{"id":499978,"date":"2026-10-18T08:06:53","date_gmt":"2026-10-18T08:06:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/499978\/"},"modified":"2026-10-18T08:06:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-18T08:06:53","slug":"preston-judds-second-half-goal-earns-earthquakes-1-1-draw-with-nashville-and-a-playoff-berth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/499978\/","title":{"rendered":"Preston Judd\u2019s second-half goal earns Earthquakes 1-1 draw with Nashville and a playoff berth"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN JOSE \u2014 The San Jose Earthquakes<\/a> erased a second-half deficit for the third straight match while earning a 1-1 draw with league-leading Nashville SC on Saturday night, clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2023.<\/p>\n

Preston Judd scored<\/a> his 16th goal of the season midway through the second half to help San Jose extend its unbeaten streak<\/a> to a season-high nine league games and trigger a locker room celebration at PayPal Park.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the past few games, we\u2019ve had a good feeling that we were going to make the playoffs, so I think our focus has shifted toward securing home-field advantage in the first round,\u201d said Judd, who scored his 16th goal of the season, joining Chris Wondolowski and Jeremy Ebobisse as the only players in club history to score 16 goals in a season.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe saw what he was capable of last year when he played behind (Josef) Mart\u00ednez and Chicho (Arango),\u201d Quakes coach Bruce Arena said of Judd, a 27-year-old Las Vegas native. \u201cEven with limited minutes, he did well and scored seven goals, so we knew he had the ability. Obviously, we didn\u2019t anticipate him performing to this degree.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Quakes (13-8-9) sit in fourth place in the Western Conference with four matches remaining, and earned a postseason bid after\u00a0 both San Diego FC and the Portland Timbers also played to draws on Saturday.<\/p>\n

Former Golden Boot Award winner Hany Mukhtar scored unassisted in the 34th minute for Nashville. Though Quakes goalkeeper Angus Gunn saved Mukhtar\u2019s initial shot, the rebound rolled right back to Mukhtar who hammered it for the near post by Gunn a 1-0 lead that Nashville took into halftime.<\/p>\n

Six of Mukhtar\u2019s 16 goals have now come in the last five matches.<\/p>\n

After intermission, the Earthquakes equalized it from a free kick in minute 70. Eduard L\u00f6wen sent a deep curling ball from the right channel into the box and a streaking Judd willed a kneeling header past goalkeeper Brian Schwake for the 1-1 score. L\u00f6wen earned his second assist in nine matches after tallying three in 13 appearances with St. Louis City before joining San Jose.<\/p>\n

In the 91st minute, the visitors had a golden opportunity to pull ahead but Gunn denied Elias Saad\u2019s effort that was redirected on goal for his third save, which preserved the point.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really proud of the way the guys responded,\u201d said Arena. \u201cIt was a hard-fought game against arguably the best team in the league right now, so to come away with a point and qualify for the playoffs, which was one of our objectives at the start of the year, is good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rookie Brian Schwake finished with two saves for Eastern Conference-leading Nashville (20-3-7), which would have clinched the Supporters\u2019 Shield with a victory but instead had its four-match win streak snapped. Nashville had outscored its last four opponents 13-1.<\/p>\n

Up next<\/p>\n

The Quakes play at FC Dallas on Saturday.<\/p>\n

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