Despite scoring the opening goal on the road, the San Jose Earthquakes not able to hold their advantage, losing 2-1 to the Portland Timbers on Saturday night.
The Quakes took the lead on Benji Kikanović’s goal in the 42nd minute.
“We had a very good first half,” explained Quakes interim coach Alex Covelo. “We had our chances to score here, which is not easy. At halftime, we were talking about that point, a critical point where the opponent is trying to push and pass that moment, and we needed to be ready to hold that part and control the game. They were going to press more and find more balls in behind. When we were going through that moment, they scored off a rebound, and then we started to suffer a little bit.”
Portland’s Jaroslaw Niezgoda scored in the 53rd minute, and then his teammate Dairon Asprilla grabbed the lead in the 71st minute.
After the game, Kikanović addresses the Quakes’ shrinking playoff chances.
“I just think as a whole group, we need to stop leaking goals left and right. That starts from upfront because we start the defense all the way to the back,” said Kikanović. “If we are going to keep leaking goals like this, then it’s not going to happen; playoffs are not going to happen. It sucks to say, and I’m being blunt, but it’s the honest truth, we can score; that’s not the problem. We can score, but sometimes defensively, I don’t know if we don’t concentrate enough. I couldn’t tell you what it is, but it’s on every single one of us. We need to tighten up everywhere, really, not just the back. It sucks for JT [Marcinkowski] because he’s making saves doing what he can, we’re all trying to do what we can, but we’re giving up goals. We just need to come together and figure it out.”
Next up for San Jose is a home game against Real Salt Lake on July 30.
