Miguel Trauco scored the tiebreaking goal and the San Jose Earthquakes defeated the visiting Philadelphia Union for the first time in nearly 10 years by registering a 2-1 victory on Saturday night.
Jeremy Ebobisse also scored for the Earthquakes (7-5-5, 26 points), who ended a seven-match winless streak (0-4-3) against Philadelphia. It was San Jose’s first win over the Union since a 1-0 home win on Sept. 8, 2013.
Damion Lowe scored the goal for Philadelphia (9-5-3, 30 points), which saw its nine-game unbeaten stretch (7-0-2) this season snapped. The streak matched the franchise mark set last season (2-0-7 from April 23 to June 26).
The Earthquakes are 6-0-2 at home this season, allowing just five goals. San Jose also is unbeaten in its last four overall matches (2-0-2).
San Jose goalkeeper Daniel made a hand save on a left-footed blast by Jack McGlynn in the 90th minute to prevent the Union from tying the score. Daniel had six saves.
Trauco gave San Jose a 2-1 lead in the 57th minute with a long left-footed blast from beyond the center of the box. The ball sailed into the top right corner of the net for Trauco’s second goal of the season.
Earlier, San Jose moved ahead in the eighth minute when Cade Cowell fed Ebobisse, who smacked a left-footed shot into the right corner of the net for his seventh goal of the season.
Nine minutes later, the Union tied the game on a corner kick. Kai Wagner’s long cross went directly to Lowe, who headed the ball and it tipped off the hand of Daniel en route to landing in the net. It was Lowe’s first goal of the season.
The Union had a 19-10 edge in shots and placed seven on target to San Jose’s two. Philadelphia goalie Andre Blake didn’t make any saves.
Philadelphia’s leading scorer, Julian Carranza (nine goals), failed to convert on two big opportunities.
In the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time, Jesus Bueno passed the ball to Carranza, who had an open net right in front of him. But Carranza kicked the ball over the crossbar to keep the score tied at 1.
In the 73rd minute, Carranza had a chance to knot the score at 2 when he attempted a point-blank header, but Daniel made the stop with his right knee.
–Field Level Media
