Earthquakes II returned to the winning column following its 3-0 win over Portland Timbers2 at PayPal Park Sunday afternoon.
The win marks the home side’s second win of the season and second win against T2, with the first being a 2-0 first-week win at Hillsboro Stadium.
Earthquakes II looked the more aggressive side all game, finishing with 13 shots and 61% of the possession. This was most apparent in the first half where the home side scored two goals in under 30 minutes.
Midfielder Jack Skahan opened the scoring in the 15th minute after he slotted in a penalty kick into the bottom left corner. Not content with a 1-0 lead, the Earthquakes II doubled the advantage 14 minutes later with a goal of the season contender coming from midfielder Diego Otoya.
Otoya was set up by forward William Richmond to finish a crafty backheel goal at point-blank following a decisive attack on the left-wing.
Timbers2 goalkeeper Hunter Sulte was the lone bright spot for the visitors in the loss as he finished with six crucial saves to keep the Earthquakes II at bay.
However, Hulse's efforts weren’t enough as Earthquakes II found a third goal late in the second half courtesy of midfielder Erick Reyes, marking his first goal of the season after grabbing an assist in week one.
The Story: Earthquakes II is in safe hands with Emi Ochoa
Following another excellent performance from Ochoa, Earthquakes II currently have conceded six goals all season which is tied for the second-best mark in the league.
The California native from Salinas is not new to making headlines. At the age of 14, Ochoa signed with San Jose Earthquakes, making him the youngest homegrown player in Major League Soccer history.
Ochoa started his career with local side El Camino and eventually joined the Santa Cruz Breakers before coming to the San Jose Earthquakes academy in 2019. He also has represented both the U.S. and Mexican youth national teams with his most recent appearance coming for the Mexico U18 side.
Now getting more playing time with Earthquakes II, Ochoa is making his case that he is the next goalkeeper of the future.
