San Jose Earthquakes continued their superb Major League Soccer form on Saturday night, grinding out a dramatic 3-2 victory over St. Louis CITY SC at Energizer Park after a match that swung sharply in the second half.
The visitors struck first through Preston Judd in the 8th minute and took that advantage into the interval, but St. Louis responded brilliantly after the restart. Sergio Córdova leveled the match in the 51st minute before Marcel Hartel completed the turnaround just two minutes later in the 53rd, sending the home crowd into full voice.
Yet San Jose showed the ruthlessness of a side riding momentum. Timo Werner brought the Earthquakes back on level terms from the penalty spot in the 69th minute, then delivered the decisive blow in the 83rd minute to snatch all three points.
It was a frustrating night for St. Louis, who did plenty right in possession and carried real attacking threat. The home side finished with 56.9 percent of the ball, 21 total shots, 18 shot assists and 10 corners, but they could not make that pressure count often enough. San Jose, by contrast, were clinical. They managed just nine shots and only three on target, but all three efforts on frame ended in goals.
The opening goal set the tone for San Jose’s efficiency. Judd’s 8th-minute finish punished St. Louis early and gave the away side a platform to defend compactly and wait for moments in transition. St. Louis had to be patient before eventually finding their breakthrough shortly after halftime.
When Córdova made it 1-1 in the 51st minute, the momentum completely shifted. Hartel’s goal in the 53rd minute then appeared to put the hosts in control, capping a blistering spell in which St. Louis moved the ball with real purpose and pinned San Jose deeper in their own half.
But the Earthquakes never lost belief. Werner’s penalty in the 69th minute restored parity at 2-2 and changed the complexion of the fixture again. From there, the tension rose, challenges flew in, and the closing stages had the feel of a contest that would be decided by one moment of composure inside either penalty area.
That moment arrived in the 83rd minute, when Werner struck again to complete his brace and seal the comeback win. It was the sort of decisive contribution managers lean on from elite attacking talent, and it ultimately separated the sides in a match full of momentum swings.
There was late needle as well, with yellow cards shown to Christopher Durkin in the 84th minute and Dante Polvara deep into stoppage time for St. Louis, while San Jose’s Preston Judd and Daniel also went into the referee’s book, along with Jamar Ricketts in the 84th minute.
For San Jose, this was another statement result and another reminder of their resilience. To go behind on the road after halftime and still leave with a 3-2 victory says plenty about the Earthquakes’ confidence and cutting edge. For St. Louis CITY SC, the performance had attacking intent and long stretches of control, but the defensive lapses proved costly in a match they will feel should have yielded more.
Goal scorers: Preston Judd 8′ (San Jose Earthquakes), Sergio Córdova 51′ (St. Louis CITY SC), Marcel Hartel 53′ (St. Louis CITY SC), Timo Werner 69′ pen (San Jose Earthquakes), Timo Werner 83′ (San Jose Earthquakes).
