San Jose – After a rocky start to the season, the San Jose Earthquakes may be hitting their stride at just the right time in the campaign’s first half.
San Jose earned a 2-0 victory over Western Conference rival Colorado Rapids on Saturday, marking their third consecutive win across all competitions. The result gives them a boost heading into a highly anticipated home match against Lionel Messi and Inter Miami on Wednesday at PayPal Park (May 14, 7 p.m., MLS Season Pass).
“We’re getting better, and obviously when you win three games in a row, there’s consistency there,” Earthquakes head coach Bruce Arena said. “The group’s getting better. We have a long way to go, but I’m pleased with the progress we’re making.”
Recently acquired midfielder DeJuan Jones opened the scoring for the Earthquakes just before halftime. After faking a shot at the top of the 18-yard box, Jones laid the ball off to Vitor Costa on the wing. Costa cut it back to Jones, who buried a first-touch finish to give San Jose a 1-0 lead three minutes into first-half stoppage time.
“It was a perfect time to score,” said Jones of his first goal in a San Jose shirt. “I felt like the first half, they weren’t too dangerous, and we had a couple of chances. On that play, we won the ball high up the field. I just ran into the box and was thankful to score.”
Jones has continued to impress since being traded to the Quakes two weeks ago. He made an immediate impact in his home debut on May 3 against Portland, recording two assists in the club’s first win of their current three-match streak.
“He’s a tough guy to play against,” Arena said. “The acquisition of DeJuan has been good for our team.”
The Quakes nearly doubled their lead in the 53rd minute when midfielder Beau Leroux unleashed a rocket from distance, only to see it crash off the crossbar. They eventually broke through again in the 67th minute, as Chicho Arango intercepted a pass from Colorado’s Chidozie Awaziem, beat the backline and then slipped past goalkeeper Zack Steffen before chipping the ball into the net to make it 2-0.
Arango’s eighth goal of the season puts him in a tie for the league lead alongside Chicago Fire’s Hugo Cuypers and Philadelphia Union’s Tai Baribo.
Arena noted that the altitude in Colorado posed a challenge, but he was proud of how the team adapted and responded.
“You got to factor in that we were playing at altitude,” Arena explained. “Obviously, they’re more acclimated to it than we are, and we knew we were going to struggle a little but physically. So it was smart of us to drop off a little bit, absorb a little bit of the pressure, and try to get out on the break.”
All eyes now turn to San Jose’s biggest match of the first half of the season as they host Lionel Messi and Inter Miami on Wednesday night. It marks the third contest in what could become a packed nine-match schedule in May, depending on the team’s progress in the U.S. Open Cup. The Quakes will host the Portland Timbers in the quarterfinals on May 20, just three days after their league matchup at New England.
“We have a difficult game and month with Miami coming in,” said Arena. “It’s going to be a really difficult week. After that, we have a short recovery for the game against New England, and then we have a U.S. Open Cup game the following Tuesday, so the challenges never stop.”
“We need to be focused on the present moment knowing guys can step up,” Jones added on the busy schedule in May. “We have so many games this month so I think most guys are going to get their number called at some point. Having guys be ready and stepping up when they get their opportunities is important.”
Photo by SJE/X
