The San Jose Earthquakes defeated a sluggish Real Salt Lake 2-1 in a straightforward victory at Avaya Stadium, goals from Anibal Godoy and Marco Ureña, snapping the team’s scoreless streak at 246 minutes.
The early proceedings were unusually open for the Quakes, with Hoesen dragging a low effort narrowly wide on a quick break and cushioning Jahmir Hyka’s cut-back over the bar.
Yura Movsisyan came close after Luis Silva’s incisive run caught Victor Bernardez out of position and Jefferson Savarino fired a daisy cutter on target in the sixth minute, but it was the home side who took better advantage of their early opportunities as Danny Hoesen fired into the top corner. Ureña’s low shot from Anibal Godoy’s through ball hit the base of the post and Nick Lima collected the rebound, then crossed in for Hoesen to finish.
The goal soothed any early nerves and the Quakes settled into a dominant spell of possession, though they went into halftime with a modest 1-0 advantage.
RSL began to ramp up the pressure in the second half, pushing higher up the pitch. Joao Plata’s thirty-yard free-kick hit the post in the fifty-third minute and the game grew stretched again.
Ureña was denied by Rimando at a tight angle after driving in from the right, and the Costa Rican’s tireless effort was finally rewarded with a solo run in the sixty-eighth minute that ended with a pinpoint finish into the bottom corner.
However, Nick Lima’s red card, earned by a reckless challenge on Chris Wingert, threw a wrench in what appeared to be a straightforward finish for the home side and prompted the introduction of Kofi Sarkodie and Shea Salinas for Ureña and Hoesen.
Bingham was called into action for an acrobatic stage from a corner in stoppage time and José Hernández slotted a low goal home with the final kick of the match, but the game was already done and dusted.
