SAN JOSE — The ball was not supposed to land on the foot of wingback Nick Lima.
But when Shea Salinas’ wayward corner kick got to Lima in the 59th minute, the Earthquakes defender knew what to do.
“I took a touch and just tried to hit it cleanly,” the former Cal star said.
The shot spun past goalkeeper Zac MacMath to give San Jose much-needed relief Saturday in ending a three-game skid with a 1-0 victory over the Colorado Rapids.
The emotional victory came on an evening midfielder Matheus Silva returned to Avaya Stadium to meet his rescuers from a July 4 near-drowning accident at Lake Tahoe.