Saturday MAR 4, 2022. (San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic

SAN JOSE — Carlos Akapo made a sizzling home debut for the Black and Blue.

Akapo scored the game winning goal in the 77th minute to give the San Jose Earthquakes a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday evening before a sold-out crowd for at Pay Pal Park.

San Jose has lost two in a row to start the season/evened its record with its first win of the season in its home opener. Vancouver has lost two in a row to start the season/evened its record with its first win of the season.

Christian Espinoza found Akapo inside the box to the right. The 29-year-old Equatoguinean rifled a laser of a shot just inside the right post into the upper corner of the net for his first goal of the season.

Vancouver (0-1) drew first blood in the 17th minute as they took advantage of a lackadaisical pass from Jonathan Mensah which created a counterattack for the Whitecaps. Julian Gressel slid a pass over to Alessandro Schöpf, who got inside position on Paul Marie, and chipped the ball past Quakes goalkeeper Daniel De Sousa Brito for his first goal of the season.

The first 45 minutes for San Jose (0-1) was a half of missed opportunities. They had three shots on target but weren’t able to get the ball past Whitecap’s goalkeeper Yahel Takaoka, including a great individual effort by striker Cade Cowell where he went around three defenders before Takaoka made a save on his left footed attempt. Other opportunities hit the side of the net or sailed wide.

After a lackluster first half on defense as well, the Earthquakes responded with a sounder effort from their line in the second half that allowed the offense to control possession and gain momentum the rest of the match.

“I believe the sense of urgency changed,” said Mensah on the team’s rebound at home. “Of course, we could’ve started better, but being a goal down you need to do anything you can to come back and win the game. We sensed it right away that we needed to change gears and we did.”

The Quakes scored the equalizer in the 68th minute on a set piece. After a foul by Luis Martins on Espinoza, which resulted in a yellow card, Jamiro Monteiro centered a ball from 30 yards out where Jeremy Ebobisee soared high in the air and headed the ball into the upper left corner of the net for his second goal of the season.

“Set pieces are game changers and we know that. Unfortunately, in Atlanta, it didn’t bounce our way in terms of how we defended set pieces. We know the importance of set pieces. We think we have a team that can defend well and respond,” Quakes head coach Luchi Gonzalez said.

Ebobisse has scored in back-to-back games for San Jose.

Vancouver had a chance late in the match when Russell Teibert’s shot in the 86th minute was thwarted away by De Sousa Brito.

De Sousa Brito finished the match with one save on two shots on target for his first win in a Quakes uniform. Takaoka made four saves on six shots on target in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with 12 corner kicks. Vancouver had six.

San Jose is now 10-10-12 all-time vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC, including a 6-1-8 record at home.

San Jose has won or drawn in 15 of the past 16 home matches against Vancouver (7W-8D).

UP NEXT: San Jose hosts the Colorado Rapids on Saturday 3/11 at 7:30pm at Pay Pal Park.

Sporting KC take down Earthquakes in 1-0 shutout win

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San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Jamiro Monteiro looks to pass the ball during the match at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday Aug 27, 2022. (San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic

A familiar result in a place that has been harsh for the San Jose Earthquakes.

Sporting Kansas City scored early in the first half and held on for a 1-0 shutout victory over the ‘Quakes on Saturday evening at Children’s Mercy Park.

San Jose is winless in seven of its last eight matches. Sporting KC has won three out of its last four matches.

Sporting KC (8-15-5-29 points) has points in 12 out of its past 13 (8W, 4D) matches against San Jose, including 14 of the past 17 at Children’s Mercy Park.

In their last four matches, Sporting KC has scored 10 goals in the first half during that stretch.

Dániel Sallói was at the right place at the right time during a clearing attempt by Paul Marie in the 10th minute. Roger Espinoza started the play with a cross into the middle of the box where Marie deflected the ball right onto the foot of Sallói who fired a shot into the right corner for his sixth goal of the season.

San Jose (6-12-9-27 points) had a golden opportunity to get on the board in the fifth minute. Benji Kikanovic sprung Jeremy Ebobisse on a breakaway. Ebobisse’s shot attempt was intended for the far left corner but sailed wide of the net.

“We had an opportunity from Cristian Espinoza, Jeremy [Ebobisse] had an opportunity, a set piece was another one and then we had another from Cade [Cowell] where Jebo [Jeremy Ebobisse] couldn’t get to it. It was an interesting game and I believe we did all we could do to win the game,” interim head coach Alex Covelo said.

Sporting KC took control of the second half as they had the pitch tilted inside the ‘Quakes zone for the majority of the half by creating numerous scoring chances only to have ‘Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski keep the ball out of the net.

The home team thought they had doubled their lead in the 58th minute when Graham Zusi floated in a cross to an unmarked Nicolas Isimat-Mirin who one touched the ball into the back of the net. However, after a VAR review, the play was determined offsides.

San Jose had a chance for the equalizer in the 82nd when they were awarded a free kick just outside the box. However, Ebobisse’s attempt went beyond the net to the left side past an outstretched Sporting KC goalkeeper John Pulskamp.

“At this point in the season, anything besides three points is really frustrating. We obviously know that we only have seven games left now. I think this was a big opportunity tonight but then there’s another one next Sunday against Vancouver,” Marcinkowski said.

Pulskamp was a perfect four for four to earn his first clean sheet of the season. Pulskamp has started the past five matches in place of injured Tim Melia. Marcinkowski made a season high seven saves on eight shots in the losing effort.

Oskar Aegren started at center back for San Jose in place of Nathan who was suspended for the match due to yellow card accumulation. It was Aegren’s third appearance for San Jose.

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

San Jose is now 25-29-10 all-time vs. Sporting KC, including an 8-22-2 record on the road.

The Earthquakes are now 6-8-6 in MLS play under Covelo.

Midfielder Jamiro Monteiro made his 100th MLS appearance (75 w/ PHI, 25 w/ SJ), and played the entire 90 minutes.

Seventeen-year-old rookie midfielder Niko Tsakiris made his fifth career appearance, entering the match as a substitute in the 73rd minute.

Tommy Thompson played in 178th games for San Jose, which ranks fourth all-time in franchise history.

UP NEXT: San Jose returns home to host the Vancouver Whitecaps on Sunday 9/4 at 6:30pm at Pay Pal Park.