MLS San Jose Earthquakes

Earthquakes Earn Road Point with 1-1 Tie in Salt Lake City

Published on July 4, 2009 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
San Jose Earthquakes News Release


SANDY, Utah -- The San Jose Earthquakes appeared to have their first away victory of the season in the bag until an own goal by Chris Leitch in stoppage time left the Quakes and Real Salt Lake with a 1-1 draw Friday night at Rio Tinto Stadium. Arturo Alvarez scored in the 63rd minute for San Jose and then Real went a man down when Fabian Espindola was sent off in the 77th minute. But Leitch poked the ball into his own net to leave both teams with a share of the spoils.

Neither team could generate much until the seventh minute when Alvarez put a cross from the right wing onto the head of Ryan Johnson, but the former RSL striker's effort went just over the crossbar.

San Jose kept the pressure on, and they were nearly rewarded with a penalty kick in the 13th minute. Pablo Campos received the ball in the Salt Lake penalty area where Nat Borchers made a tackle on Campos. Referee Michael Kennedy discussed the play with his assistant, and in the end he elected not to award the penalty but instead cautioned Campos for simulation.

San Jose's defense held strong early on, as Salt Lake didn't have their first decent scoring chance until the 23rd minute. Espindola got his head on a Javier Morales corner kick, but his header went well over the goal.

In the 24th minute, Alvarez took a good long-range effort with his left foot but again it sailed high.

In the 37th minute, the home side had the best chance of the half for either team thanks to some clever combination play from Espindola and Yura Movsisyan. Espindola slotted a clever ball through to Movsisyan, who sent a beautiful ball of his own back to Espindola. Joe Cannon came out to close down the through ball, but Espindola got there first. However Cannon was positioned well and he blocked Espindola's first-time, point-blank shot with his legs.

The Earthquakes were nearly gifted an own goal in the 42nd minute as Borchers and Chris Wingert failed to communicate on a bouncing ball. Borchers headed the ball off Wingert and over Nick Rimando's head, but the RSL goalkeeper was able to run back and snatch the ball before it could get to the goal line.

Just before halftime, again Espindola got behind the San Jose defense in the penalty area, but Cannon alertly came off his line to grab the through ball only moments before Espindola could receive it.

The Earthquakes found most of their chances by playing through Campos, who was effective playing with his back to the goal. In the 49th minute, he nearly capitalized. Campos received the ball 12 yards from goal, turned to his left, and fired a low shot toward the near post with his right foot. The shot was on target but Rimando dove to his left and smothered it.

Espindola again nearly broke the ice again in the 57th minute, this time by accident. A shanked cross from the right wing nearly found its way into the upper corner of the far post, but Cannon did excellent to back up and punch it from danger. Espindola had another good opportunity is the 59th minute with a hard-driven left-footed shot that missed high by inches.

San Jose finally broke the scoreless draw in the 63rd minute when Campos combined with Alvarez near the top of Salt Lake's penalty area.

Surrounded by defenders, Alvarez found Campos with his back to the goal. Campos laid a square ball back to Alvarez, who used his ball-handling skills to work his way from left to right across the area, leaving several defenders in his wake. Once in the clear, he calmly slotted the ball past the onrushing Rimando just inside the right post to give the Earthquakes a 1-0 lead.

Salt Lake nearly answered back in the 65th minute when Morales struck a bending free kick around the wall, but Cannon dove beautifully to his left to make the save.

The game got heated and there were several incidents after the play, finally culminating in a straight red card for Espindola for retaliation after a hard tackle by Brandon McDonald in the 77th minute.

San Jose's fortunes turned, however, in the first minute of stoppage time. Morales tried to break through the defense when the ball pinged off Leitch's foot and slowly rolled past Cannon and inside the post to level the match 1-1.

And Real had the chance to win the match in the final minute of injury time as Robbie Findley got through the defense and by Cannon, but Jason Hernandez was able to get back and clear the ball off the line to preserve the draw for San Jose.

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Major League Soccer Stories from July 4, 2009


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