In soccer, it's all about action. And last Saturday, the San Jose Earthquakes squad made that loud and clear, beating Real Salt Lake 2-0 on their home turf. The game went down in Sandy, Utah, with 21,000 fans packed in the stands. But the party? That stayed with the folks from San Jose.
If there's one name you need to shout out from this match, it's Cristian Espinoza. The dude didn’t just open the scoring with an absolute screamer—he also hit a milestone, clocking his 100th career goal involvement. The play kicked off from a silly RSL mistake, with Jackson Yueill snatching up a bad pass and quickly sending it to Espinoza out on the right wing. And then? Boom. A rocket from just outside the box, blasting off Zac MacMath’s gloves, but he couldn’t keep it from rattling the back of the net.
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Now, everyone loves a sweet goal, but what really stood out was the Quakes' teamwork. Even after they got on the scoreboard, they didn’t let up. They kept pushing, pressing high, and that nonstop pressure turned into a second goal. Espinoza’s set-piece delivery? It was like a hot knife slicing through butter—off the post, past the keeper, and Amahl Pellegrino was right there to tap it in. Classic poacher’s finish.
That second goal, just 33 minutes in, pretty much sealed the deal. Real Salt Lake’s players looked lost out there. They were in full-on panic mode, throwing everything at the wall, just hoping to get a goal that might spark some kind of comeback.
If the first half was all about the Quakes' attack, the second half was a story of defense. And what a defense it was! Daniel turned into a brick wall. It was his first game back in MLS since March, and he showed he’s still got it. Real Salt Lake kept coming at them hard, but Daniel, along with San Jose’s backline, held strong. Crosses, long-range shots, breakaways—you name it, RSL tried it. But nothing got through. And when it looked like they might have a glimmer of hope, Daniel was there to shut it down. In the end, the Quakes walked away with a clean sheet that, honestly, felt like it was worth its weight in gold.
Now, the Quakes are heading back home to face Minnesota United next Saturday. It’s another chance to show that those 90 minutes in Utah weren’t just a fluke. With their home crowd backing them at PayPal Park and a team that's starting to click, San Jose might just be on the verge of a turnaround that nobody saw coming a few weeks ago.