Santa Clara, CA – The San Jose Earthquakes continue to push for a playoff spot as the club claimed a 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City at Buck Shaw Stadium on Sunday thanks to a 55th-minute goal from Chris Wondolowski.
The result is the fourth win in five games for San Jose, which is now just three points out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference despite a poor start to the season.
Sporting is heading in the opposite direction with three losses from its last four matches, although the team remains tied atop the Eastern Conference with Red Bull New York.
The first half produced just one chance of note and it came in the 33rd minute when San Jose's Clarence Goodson turned a header on goal from eight yards, only for Sporting goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen to parry the shot with a nice diving save.
San Jose broke the deadlock in the 55th as the ball fell to Steven Beitashour on the right wing and he delivered a cross near the penalty spot to Wondolowski, whose header beat Nielsen inside the right post.
Jacob Peterson had Sporting's best chance at an equalizer in the 67th, but his chip from the right side of the box floated just over the crossbar.
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