Earthquakes rumble to rare road win, beating Sounders

The disregard for house rules started at halftime.

San Jose took its time leaving the locker room at the break against the Sounders, rushing to position to a chorus of boos from the Lumen Field fans. Once play finally started, forward Jeremy Ebobisse flicked in a goal in the 48^th minute to depart with the club’s first road win since July 2022.

“That’s a tough one to swallow,” Sounders midfielder Josh Atencio said. “We dominated most of the game, created plenty of chances. It sucks not to find the net, but we persevered. It hurts, but we can hopefully carry some of that momentum.”

The Sounders (8-6-2) remain atop the MLS Western Conference despite the 1-0 loss Wednesday night. They have lost three of their past four matches at Lumen.

Quakes standout Rodrigues had the assist on Ebobisse’s goal. The defender’s header off a corner kick bounced in the keeper’s box. Ebobisse redirected it into the net.

“We gave up another soft goal that I have to own up to,” Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer said in taking responsibility for the defensive breakdown on the corner kick. “We didn’t have time to train it as much as I would’ve liked. We walked through it, but walk-throughs aren’t the same as live training. … It was a combination of things. In our zone, how we set up, that space is always covered. I can’t blame (midfielder Dylan Teves) for it.”

Schmetzer did pull Teves in making two lineup changes before the hour mark. Raul Ruidiaz (Heber) and Reed Baker-Whiting (Teves) subbed on in the 58^th minute. Ruidiaz missed more than a month of action because of a hamstring strain.

The Peruvian striker increased the Sounders’ pressure and had a dangerous attempt in the 63^rd minute that resulted in a highlight save for San Jose keeper Daniel.

Ruidiaz had another right-footed attempt in the 70^th minute that was easier for Daniel to cradle to protect his shutout.

Schmetzer went to his bench again in the 70^th minute, bringing on left back Kelyn Rowe (Nouhou) and forward Fredy Montero (Albert Rusnak). Rowe has been out a month with a knee sprain.

Again, the Sounders pressure increased a notch. Rowe flew in for a header in the 78^th minute that Daniel saved. A minute later, Baker-Whiting had a well-timed cross in the box that Ruidiaz couldn’t get a foot on to possibly slot into goal.

San Jose (6-5-4) heard boos again in the 88^th minute as many believed the visitors were wasting time. The medical staff came onto the field with a stretcher for Carlos Gruezo and immediately turned around.

In second-half stoppage time, Ruidiaz had his final attempt at the backdoor of the net, uncharacteristically missing.

Daniel collected his first clean sheet of the season with eight saves. Seattle outshot San Jose 23-9 and had 62.7% of possession.

Sounders keeper Stefan Frei had to regroup the defense shortly after the opening kick. San Jose used errors to get three shots in the box within six minutes, Frei needing to save two.

The Quakes had another opportunity in the 45^th minute after Jackson Ragen was shown a yellow card. Ebobisse had a free kick center of goal that sailed over the cross bar.

Heber had two chances in the 32^nd and 35^th minute. The latter was at the mouth of goal that Daniel scrambled to smother. Heber immediately looked at the replay on the Lumen big screen to see how close he was to netting his first goal since March.

Injuries and a midweek matchup brought four changes to the lineup that defeated the New York Red Bulls 1-0 at Lumen last week. Nouhou returned to his starting spot, but Cody Baker, who replaced him at left back in three MLS matches, is in concussion protocol.

Sounders forward Jordan Morris is out with a left adductor strain, moving Teves to the starting role on the right wing. Teammate Xavier Arreaga received his second MLS start of the season to give center back Yeimar Gomez Andrade a night off and Atencio was slotted in for Joao Paulo, who served a one-game suspension for being sent off with two yellow cards late in the RBNY win.

Joao Paulo will be back for Saturday’s Cascadia derby with the Portland Timbers, but right back Alex Roldan will not. He was shown a yellow Wednesday and will have to serve a one-game suspension for accumulation.

The Timbers match is part of a doubleheader with OL Reign at Lumen. The women will host the Portland Thorns FC in the nightcap.

“Portland has had longer rest; that will be one factor,” Schmetzer said in looking ahead to the anticipated matchup. “I’m not so sure this game prepared us for Portland other than it just pissed us off. We need to come back with a strong performance.”

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