By Max Garcia (@Maxgarci09) – Spear Reporter | Head coach Simon Tobin watches from the sideline as San Jose State battles No. 3 Stanford on Sept. 17 (Photo by Haddy Barghouti – The Spear)
San Jose State Soccer (4-1-2) pushed No. 3 Stanford (5-0-2) to the final seconds before settling for a 2-2 draw Wednesday night, with a late Cardinal header denying the Spartans a statement win.
San Jose State head coach Simon Tobin and Cardinal head coach Jeremy Gunn shared years of building programs in the Central Valley before Gunn moved to Charlotte and then Stanford, where he delivered three national titles to a program that had never won one in men’s soccer.
The matchup added personal weight to an already competitive contest, with the longtime colleagues facing off in one of Tobin’s final campaigns. Tobin has never beaten his former apprentice while coaching San Jose State Soccer.
“I wanted to beat him once as a coach. We came 22 seconds away from doing it,” Tobin said. “Jeremy is one of the best coaches in the country, college or pro. He’s won three national titles there, and they’d never won one before he arrived.”
SJSU played with confidence, leaning on quick breakthroughs and a compact defensive shape. The Spartans matched Stanford’s physicality, winning duels in midfield and disrupting the Cardinal’s rhythm, showcasing their strengths.
Forward Arnold Matshazi provided the spark, scoring twice to give SJSU the lead for most of the match.
“We’ve always been a team that can connect and play, but you need someone who can finish,” Tobin said. “He does that.”
The Spartans held firm until the final seconds, when Stanford equalized on a header off a corner to end the match 2-2. Cardinal forward Alfonso Tenconi-Gradillas scored both goals for Stanford, including the stoppage-time equalizer.
“We came 22 seconds away from beating the number three team in the country,” Tobin said. “I thought we were the better team tonight. To tie the number three team in the country and feel devastated about it says a lot about where we’ve come.”
For the Spartans, the result showed more than resilience. It reflected Tobin’s tactical blueprint and the competitive identity he built, one that can push even the nation’s elite to the final whistle.
San Jose State Soccer will look to carry that intensity into its next game at Pacific on Sunday at 7 p.m. in Stockton, Calif.
