Ousseni Bouda has early goal and assist to lead Earthquakes to 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake

Ousseni Bouda struck early with a goal and an assist in the opening 17 minutes, propelling the San Jose Earthquakes to a 2-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday, according to reporting by mercurynews.com. The win lifts San Jose (14-9-10) two spots into third place in the Western Conference with just one regular-season match remaining, securing crucial momentum as the race for playoff positioning tightens across the league.

The top four teams in each conference earn coveted home-field advantage for the best-of-three first round. For San Jose, reaching 52 points marks the club’s highest total since the 2012 campaign when they finished with 66 points. Yet, manager Bruce Arena admitted his squad had to grind out the result against a desperate opponent.

“This wasn’t one of our better performances, and we played better at home in our last game,” Arena said, noting Real Salt Lake’s urgency as they fought to stay alive in the postseason hunt. “But give Salt Lake credit, they played really well today. Ultimately, I’m pleased with the three points.”

Fast Starts and Decisive Scores

Bouda opened the scoring in the 2nd minute, curling in an unassisted goal directly off a free kick. It was the forward’s seventh goal of the season across 32 matches, adding to a career total of 12 goals over 102 appearances.

Ousseni Bouda didn't care about the tight angle. 😤@SJEarthquakes lead early after a well-taken free kick!📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/jHCDaDdJkg pic.twitter.com/FqIIMtQ8Ci

— https://x.com/MLS/status/2116641484841619464

Just 15 minutes later, Bouda teamed up with Preston Judd to orchestrate San Jose’s second strike. The combination set up defender Benji Kikanovic for his first netter since 2024, doubling the lead to 2-0 in the 17th minute. The assist marked Bouda’s fifth of his career, with four of those coming during the current campaign. Meanwhile, Judd picked up his career-high third assist, complementing his team-leading 16 goals this season.

Real Salt Lake (12-15-6) fought back in the 23rd minute when first-year defender Juan Manuel Sanabria netted his second goal of the season. Defender Sam Junqua tallied his career-best third assist on the play, and Saba Lobjanidze earned his fifth assist in his debut season with the club following a four-year stint with Atlanta United.

Defensive Stands and Decision Day Stakes

Goalkeeping proved vital as the visitors pressed for an equalizer. San Jose goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. finished with three saves in his third start of the season, helping the Earthquakes improve their home record to 7-5-5. At the other end, Rafael Cabral stopped three shots for Real Salt Lake, whose road struggles continued as they dropped to 3-11-3 away from home.

San jose california ousseni bouda of the san jose earthquakes celebrates scoring during the

The broader Western Conference playoff picture shifted dramatically on Saturday. Six teams entered the day vying for the final three postseason berths. However, Real Salt Lake’s defeat, paired with the Los Angeles Galaxy’s 4-1 victory over Austin FC, officially knocked Salt Lake out of the playoff picture heading into Decision Day.

San Jose will close out the regular season on the road against Minnesota United next Saturday. Arena acknowledged that the regular-season finale will test his squad’s resilience.

“We want to carry some momentum into Minnesota and play well, although I know that will be challenging,” Arena said. “Who knows what the weather will be like there this time of year? We could be playing in a snowstorm.”