SAN JOSE, Calif. — Under the Friday night lights at PayPal Park, the San Jose Earthquakes hosted Liga MX side Club Tijuana in an international friendly that brought a different type of energy to the South Bay. With two clubs from two different leagues meeting in the middle of the summer, the matchup gave fans a chance to see the Quakes test themselves against Mexican competition while also giving San Jose’s squad valuable minutes during the break from MLS action.
Club Tijuana wasted no time taking control early. In the sixth minute, Adonis Preciado opened the scoring for Xolos, heading in a corner from Ignacio Rivero to give the visitors a quick 1–0 lead. The early goal put San Jose under pressure, but the Earthquakes responded well and began pushing numbers forward.
Just 10 minutes later, the Quakes found their answer. After San Jose’s pressure forced a turnover, Preston Judd recovered the ball on the right side and played it into Beau Leroux, who calmly finished inside the box to bring the match level at 1–1. Leroux’s goal gave the Earthquakes momentum and brought life back into PayPal Park as the home side searched for a second.
San Jose continued to create chances throughout the first half. Daniel Munie came close after Tijuana goalkeeper Salím Hernández came off his line, while Judd nearly found the back of the net with a backheel attempt inside the six-yard box. Despite the pressure from the Quakes, it was Tijuana who struck again before halftime.
In the 42nd minute, Preciado delivered his second goal of the night, cutting inside from the left wing before curling a shot past Earthquakes goalkeeper Earl Edwards Jr. to restore Club Tijuana’s lead at 2–1 heading into the break.
After halftime, San Jose made a full lineup change, bringing on an entirely new group for the second half. The fresh legs helped the Quakes create more chances, with Jack Skahan testing the defense from distance and Paul Marie getting into dangerous areas late in the match. Homegrown midfielder Edwyn Mendoza also made his Earthquakes debut, adding another positive takeaway for San Jose despite the result.
The Earthquakes pushed for an equalizer in the final minutes, but Tijuana’s back line held firm. A late header from Marie went wide, and San Jose was unable to find the tying goal before the final whistle.
Although the Quakes came up short, the friendly served as a valuable opportunity for the club to rotate players, build fitness, and give younger talent meaningful minutes against a quality Liga MX opponent. With MLS play set to return later this month, San Jose will look to take the positives from the match and shift its focus back toward the league campaign.
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