Quakes' unbeaten run comes to end
Wild night at Buck Shaw Stadium further clouds West playoff picture
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Real's Yura Movsisyan and the Quakes' Darren Huckerby traded goals in each half, but it was RSL midfielder Javier Morales who had the last word, scoring on a curling free kick in the 59th minute to put the visitors ahead to stay.
The result saw Real earn only their second road win of the season while dealing a crippling blow to the Quakes' playoff hopes. The result also ended San Jose's unbeaten streak at nine games.
Real got off to a dream start in the third minute, when Morales picked out Movsisyan with a ball over the top, and after faking Nick Garcia to the ground, the Armenian coolly slotted home past Quakes' keeper Joe Cannon for a 1-0 lead.
The Quakes spent the next 20 minutes jawing with RSL players as well referee Paul Ward over what the home side perceived was some overly physical play. Real were also having success from the run of play, as they looked dangerous whenever they isolated the speedy Movsisyan against Garcia or Eric Denton.
But San Jose got back in the game in the 23rd minute, when a long pass from Ryan Cochrane sprung Huckerby in the clear, and he responded with a composed finish of his own to level matters.
The Quakes thought they had pulled ahead 10 minutes later. Ned Grabavoy was hauled down by Real defender Jamison Olave just outside the box, with the Colombian getting a yellow card for his troubles. Scott Sealy then fired home a rebound from Ronnie O'Brien's free kick, but was adjudged to have been offside.
Tempers were frayed further just five minutes later when Real defender Nat Borchers was booked for hauling down Arturo Alvarez from behind.
After being on the back foot for most of the half, Real nearly pulled ahead in the 43rd minute. Another long ball over the top saw Movsisyan break the offside trap. Cannon saved the RSL forward's initial effort, and Cochrane then cleared Movsisyan's rebound attempt off the line.
The Quakes came even closer to going ahead three minutes into first-half stoppage time, when Cochrane nodded Huckerby's corner kick off the crossbar.
San Jose picked up where they left off to start the second half. Huckerby began the sequence with a run down the left wing, and when the ball fell to Alvarez, he responded with a cheeky backheel to Huckerby that saw the Englishman rifle home from 20 yards.
The lead last all of two minutes however, as yet another long ball over the top to Movsisyan sprung him on another breakaway, and he lofted his shot over the advancing Cannon, making the score 2-2.
Morales then notched the game-winner in the 59th minute by bending a 25-yard free kick past Cannon and into the upper right hand corner.
In a bid to get back into the match, Quakes' manager Frank Yallop brought on Ryan Johnson and Shea Salinas for Grabavoy and O'Brien. Real head coach Jason Kreis responded by replacing Clint Mathis with Robbie Findley, and it was the latter move that paid near immediate dividends, as Findley's bullet header from a Morales cross forced a sharp save from Cannon in the 72nd minute.
San Jose nearly equalized in the 78th minute when Huckerby's corner kick found Jason Hernandez at the far post, but RSL 'keeper Nick Rimando was able to parry his header wide.
That was as close as the Quakes would get, and it was Real who walked off the field with their playoff hopes enhanced.
Jeff Carlisle is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
