San Jose Earthquakes fall as Evander leads Cincinnati to 4-2 victory after long weather delay

CINCINNATI — The Earthquakes remained winless since Major League Soccer’s six-week World Cup break as Evander scored a go-ahead goal from distance in the 82nd minute, sending FC Cincinnati to a 4-2 win over San Jose on Saturday night in a game delayed over two hours due to weather.

For the second time in three matches, San Jose (10-5-3) allowed a season-high four goals as it remained in third place in the Western Conference while its post-break record fell to 0-2-1.

“I don’t feel like we probably should’ve won it, but we could’ve won it,” said San Jose coach Bruce Arena, whose squad lost its lead twice. “From start to finish, Cincinnati outplayed us and I thought they deserved to win the game.”

Evander, who became the fourth player in MLS history to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists in three consecutive seasons, snapped a 2-2 tie when his right-footed shot from nearly 40 yards hit the top left corner of the net.

Just three minutes earlier, Cincinnati (7-6-5) had pulled even at 2-2 on an Evander-assisted goal by substitute Tom Barlow.

It was the second time on Saturday that San Jose saw a lead disappear — Cincinnati erased a 1-0 Quakes advantage in the 33rd minute on a goal by Bryan Ramírez.

San Jose, which won’t play again until hosting St. Louis on Aug. 15, got goals from Daniel Munie and Timo Werner.

San Jose struck first in minute 26 when Werner’s corner kick was headed home by Munie, the MLS All-Star who notched his fourth goal this season in league play, and sixth of his MLS career..

After intermission, San Jose pulled ahead for the first time thanks to a goal in transition. In minute 56, Ousseni Bouda laid the ball off for a streaking Preston Judd on the right wing. Judd pushed it ahead across the field for Werner, who one-timed it with the left foot past FCC goalkeeper Roman Celentano to make it 2-1.

It would be San Jose’s final goal of the evening.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati’s offense was just getting started, thanks to Evander, who is the fifth-fastest player to reach 100 regular-season goal contributions in MLS history — doing so in just 104 games. The only players to do it faster were Lionel Messi (64), Sebastian Giovinco (95), Robbie Keane (96), and Carlos Vela (98).

Evander joined Luciano Acosta (2022-24), Hany Mukhtar (2021-23), and Preki (1996-98) as the league’s only players with 10 goals and 10 assists in three straight seasons.