Deadspin: Quakes’ early goals lift them to third as Real Salt Lake drops to 10th
San Jose strikes early
Bouda put the Earthquakes ahead in the second minute, scoring from a free kick for his seventh goal of the season. Kikanovic doubled the lead in the 17th minute, finishing Bouda’s pass while sliding in the box. It was Kikanovic’s first MLS goal since June 22, 2024.
San Jose held on for a 2-1 victory, ending a stretch of five games without a win. Juan Manuel Sanabria pulled Salt Lake back into the match in the 23rd minute, heading in a feed from Sam Junqua after eluding Dave Romney and Daniel Munie.
Conference standings shift
San Jose improved to 14-9-10 with 52 points and moved one point ahead of fifth-place Houston, which plays Sunday. The Earthquakes also sit one point ahead of fourth-place St. Louis, which lost at home to San Diego.
The win puts San Jose three points behind second-place Dallas, which has one more win and one regular-season game remaining. Salt Lake fell to 12-15-6 with 42 points and dropped from ninth to 10th after the Galaxy defeated Austin.
Salt Lake faces ground to make up
Real Salt Lake trails the seventh-place Galaxy by two points. It is also one point behind Colorado and Seattle, though both teams have an additional match to play.
San Jose goalkeeper Earl Edwards made four saves as Salt Lake took 15 shots. He stopped attempts by Saba Lobjanidze in the 37th minute and Justin Glad in the 47th. Salt Lake goalkeeper Rafael Cabral made three saves against San Jose’s 14 shot attempts.
Key points
- Bouda and Kikanovic scored within the opening 17 minutes for San Jose.
- The Earthquakes ended a five-game winless run with a 2-1 victory.
- San Jose moved into third place in the Western Conference, one point ahead of Houston.
- Real Salt Lake dropped from ninth to 10th after the LA Galaxy beat Austin.