Espinoza unveils rare scoring touch in Earthquakes' victory
SAN JOSE >> Cristian Espinoza is well on his way to becoming the most productive passer in San Jose Earthquakes history.
On Saturday, though, the Argentinian winger showcased his long-range shooting, propelling the Quakes to their first two-game winning streak in a year and a half.
Espinoza's goal from 20 yards out in the 78th minute was the only score in the Quakes' 1-0 win over Colorado at PayPal Park. Another attempt even farther out was tipped onto the crossbar by Rapids keeper William Yarbrough in the first half.
Espinoza's dangerous shots from outside the box gave the Quakes (2-1-0, 6 points) another scoring option besides striker Jeremy Ebobisse, who has scored 19 of the team's 56 goals over the past two seasons.
It also showed off another side of a player whose 47 assists are three away from the club record set by Shea Salinas — despite playing just 123 games to Salinas' 375.
Espinoza, who had an assist in each of the team's first two matches, has the second-most assists in MLS since joining San Jose from
Villarreal before the 2019 season, trailing only 2021 MVP Carles Gil of the New England Revolution (50).
“Cristian is a workhorse,” first-year coach Luchi Gonzalez said. “Every ball, every play, every second, every inch matters to him, and what a great leader in terms of intensity.
“Yes, he's very talented, obviously, but he makes that talent count because of his mentality to work hard and work for his teammates.”
San Jose dominated possession Saturday but through 77 minutes had only taken a total of three shots on goal. That's when Espinoza saw five Colorado defenders in the box and thought he was better off shooting from outside the penalty area. He connected into the top right corner, just inside the crossbar.
If the Quakes end up making the playoffs this year, it will be because of games like this recent eight-day stretch, when they got the full six points at home against two inferior opponents. After beating winless Vancouver 2-1 on March 4, it ensured the Rapids (0-2-1) stayed scoreless on the season.
The Quakes had a 60-40 edge in possession against both Vancouver and Colorado, but Gonzalez said it wasn't enough to have possession — the team needs to convert that into scoring opportunities. That's where Espinoza came in on Saturday.
“He's lethal with his right foot in terms of a cross or a shot,” Gonzalez said. “Any shot he takes and puts it on target, even if it's right at the goalkeeper, is dangerous. It can be a rebound or knuckle and slip though, so we want to do that more often.”
The homestand was even more important considering the Quakes gave up two goals in extra time and lost their season opener 2-1 at Atlanta.
“We had to be strong at home,” Espinoza said. “We controlled the last two games. In Atlanta, we did a great job, but we conceded two golazos. So we corrected the mistakes and improved and now we're a stronger team.”
Next up is St. Louis FC, an expansion team off to a 3-0 start that has scored eight goals, two more than any other MLS team. The Quakes, who haven't won three games in a row since 2020, will probably be without central midfielder Jamiro Monteiro, who will likely be suspended after receiving a straight red card in second-half stoppage time against Colorado.
That will put even more pressure on Espinoza to both create chances and finish them.