US Open Cup: Teenager from Saratoga helps save SJ Earthquakes from Oakland Roots upset bid

SAN JOSE – With half of the PayPal Park crowd booing the hosts and zeroes still burned on the scoreboard, the young San Jose Earthquakes looked to a local kid to beat the visiting Oakland Roots. 

Eighteen-year-old San Jose midfielder Niko Tsakiris, a Saratoga native, knifed through the Roots midfield and pinged a through ball to forward Ousseni Bouda on the right wing late in the second half. 

Bouda, one-on-one with Palo Alto’s own Paul Blanchette and standing just inside the penalty box...