What a wonderful way to head into the bye week.
The San Jose Earthquakes did something they absolutely had to do – earn three points against Real Salt Lake. While past matches have been referred to as ‘must-win’, this was the first time that the Quakes were actually facing a win-or-be-eliminated scenario, and the club responded appropriately.
Simon Dawkins and Fatai Alashe combined to score two excellent goals, one in each half, to lead San Jose to a 2-1 victory over their Western Conference rivals. And while the playoffs are still considered unlikely by many, simultaneous losses by Portland and Sporting Kansas City suddenly have some reaching for the ‘We Believe’ cards of 2003.
The non-goal scorer of the match was certainly net minder David Bingham, whose acrobatic saves kept the Earthquakes spirits high and Real Salt Lake’s goal total low. His stunning double-save on a free Joao Plata header provided the Quakes the spark they needed to push forward for a winner, and that they did.
From here on out, the objective is the same: win and hope a club (or two) ahead of them stumbles. It’s mathematically improbable, but certainly not impossible.
Can the Quakes build on the success they had tonight or will the team’s recently dispatched seven-game winless streak be too much to overcome? Tune in on Thursday, October 13 when San Jose returns to action against the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park to find out.
