“`html
SAN JOSE, Calif. – In an impressive season opener on Saturday night, Jamar Ricketts marked his debut by scoring his first professional goal, while Cristian Espinoza contributed three assists, leading San Jose to a dominant 4-0 victory over Real Salt Lake. This match also celebrated the coaching debut of Bruce Arena, a five-time MLS Cup champion, with the Earthquakes.
The action began in the 28th minute when Ricketts, a 23-year-old rookie defender, found the net. He was assisted by Beau Leroux, a fellow 21-year-old rookie midfielder making his own league debut, alongside the experienced Espinoza. Ricketts’ previous experience on the field includes a brief 34-minute appearance last season, while Espinoza has achieved a remarkable streak of 110 consecutive matches played, the longest active run in the league.
San Jose extended its lead in the 70th minute when Antônio Josenildo Rodrigues de Oliveira scored his first goal of the match. Just five minutes later, Ousseni Bouda secured the score at 3-0, with both goals again assisted by Espinoza. For Bouda, this was a milestone, marking his third goal across 37 appearances since 2022, which includes three starts.
Defender Vítor Costa capped off the scoring for San Jose in the 84th minute, assisted by Mark-Anthony Kaye. Costa, who had previously recorded two goals and three assists in his inaugural season, added to his tally with this performance.
San Jose’s goalkeeper Daniel De Sousa Britto showcased his skills with eight saves, maintaining a clean sheet for the game and marking his 35th start over the past three seasons. He made the only save of the first half, registering his seventh career clean sheet. On the opposing side, Rafael Cabral, in his league debut for RSL at 34 years old, recorded four saves.
Bruce Arena, at 73, took over the Earthquakes after a challenging previous season that saw the team finish with a league-low of 21 points and a dismal record of 6-25-3. Arena had previously gone without a position after being placed on administrative leave by the New England Revolution due to allegations of inappropriate remarks, which led to his resignation shortly thereafter.
Having claimed back-to-back championships with D.C. United in 1996 and 1997, followed by three titles with New England in 2011, 2012, and 2014, Arena looks to steer the Earthquakes to success this season.
New additions to San Jose, Cristian “Chicho” Arango and Josef Martínez, bring additional talent to the squad. Arango previously netted 23 goals and delivered 14 assists in two seasons with Real Salt Lake.
Historically, Real Salt Lake had triumphed in their previous three season openers against San Jose, dominating the matchups with a combined score of 6-0.
Looking ahead, San Jose is set to face Sporting Kansas City next Saturday, while Real Salt Lake will welcome the Seattle Sounders on the same day.
“`
