Seattle Sounders Secure Narrow Victory Over San Jose Earthquakes
The Seattle Sounders triumphed over the San Jose Earthquakes with a 1-0 scoreline at PayPal Park in San Jose, California, on Sunday, thanks to a goal from Paul Rothrock in the first half.
In the sixth minute, Seattle had a promising opportunity when Georgi Minoungou raced down the left side and crossed for Cody Baker, but Baker’s shot from the edge of the box went wide of the far post.
The Sounders gained the lead in the 20th minute through an excellent counterattack. A clearance found Danny Musovski, who laid the ball off for Jesús Ferreira. Ferreira delivered a precise through ball to Rothrock, who scored his second goal of the season effortlessly.
San Jose had several promising chances inside the box in the 37th minute, but exceptional defending from Jackson Ragen and Antino Lopez blocked the shots, forcing a corner kick.
The best opportunity for the Earthquakes in the first half came in the 45th minute when Niko Tsakiris fired a free kick from 25 yards that struck the far post.
In the 48th minute, Rothrock almost doubled the lead when he was played in behind the defense, but his half-volley was expertly saved by Earthquakes goalkeeper Daniel.
The Sounders faced significant pressure for the next 15 minutes but held firm. Preston Judd came close in the 60th minute with a 1-on-1 against Andrew Thomas, but the Sounders’ goalkeeper made a crucial stop. The game notably featured a remarkable goal-line clearance from Lopez in the 74th minute, preserving the shutout.
The Sounders climbed to fifth place in the Western Conference, earning nine points from four matches (3 wins, 1 draw, 0 losses). They are set to host the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday (8 p.m. PT; FS2, TUDN) in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup tie after a 3-0 win in Vancouver last week. Following that, Seattle will visit Minnesota United in league play next Sunday (11:30 a.m. PT; Apple TV).
Key Insights
Just three days after a challenging win against the Vancouver Whitecaps, Sounders Head Coach Brian Schmetzer used a heavy rotation strategy, giving Tacoma Defiance players Lopez and Peter Kingston their first MLS starts. Right fullback Baker also made his second start of the season. The young squad successfully contained the Earthquakes, who had the highest Expected Goals in the league, preventing them from scoring for the first time this season.
Schmetzer’s decision to bring Lopez into the last minutes against the Whitecaps served well, as he made significant contributions, including a key box clearance against Vancouver. His impressive performance continued in San Jose, highlighted by a critical defensive play to maintain Seattle’s clean sheet.
Three Consecutive Road Wins
Currently on a challenging road trip due to renovations at Lumen Field ahead of the summer FIFA World Cup, the Sounders have now achieved three successive victories away from home over the past nine days. They started with a win against St. Louis CITY SC last Saturday, followed by a noteworthy victory against Vancouver in the Concacaf Champions Cup and concluded with their win in San Jose. Notably, all three matches resulted in clean sheets for the Sounders’ defense.
