Early slip-ups in San Jose set RSL back in 2-1 loss

It would be hard to blame Real Salt Lake fans for missing the opening goal by the San Jose Earthquakes Saturday.

Jeremy Ebobisse slipped past the RSL backline and scored just a minute and 44 seconds into the game; before the RSL social media team could even post the starting lineup photo.

Antonio Josenildo Rodrigues de Oliveira scored 13 minutes later, and RSL found itself in a 2-0 hole just 15 minutes into its return to play after a two-week international break.

Chicho Arango found the back of the net just before the break, but both teams struggled in the second half and the match ended in a 2-1 advantage for the home side.

The loss marked the fourth straight road loss for RSL in all competitions after playing away from home. It appeared to be a strength for the Claret and Cobalt early in the season, setting a franchise record with six road wins in MLS play.

"The surface was wet, as you saw everyone slipping out there. I think both teams were slipping," head coach Pablo Mastroeni said of the loss. "I think the biggest thing is we didn't take our chances."

Fortunately for RSL, the next two matches will be in front of its home fans: welcoming Dallas to America First Field on Sept. 20, followed by Vancouver on Sept. 23. Both teams are in the playoff hunt, with Dallas just below the elimination line and Vancouver a point ahead of RSL.

"We talked about it today; this is the first playoff game," Mastroeni said. "It's gonna be a dog fight all the way in. There's just a couple points that separate the top from the bottom. We got to take advantage of home and we got to win these games."

Related topics