San Jose – The San Jose Earthquakes got the break they needed in three weeks. For the first time on the road this season, so did Seattle. Alex Rusnak’s 80th-minute goal spoiled what seemed to be a much-needed win for the Earthquakes after rookie Beau Leroux scored his first Major League Soccer goal in the first half. The match ended in a 1-1 draw against Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday night at PayPal Park.
“The first half we played well, but the second half we did not,” Earthquakes head coach Bruce Arena said. “Give Seattle a lot of credit; they have a good team. [They’ve] been together a long time, very experienced, and obviously put on a lot of pressure. To get a point is a fair result.”
Saturday night’s draw keeps the Earthquakes unbeaten against Seattle through the last eight matches, with four wins and four draws. Seattle’s last victory over the Earthquakes came in May 2021.
Leroux’s first MLS goal came in the 32nd minute after he intercepted a pass near the center of Seattle’s 18-yard box. With a quick touch, he fired a shot that deflected off a Seattle defender and found its way into the back of the net, sailing over the outstretched arm of Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
A San Jose native, Leroux scored for his hometown and boyhood club, celebrating the goal in the only way he knew how.
“I kissed the badge,” said Leroux. “This club means everything to me. You know, they took a chance on me. I definitely feel some weight off my shoulders, but still have a lot to work on. So, we still have a lot to do to get these results and go for three points.”
“Beau has been very good,” Arena added. “He’s a player with not a whole lot of experience at this level, and he’s done very well. He’s been a pleasant surprise.” Arena also added jokingly of Leroux’s deflected goal that, “I’m not sure that’s one he’s going to be showing his grandchildren.”
Leroux has started all but one match in his debut MLS season, missing only last week’s 4-1 loss at Charlotte FC. San Jose defended well for nearly the entire second half, bolstered by a standout nine-save performance from goalkeeper Daniel. However, in the 80th minute, Rusnak pulled Seattle level with a shot from the right wing, beating Daniel at the far post to make it 1-1. Despite conceding the late goal, Daniel has been a key figure for San Jose, now leading MLS in saves with 28.
The Earthquakes had a late chance to secure a match-winner in the 87th minute when Chicho Arango broke past the Sounders’ backline on the left wing, but his shot went just wide. Arango’s miss highlights a pressing issue for San Jose: their struggles in front of goal. The Earthquakes have scored just three times in their last four matches, managing only one goal in each of their past three games.
“It’s certainly something that we know has to get better,” Arena explained. “We have to get [Josef] Martinez and Arango on the field together. I think we really need to see our team through the first half of the season to really be able to analyze correctly where we’re at and where we need to go.”
Martinez played the final 17 minutes of Saturday night’s match, coming on for Ousseni Bouda after returning from international duty. Despite the excitement surrounding their arrivals in San Jose, both attackers have combined for just four goals through the first six matches. Arango leads the team with three goals.
San Jose will look to snap their four-match winless streak next Sunday when they host D.C. United (April 6, 2 p.m., Apple TV) in a rematch of the inaugural MLS game played at Spartan Stadium in 1996.
Photo by SJE/X
