Earthquakes top RSL, 2-1

RSL had all the momentum for the first 15 minutes of the match and everyone seemed to be involved. The momentum shifted at some point and San Jose started creating chances and RSL started making simple defensive mistakes that they were lucky not to pay for. Chris Wondolowski came up with the ball around the 18th minute off of an impossibly quick ball that he somehow managed to control with his back heel. He had a look at goal with only Nick Rmando to get past and Rimando did Nick Rimando things and made an awesomely impressive save. The momentum stayed with San Jose, however, and some good interplay about 10 minutes later gave Dawkins a good shot at goal which he took full advantage of and put the Earthquakes up 1-0. RSL were able to tip the scales a bit in their favor and off of a corner kick, Justen Glad got his laces on the ball after some pinball action and after the ball hit the crossbar, it bounced off of David Bingham’s back and in to level the match and head into the half.

RSL had most of the control out of the gates the second time around but squandered a few chances. Plata had two good looks, one he shot wide and the other he headed right to the keeper. In the 67th, some give and go play led to a shot from Sunny that Bingham was lucky to get his hands on. Somehow throughout the game, Wondolowski kept finding space and in the 69th he took another shot that Rimando was able to stop in the low corner. The 72nd minute proved damning for RSL who conceded a goal when Glad got beat by a more athletic Alashe. Late substitutions weren’t enough and RSL lost 2-1.