Niko Tsakiris scored his second and third career MLS goals and the San Jose Earthquakes eased to a 3-0 victory over 10-man San Diego FC Saturday night to continue their best-ever start in club history.
Preston Judd added his team-leading third goal of the season and also provided an assist as San Jose (5-1-0, 15 points) tied its largest margin of victory this season.
Goalkeeper Daniel preserved his and the Earthquakes’ fifth clean sheet while making only one save, with San Diego (3-1-2, 11 points) struggling to threaten San Jose’s goal following defender Manu Duah’s 32nd-minute dismissal.
It was San Diego’s second red card in as many matches, after Christopher McVey received his second caution late in a 2-2 draw with Real Salt Lake on March 22.
San Diego was shut out for the first time in eight MLS regular season matches, a stretch that dates back to last season’s 1-0 home loss to San Jose on Sept. 27.
Tsakiris opened the scoring on a sequence that began when Judd intercepted Lewis Morgan’s wayward back-pass, sparking an immediate countering opportunity.
Judd laid the ball to Tsakiris on the left side of the penalty area, and Tsakiris fired a blistering shot that beat goalkeeper Duran Ferree to the top near corner.
But the game really turned just after the half-hour mark when Judd got past Duah on the left edge of the penalty area and induced the defender into a foul.
Referee Fotis Bazakos initially produced only a yellow card. But after a video review, that was upgraded to a red for the denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity without trying to make a play on the ball.
Tsakiris fired his penalty past Ferree and suddenly the Quakes were firmly in control.
Judd put the match out of reach in first-half stoppage time, reaching Beau Leroux’s excellent low cross from the left and thumping in a first-time finish from close range.
Ferree made seven saves as San Jose bombarded their guests with 24 shot attempts.
–Field Level Media
