San Jose Earthquakes defeated Real Salt Lake 2-1 at Avaya Stadium, moving up two spots into third place in the MLS standings with 52 points from 33 matches and one game remaining. Real Salt Lake dropped to tenth with 42 points after the defeat. The result strengthened San Jose's push for a higher playoff seed while leaving their visitors with little to play for in the final weeks.
San Jose established control early and held off a late response from Real Salt Lake to claim the narrow victory. The home side's quick start created the platform for the win, though Real Salt Lake improved after the interval and created chances without finding an equalizer.
San Jose entered the fixture with a recent record of WDLDD, mixing a win and draws with one heavy loss. Real Salt Lake arrived in better recent rhythm on LWWWD, having collected three wins in their previous five outings before this setback.
The victory reversed San Jose's mixed run by delivering three crucial points and momentum heading into their final match. Real Salt Lake's form was halted abruptly, underlining ongoing issues with consistency that have kept them outside the top half of the table.
With one match left, San Jose sit well placed to finish the 2025-2026 season inside the top three. Real Salt Lake must regroup quickly if they hope to climb back into playoff contention before the regular season concludes.