The San Jose Earthquakes just couldn’t catch up to tie the game against the Houston Dynamo. The Dynamo squeezed by with good defense keeping the Quakes out of the zone for a one goal win at PNC Stadium in Houston in MLS action on Sat Apr 9, 2022 (photo by the San Jose Earthquakes)

by Marko Ukalovic

The Houston Dynamo scored two goals in the second half and then hung on for dear life to preserve a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday evening at PNC Stadium.

San Jose remain winless in their first six matches to start the season. Houston have won two matches in a row and have points in four consecutive matches.

Houston (3-1-2) drew first blood in the eighth minute off a set piece. Adam Lundqvist’s corner kick found its way on to the foot of Sebastián Ferreira and he buried a one-timer past Quakes goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski for the first of his two goals on the night.

San Jose (0-4-2) answered back in the 25th minute with the first of Jeremy Ebobisse’s two goals in the first half. Cade Cowell centered a pass in the box and Ebobisse slammed home a one-timer top shelf for his second goal of the season.

Three minutes later Ebobisse struck again for the Quakes. Jan Gregus crossed the ball into the box where an unmarked Ebobisse headed the ball into the lower left corner for his second goal and third of the season in the 28th minute.

“I think it’s tough to get too high on scoring in a defeat because ultimately it’s a defeat. It doesn’t advance the team’s goals. If the team’s goals aren’t advancing, then my individual goals aren’t either,” Ebobisse said.

Houston scored the equalizer just before halftime. Marcinkowski aggressively came out to stop Tyler Pasher’s one-on-one attempt, but Darwin Quintero cleaned up the rebound into an empty net for his team leading fourth goal of the season in the 43rd minute.

The Dynamo used the momentum of Quintero’s goal and seized the momentum in the second half with two unanswered goals 11 minutes apart.

Teenage Hadebe scored off a corner kick from Pasher with a left footed shot that beat Marcinkowski for his first goal of the season in the 57th minute.

Then in the 68th minute, Fafà Picault danced around a couple of Quakes defenders inside the box before finding Ferreira along the left side and the Paraguayan striker’s shot deflected off of Marcinkowski for his second goal of the match and of the season.

Tommy Thompson brought the Quakes back into the match in the 77th minute off a set piece. Thompson’s high volley off a corner kick beat Dynamo goalkeeper Steve Clark to the far side for his first goal of the season.

“It’s a difficult loss. Any time you concede four goals, you’re not going to be happy about it. It’s been a difficult start to the season. There’s no hiding from that. This is not how we planned it. It’s just something that we’re going to have to correct,” said Thompson.

San Jose had a chance to score the equalizer in the 85th minute but Clark robbed Ebobisse’s bid for a hat trick when he made a save on Ebobisse’s header that was headed for the far corner.

GAME NOTES: San Jose finished with two corner kicks. Houston had three.

The Quakes have a 9-15-4 overall record against Houston Dynamo FC.

Ebobisse’s two goals were also his 29th and 30th goals of his MLS career. He has now scored three goals in the last two matches. His brace marks the third of his MLS career and first since Oct. 7, 2020 (vs. LA).

Thompson also made his 163rd appearance for the Quakes, tying Richard Mulrooney for sixth most appearances in club history.

UP NEXT: San Jose returns home to host Nashville SC on Saturday 4/16 at 12:30pm at Pay Pal Park.