SAN JOSE, Calif – The San Jose Earthquakes fell 2-1 to the Portland Timbers on Wednesday night at PayPal Park.
The visitors opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when Evander took advantage of a turnover in the box and beat Quakes goalkeeper Jacob Jackson. The Quakes would emphatically answer in the 50th minute with a long-range blast from Paul Marie to equalize. However, Portland recaptured the lead for good when Evander fed Jonathan “Cabecita” Rodriguez for the finish in the 72nd minute.
The Quakes will now prepare for a road match against Los Angeles Football Club on Saturday, June 22. Kickoff from BMO Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast globally on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, as well as on local radio AM 810 The Spread (English) and AM 1370 La Kaliente (Spanish).
GAME NOTES
The Quakes are now 6-22-10 against the Timbers in MLS regular-season play and 6-5-6 at home.
Winger Cristian Espinoza and Jeremy Ebobisse started Wednesday’s match, extending their MLS-leading consecutive games played streaks to 93 and 92, respectively.
Goalkeeper Jacob Jackson made his Quakes debut in MLS play. He started last month’s San Jose’s 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Round of 16 matchup against Sacramento, a 4-3 defeat in extra time where he made five saves — several at point-blank range — to keep the Black and Blue in the game.
In the 50th minute, Quakes defender Paul Marie scored his second goal of the season and sixth of his career.
MATCH INFORMATION
San Jose Earthquakes 1-2 Portland Timbers
Saturday, June 19, 2024 – PayPal Park; San Jose, Calif.
Weather: 65° Sunny
Match Officials:
Referee: Marcos DeOliveira
AR1: Andrew Bigelow
AR2: Jeremy Hanson
4th Official: Ricardo Fierro
VAR: Greg Dopka
AVAR: Mike Kampmeinert
Scoring Summary:
POR (0-1) – Evander (unassisted) 22’
SJ (1-1) – Paul Marie (unassisted) 50’
POR (1-2) – Jonathan Rodriguez (Evander, Juan Mosquera) 72’
Misconduct Summary:
POR – Claudio Bravo (caution) 48'
POR – Evander (caution) 76'
POR – Nathan Fogaca (caution) 87'
POR – Diego Chará (caution) 89'
POR – Eric Miller (caution) 90+4'
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: Jacob Jackson; Vítor Costa (Tommy Thompson 81’), Tanner Beason, Daniel Munie, Carlos Akapo (Paul Marie 18’); Jackson Yueill (C) (Alfredo Morales 81’), Niko Tsakiris, Hernán López; Amahl Pellegrino (Jack Skahan 73’), Cristian Espinoza, Jeremy Ebobisse (Preston Judd 73’).
Substitutes not used: William Yarbrough (GK), Michael Baldisimo, Tanner Beason, Alfredo Morales, Tommy Thompson, Casey Walls.
POSS.: 52.9%; SHOTS: 18; SOG: 2; CORNERS: 8; OFFSIDES: 2; SAVES: 2; FOULS: 3; xG: 1.9
PORTLAND TIMBERS: James Pantemis; Claudio Bravo (Eric Miller 68’), Dario Zuparic, Zachery McGraw, Juan Mosquera; Evander, Jonathan Rodriguez (Nathan Fogaca 87’), Diego Chara (C), David Ayala (Cristhian Paredes 86’), Santiago Moreno (Dairon Asprilla 89’); Felipe Mora (Antony 67’).
Substitutes not used: Trey Muse (GK), Tyler Clegg, Larrys Mabiala, Eryk Williamson.
POSS.: 47.1%; SHOTS: 15; SOG: 4; CORNERS: 2; OFFSIDES: 0; SAVES: 1; FOULS: 12; xG: 2.4
EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH LUCHI GONZALEZ
On overall thoughts of tonight’s match:
“I think we imposed ourselves offensively. We created a lot. We got on the ball a lot. I thought we actually defended really well. I know the goal we conceded early first half was a build-up mistake, but not from a lack of effort or intensity. … I thought we imposed second half, started with protagonism, pushing the game. It should have been 2-1 with the chances we were creating. … It’s like this theme that continues to haunt us. It was a good 60 to 70 minutes where we could be winning, we’re imposing, we were actually defending well, and we just lose in a moment. We lose organization and concede. I like the effort of the guys to push at the end and I thought we were deserving of a second goal but it did not happen. We’re going to be disappointed with the common theme and we’ll have to get over it quick, but we need to change this common theme. If we don’t change, the results aren’t going to change.”
On the decision to start Jacob Jackson at goalkeeper:
“Making a goalkeeper rotation and change is never easy. It’s that one position, I’d say center backs and keepers are the hardest positions to just rotate or to make changes because you want that to be as consistent as possible. We saw Jacob really strong in training — really strong with second-team games. Our second team is really important to our development pathway for guys to earn opportunities with the first team. We were conceding goals. William is a fantastic leader with a lot of experience and a very good goalkeeper. ... It’s not an easy decision and of course he’s disappointed with that, but at the same time there are opportunities there and we saw we needed to make a change. Jacob was performing well in training and in second-team games and we went for that decision. As a goalkeeper, he’s got a bright future. He still has a good age to keep learning and getting better and that’s the context of the decision.”
On conceding two goals tonight:
“The game is cruel. Because too many times we've been in leads or been in good momentum so it could have or should have or deserve to be winning while we're creating. I love the excitement our guys play with in the attack and courage. I actually really liked our defensive organization. Up until the second goal because the first goal was a giveaway in distribution but we were very disciplined, very compact. We pushed our back line up. We controlled their transition quite well and even when they broke it without numbers behind the ball and protect the box so that goal is a hard one to swallow. We could’ve 100% prevented that. Just a little bit more numbers behind the ball, and more intensity on the ball, and push them out and not allow a free and open cross. You’ve got to do those things that are not easy, and you got to do the things that not everybody wants to do. That sacrifice. That's how you win. That's how you get results and so we're disappointed.”
On making changes amid all the players out of the lineup due to injury:
“The first change that I would like to see develop is get our guys healthy — Daniel healthy, JT [Marcinkowski] healthy, Bruno Wilson healthy, get [Carlos] Akapo back healthy. That's first and foremost. Get these guys healthy. [Carlos] Gruezo is in the [Ecuador] national team; but at the same time, I know every team is dealing with national call-ups right now, whether it’s Copa America or Euros. Get our roster and our depth as available and ready as possible. We're aware we don't talk about playoffs in every moment, but we do in key moments. We're not going to give up. I'm not going to give up. These guys, what I know about them, the staff, these players, they're not going to give up. If at some point mathematically it is impossible, then it is what it is, but the only way we can start making playoffs this season or seasons in the future is by taking care of business today and right now. That's going to be our focus. Staying present and what we control and bringing our best today so that the future can be bright.”
On updates pertaining to Rodrigues and Daniel, as well as Daniel Munie’s performance:
“[Rodrigues] was not cleared for tonight — potentially cleared against LAFC, so that would be good news to have him available. And then Daniel is probably training with us within two, maximum three weeks training and competing with the group, and going from there. Hopefully he’s in our competition goalkeeping and helping our back line and defensive outcomes. But look, I mentioned guys that are injured, and we’d love to have them back competing with us, especially in that back line competition and in goal. But it’s also positive when you see a Daniel Munie who I thought had a strong performance tonight. A young player who has been patient to keep growing and learning from his other center backs and other players. He has speed. He has good physical qualities. But he also showed good build-up. Good confidence on the ball as well. Good in the air as well. I think he’s got a bright future. He’s got good guys next to him like Tanner [Beason], Rodri, [Carlos] Akapo. There’s a lot of cultural differences, but you can see the influence they had on him and he had a good performance tonight overall.”
EARTHQUAKES DEFENDER PAUL MARIE
On having to come in to the match early on:
“We had to do a sub early. Carlos [Akapo] got hurt so I had to step in at the 16th minute. It’s not easy to step in a game like this but it went OK. Obviously, we got scored on early on a mistake but that’s OK. I think the boys responded. We played really well until the 70th minute, and then they had half a chance and they scored. I think that’s the little moments that we need to take care of. I didn’t think they had that much on us, but it was the little details that beat us 2-1 tonight. I thought the team played well. There’s a lot of games that we’ve played well but there’s a switch in our mentality maybe that we need to think of, to work on and be able to be consistent for 90-plus minutes.”
On his second-half goal from long range and feeling the home crowd’s energy:
“It was amazing to feel the fans. ... Having the fans behind us is a big plus. I think it’s hard to realize maybe for some people if they’ve only been at this stadium, but when we go on the road, having the crowd pushing for you for 90 minutes is unreal. I was very happy to score the goal, get a second breath for the team. We had that big chance and it felt like it was all coming along and had a happy ending, but it is what it is. I’m really happy to score a goal and help the team, but it would have been better with a win.”
On the team attempting to come together as a collective:
“Nobody showed up in preseason thinking it would go this way. We feel terrible for our fans and people that come to support us week in and week out because we have had the lead in so many games. We gave it all for our fans and for us too to get a result. Obviously, for the guys who are coming in, maybe they were in teams that were successful, and they didn’t have to do as much defensively. Obviously, we’re trying to gather everybody and get everybody on the same page. As of right now we’re not able to click everything together, hopefully we’re able to figure that out. There’s a lot of games left and a lot of positives to take in each game.”
On his and the rest of the team’s mentality:
“My mind is to win games and to be performing. I think Luchi is doing everything he can. He is giving 100 percent, and he’s been perfectly aligned with his message this season all along. Obviously, we’re trying to give it all for him. We would have loved to have better results but as of right now the players just need to focus on winning games and following the plan.”
On the team being able to score goals but not come away with a result:
“It feels like we’re able to turn things around and be more offensive. I feel like we’re being very positive going forward, and unfortunately maybe we don’t score, but then we start to become spread out. We start to have midfielders and No. 10s of the other team start to face us and play balls in behind us. For me, I feel like we start to be over-positive on one side, become stretched, and then in the middle they start to come at us with everything they have. I feel that’s what happened in New York, last game and in this game. Obviously, we’re going to score goals. We have incredible attackers, but we really have to focus and recover and stay in better lines especially in those last 20 minutes.”
