Earthquakes fall to Sporting KC at home, conceding twice after halftime
The Earthquakes allowed two goals early in the second half Saturday night to send them to a 2-1 home loss to Sporting Kansas City.
Erik Thommy used assists from Nemanja Radoja and Johnny Russell to score three minutes into the second half and give Sporting KC a 1-0 lead. Just outside the 18-yard box, Thommy faked a shot with his right foot, then rocketed the ball past San Jose keeper William Yarbrough into the left corner. Russell, who subbed in to begin the half, earned his fourth assist of the season on Thommy’s fifth goal.
Alan Pulido made it 2-0 in the 57th minute, cutting in from the right wing for a through pass by Radoja just beyond the Quakes defense. Radoja notched his fourth assist on Pulido’s fourth goal of the campaign.
Sporting KC defender Khiry Shelton’s own goal came in the 83rd minute to tighten the score to 2-1. Jack Skahan sent a low cross toward Amahl Pellegrino in front of goal in transition and Shelton blocked it, sending the ball looping into the net. San Jose had a final chance on a stoppage-time corner kick, but Preston Judd could not connect well on a bouncing ball.
It was the 10th loss in the last 12 matches for the Quakes (4-17-2, 14 points), who sit last in the MLS standings by seven points. Sporting KC won back-to-back league matches for the first time this season. They beat FC Dallas last Saturday in league play and beat them again in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Yarbrough did not have a save for the Earthquakes. Tim Melia turned away one shot for Sporting KC (6-13-5, 23 points), which swept the season series after beating San Jose 2-1 at home in March.
The visitors won for just the fifth time in a series that Sporting KC leads 33-28-12. Both teams posted 3-0 wins at home last season.
Sporting KC improves to 4-2-2 in its last eight visits to PayPal Park after failing to win there from 2000-2016.
The Earthquakes will host the Houston Dynamo on Wednesday. Sporting KC heads north to play the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.