SEATTLE — The Earthquakes’ winless streak reached six games following a 3-2 loss to the Seattle Sounders Saturday night, a defeat that knocks San Jose out of a playoff spot and into position for a play-in game.
The Quakes (7-9-8), who haven’t won an MLS game in nearly a month, surrendered a breakaway goal by Seattle’s Pedro de la Vega in the 69th minute that broke a 2-2 tie. After a San Jose turnover, de la Vega slipped a shot from outside the box inside the back post to cap the scoring.
De La Vega also assisted on one of teammate Danny Musovski’s two goals. Both of Musovski’s goals came shortly after San Jose goals, which was particularly frustrating for Quakes coach Bruce Arena.
“We conceded goals after we scored the first goal in a short period of time and also after we scored the second goal. That’s a lack of discipline and concentration on our part,” Arena said. “Then we lost the ball in the wrong place on the third goal and didn’t foul or win the ball back.
“At this point of the season we shouldn’t be making some of the mistakes we made that resulted in goals,” said Arena, whose team sits in ninth place in the Western Conference with 29 points and just 10 regular-season games remaining.
The Quakes’ Preston Judd opened the scoring in the 26th minute but Musovski answered for the Sounders (10-6-7) two minutes later to make it 1-1. Jamar Ricketts played a low cross from the left side to the near post where Judd put away a first-touch shot before Musovski beat defender Dave Romney and goalkeeper Daniel to an arcing ball played by Albert Rusnák and scored on a header into a wide-open net.
After Musovski made it 2-1 in the 54th minute when, on the counter-attack, he headed home an entry pass played in by de la Vega from the center of the area.
Cristian Arango responded for San Jose to tie it at 2-2 in the 64th minute. Cristian Espinoza played a free kick to Judd in the center of the area for a header, but goalkeeper Andrew Thomas made a diving one-hand parry before Arango slammed home the putback from point-blank range.
The Quakes twice had an opportunity for a game-tying goal in stoppage time. Espinoza’s curling free kick bounced off the crossbar. Max Floriani then headed the rebound to Josef Martínez, whose bicycle kick was saved off the line by Thomas.
Shortly thereafter, Arango lifted a cross from the left wing for an outstretched Paul Marie, but Thomas once again turned San Jose away.
The Earthquakes had their seven-game (4-0-3) unbeaten streak against Seattle snapped. The Sounders and San Jose played to a 1-1 tie on March 29.
“I thought we played well against a good opponent and in challenging conditions, whenever you play here in Seattle,” Arena said. “We certainly had some mental breakdowns … overall, I thought the team played well.”
San Jose has tied four matches and lost two of them since beating FC Dallas 4-2 on the road on June 25.
Espinoza will represent San Jose in the MLS All-Star Game in Austin, Texas on Wednesday. Espinoza has scored four goals and is third in the league with 11 assists. He also tops the MLS with 77 key passes, nine more than St. Louis’ Marcel Hartel.
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After the All-Star break, San Jose will travel to Sandy, Utah to face Real Salt Lake on Saturday, July 26 in a matchup with Western Conference playoff implications. Salt Lake is in 10th place in the West, one point behind the Quakes, who sit just one point behind Austin and Colorado, which are tied for seventh place.
“It’s a big ask in Salt Lake, they’re playing well,” said Quakes forward Judd. “It’s almost a must-win.”
Wire service reports contributed to this report.
