The Seattle Sounders went into Saturday night's Western Conference showdown vs. San Jose with aspirations of maintaining second place in the West, and potentially a chance to draw closer to first-place Earthquakes.
It took the Earthquakes just two minutes to show they had no intention of losing, and it took a impressive overall performance to show why they are the best team in the league.
Chris Wondolowski scored a game-winning goal in the 30th-minute for his league-leading 22nd goal, and the Earthquakes defense made the goal stand up as their high-pressure approach flustered Seattle on their way to a 2-1 victory at CenturyLink Field on Saturday night.
Simon Dawkins scored a second-minute blast for the Earthquakes, but Seattle answered right back when Steve Zakuani converted a Sammy Ochoa pass to tie the score in the 14th minute.
Playing without suspended forward Eddie Johnson and injured playmaker Mauro Rosales, the Sounders struggled to generate consistent chances against a San Jose side that pressured well throughout the match, and particularly in the first half.
The Earthquakes maintained that pressure throughout, and the defense, led by Victor Bernardez and Jason Hernandez, limited the Sounders to just one shot on goal.
The win moves San Jose five points clear of Sporting Kansas City in the race for the Supporters Shield, while the loss dropped Seattle to fourth place in the West.
Here are the match highlights
What did you think of the match? Impressed with how well San Jose played in Seattle? Surprised to see the Sounders struggle to generate chances?
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