SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Earthquakes drew with Houston Dynamo FC 3-3 on Saturday night in Major League Soccer regular-season play at PayPal Park to extend their unbeaten streak in all competitions to seven games.
The Earthquakes almost got on the board first in the seventh minute but Josef Martínez’s shot from point-blank range was stopped in the box by Houston goalkeeper Jonathan Bond. In minute 21, Martínez again broke free down the middle of the box, this time off a feed from Hernán López, but Bond got a hand on the shot in the last moment once more to slap it away. Instead, the visitors got the breakthrough in the 31st minute when Griffin Dorsey streaked down the right wing in transition and crossed it in for Ezequiel Ponce, who finished the play to give Houston the lead. The Dynamo almost doubled their advantage 10 minutes later off a free kick but Edwards Jr. leaped to tip a Dorsey attempt over the crossbar to keep the deficit 1-0 at the half.
Houston pulled ahead 2-0 in the 50th minute when off the sequence of a corner kick, Felipe Andrade’s header from the left side of the six-yard box found the back of the net. San Jose almost pulled one back in the 54th minute when López crossed it in from the left wing for Martínez, but his header bounced off the woodwork. In the 59th minute, López threaded a through ball into the box for Martínez, but once again, Bond closed the angle and parried the shot on goal out of play. In minute 62, Beau Leroux got his head on a cross but Bond turned him away, too.
San Jose then exploded for three goals in 10 minutes to start and complete a rousing comeback. In the 66th minute, the Quakes’ attack finally beat the Houston goalkeeper in the 66th minute when second-half substitution Preston Judd directed a DeJuan Jones cross into the net to make it 2-1. In the 72nd minute, Judd made it a brace when he headed home an Ian Harkes cross for the 2-2 equalizer. Then four minutes later, Daniel Munie skied to head another Harkes cross past Bond to give San Jose their first lead of the night, 3-2.
However, Houston would answer in the 91st minute when the Dynamo caught the Quakes in transition and Dorsey emerged to score the tying goal. San Jose subsequently tried earnestly to recapture the lead in stoppage time, but the final whistle blew and the two teams split the points.
The Black and Blue will now travel to take on the LA Galaxy on Wednesday, May 28. Kickoff from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, will take place at 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast globally via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (English/Spanish), as well as via local radio KSFO 810 AM (English) and 1370 AM La Kaliente (Spanish).
GAME NOTES
The Earthquakes are currently 10-19-5 all-time vs. Houston Dynamo FC (44 GF, 55 GA) with an 8-6-4 (27 GF, 21 GA) home record.
San Jose is currently on a seven-game unbeaten streak in all competitions (4-0-3).
Heading into tonight, the Quakes' attack led all MLS with 29 goals. To celebrate, the club gave away 2,900 hot dogs to fans before the match. With another three goals tonight, the Quakes stayed atop the league leaderboard with 32 goals and 34.13 expected goals.
Preston Judd scored his first and second MLS goals of the season, as well as the fifth and sixth goals of his career. Combined with his goal and assist in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play, he’s up to four goal contributions in all competitions (2g/2a).
DeJuan Jones, recently called up to the U.S. Men’s National Team for June training camp ahead of the Concacaf Gold Cup, amassed his fourth assist of the season and 26th of his MLS career.
The Quakes stayed unbeaten (3-0-3) in all games started by recent acquisition DeJuan Jones, who joined the team via trade with the Columbus Crew last month.
Ian Harkes had his first two assists of the MLS season tonight, running his career total to eight. He also had a goal vs. Inter Miami in his last league outing, giving him three goal contributions in his last two matches.
Daniel Munie’s 76th minute go-ahead goal was the first one of his MLS career.
Cristian Espinoza continues to lead all MLS with eight assists and 51 key passes.
Earl Edwards Jr.’s shutout streak in all competitions ended at 197 minutes after conceding Ezequiel Ponce’s 31st-minute goal.
Luca Ulrich, acquired via short-term loan earlier today from the Quakes’ MLS NEXT Pro team, The Town FC, was an unused substitute backing up Earl Edwards Jr. at goalkeeper.
San Jose Earthquakes 3 – 3 Houston Dynamo FC
Saturday, May 24, 2025 – PayPal Park; San Jose, Calif.
Weather: 62°F Mostly Sunny
Man of the Match Presented by Northern California Honda Dealers: Preston Judd
*all stats unofficial
Match Officials:
Referee: Sergii Demianchuk
AR1: Chris Elliot
AR2: Stefan Tanaka-Freundt
VAR: Younes Marrakchi
AVAR: Mike Kampmeinert
4th Official: Ricardo Fierro
Scoring Summary:
HOU (0-1) – Ezequiel Ponce (Griffin Dorsey, Ondrej Lingr ) 31’
HOU (0-2) – Felipe Andrade (unassisted) 50’
SJ (1-2) – Preston Judd (DeJuan Jones) 66’
SJ (2-2) – Preston Judd (Ian Harkes) 72’
SJ (3-2) – Daniel Munie (Ian Harkes) 76’
HOU (3-3) – Griffin Dorsey (Franco Escobar, Jack McGlynn) 90+1’
Misconduct Summary:
HOU – Ezequiel Ponce (caution) 53’
SJ – Preston Judd (caution) 89’
HOU – Pablo Ortiz (caution) 89’
SJ – Reid Roberts (caution) 90+7’
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: Earl Edwards Jr.; Dave Romney, Daniel Munie, Max Floriani; Vítor Costa (Reid Roberts 87’), Ian Harkes, Beau Leroux, DeJuan Jones (Nick Lima 87’); Hernán López (Preston Judd 64’) (Preston Judd 64’), Cristian Espinoza (C), Josef Martínez.
Substitutes not used: Luca Ulrich (GK), Ousseni Bouda, Mark-Anthony Kaye, Benji Kikanović, Paul Marie, Amahl Pellegrino.
POSS.: 56.1%; SHOTS: 15; SOG: 8; CORNERS: 11; OFFSIDES: 3; SAVES: 1; FOULS: 14; xG: 3.9
HOUSTON DYNAMO FC: Jonathan Bond (GK); Pablo Ortiz, Femi Awodesu, Griffin Dorsey, Felipe Andrade (Franco Escobar 78’); Artur (C), Amine Bassi (Toyosi Olusanya 83’), Ondrej Lingr, Jack McGlynn, Brooklyn Raines (Nicolas Lodeiro 83’) ; Ezequiel Ponce (Sebastian Kowalczyk 65’).
Substitutes not used: Jimmy Maurer (GK), Ethan Bartlow, Erik Duenas, Michael Halliday, Gabe Segal.
POSS.: 43.9%; SHOTS: 11; SOG: 3; CORNERS: 7; OFFSIDES: 4; SAVES: 4; FOULS: 19; xG: 1.8
EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH BRUCE ARENA
On the team’s performance tonight:
“I give our players a lot of credit for coming back down from two goals and basically have the game won at the end. We didn't manage the game very well at the end.”
“I think we could have done better on all the goals. We could have scored more goals. We should have come in at halftime ahead. We had some very good chances. We just have to be a little bit cleaner.”
On the Quakes’ seven-game unbeaten streak in all competitions:
“I mean, I'm not ready to have parade in downtown San Jose. We should have had three points.”
On the upcoming matches against LA Galaxy and St. Louis CITY SC:
“The team has done well over the last two or three weeks. We have two difficult games next week—to go to L.A. against a team that hasn't won a game in 15 games. They're going to be very well-prepared to try to get their first one of the year. That'll be very challenging—as will the game in St. Louis. We have to step up and get it right there. Then take the break that we have and hopefully be prepared for the second half of this season.”
EARTHQUAKES FORWARD PRESTON JUDD
On coming back from a two-goal deficit in the second half to secure a draw:
“I think we’re trying to build our culture to never say die. We were down 2-0 and nobody really stopped believing. The result feels like a loss after the tie after we went up 3-2, but I think it’s a good learning point and to know we’re always in the game.”
“It feels a little disappointing with the draw. ... I think we deserved three points there, but we did get a point down 2-0 so it’s a positive point.”
On scoring a brace off the bench against the Houston back line:
“Josef [Martínez] helped me out there because they paid a lot of attention to him, so I was able to get on their back shoulders, and they didn’t know where I was at, so I took advantage of that and finished those chances when I got them.”
“I think throughout my whole career I’ve been behind great players, and sitting behind them and learning from them is important. But when I get an opportunity, it’s important to take advantage of that. I think tonight I showed I’m ready to play when called upon.”
On any differences between last year and this year’s team:
“I try not to think too much about last year, but I think last year was just very unlucky. We’d get an unlucky bounce, or an unlucky call in the last 10 minutes, so it kind of felt inevitable at some points last year. And this year, we have the players. We have the passion. We have the grit to make a result out of it. We’re not going to stop believing.
