Chris Wondolowski scored a goal in the first half but Nicolas Lodeiro found an equalizer in the second, allowing the Seattle Sounders to escape Avaya Stadium with a 1-1 draw against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
Wondolowski’s 20th-minute tally was the 10th career goal against Seattle for the longtime Sounders nemesis and Seattle seemed destined for a defeat that could have proved devastating for their Western Conference playoff chances. But Lodeiro came to the rescue with a bending free-kick equalizer in the 80th minute to salvage the point.
It was the third goal of the season for the Uruguayan playmaker, who also has six assists in his first seven games since joining the Sounders as a Designated Player in late July. It was the second time Lodeiro has salvaged a road draw for Seattle since his arrival, the first being a stoppage time equalizer at the death in a matchup against the Houston Dynamo on Aug. 24.
The draw moved the Sounders to 9-13-5 and 32 points on the season, one point shy of San Jose in the Western Conference standings. They’re currently in ninth in the Western Conference, six points back of the sixth and final postseason spot with seven games to play.
San Jose nearly took the lead in the 18th minute after a lofted header skied over Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei and looked to be headed into the Seattle net. But midfielder Ozzie Alonso made a lunging clearance at the last possible second to keep the game scoreless.
Wondolowski broke through just a minute later, however, after a long ball deflected off Sounders defender Tyrone Mears and directly into the path of San Jose’s Jordan Stewart. Stewart’s ensuing cross found Wondolowksi directly in front of the Seattle net for the easy tap-in, giving the hosts the 1-0 lead they would eventually take into halftime.
San Jose maintained the 1-0 advantage until the 80th minute, when Lodeiro whipped in a bending free kick that managed to slice through the Quakes’ defense and past goalkeeper David Bingham, knotting the score at one apiece.
The Rave Green will now return home to Seattle with a golden opportunity to make further ground in the Western Conference standings, as the Sounders meet the Vancouver Whitecaps in a home matchup at CenturyLink Field on Sept. 17.
