In a match at PayPal Park on May 9, 2026, San Jose Earthquakes defender Daniel Munie (5) and Vancouver Whitecaps forward Brian White (24) compete for the ball during the first half.
Sebastian Berhalter netted the equalizer in the 76th minute, helping the Vancouver Whitecaps escape with a 1-1 draw against the host San Jose Earthquakes in a pivotal MLS showdown Saturday night.
Preston Judd opened the scoring for San Jose in the fourth minute, and his goal stood for 72 minutes until the Whitecaps leveled the match in a battle between the league’s top two teams this season.
The Earthquakes (9-1-2, 29 points) maintained a three-point lead over the Whitecaps (8-1-2, 26 points) atop the Western Conference standings. San Jose has now drawn two consecutive matches after winning six straight MLS games.
This was the second meeting between the sides this season. San Jose won the first encounter 1-0 in Vancouver on March 21.
Daniel made four saves for the Earthquakes as Vancouver applied steady pressure while chasing the deficit. The Whitecaps outshot San Jose 17-6, held a 5-3 advantage in shots on target, and possessed the ball for twice as long as the Quakes.
Yohei Takaoka recorded two stops for Vancouver, which drew for the second straight match after a four-game MLS winning streak.
Judd’s team-leading eighth goal of the season arrived in the fourth minute, set up by Paul Marie. Marie collected the ball on the right side and spotted Judd charging toward the net. He delivered a pass that Judd latched onto, firing the ball past Takaoka to give the Quakes an early lead.
Vancouver had a golden chance in the 54th minute, but Andres Cubas’ powerful left-footed shot was saved by Daniel.
In the 65th minute, the Whitecaps came up empty again as Bruno Caicedo’s shot sailed wide right of the net.
Eleven minutes later, Vancouver found the equalizer in a scrappy fashion. A scramble in the box saw the ball squirt free to Berhalter, who was unmarked near the goal and easily tapped it into the net.
In the 90th minute, San Jose’s Ronaldo Vieira saw his close-range left-footed attempt stopped by Takaoka.
