In rivalry matches, always expect the unexpected.
That was what happened in Friday’s edition of the California Clasico matchup between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes. Both teams scored goals – for each other, as both teams each gave up an own goal in the match. Unfortunately for the Galaxy, it was their rivals from up north that had the one goal from its own run of play, and it came from Jeremy Ebobisse, and while it was not the winning goal, it was all the Quakes needed to leave Dignity Health Sports Park with a 2-1 win.
“We gave away too many chances, we gave away too many goals, it’s on me and it’s going to change in the next three weeks,” LA Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney said. “We play a game next week which we might want to see a reaction, but we have three weeks to get better defensively because we can’t keep conceding goals and chances at the rate we are and it’s a mentality.”
The win was important for San Jose, as they now occupy the seventh and final playoff spot in the Western Conference pending the outcome of this weekend’s matches, with the Quakes sure to keep and eye on LAFC and the Portland Timbers. The Galaxy meanwhile must now lament not getting any points in two matches at home this week, placing them at risk of dropping further in the West standings.
After 51 agonizing minutes when they had the better of the chances, but could not get anything into the Galaxy goal, San Jose finally broke through in the 52nd minute. Eduardo Lopez crossed a ball into the penalty area and Ebobisse sent a diving header past keeper Jonathan Bond far post to finally give the Quakes the lead.
Then came the own goals. The Galaxy were the beneficiaries of an own goal in the 65th minute. First, Samuel Grandsir fired a volley from outside the penalty area that deflected off Oswaldo Alanis and came dangerously close to sneaking in at the far post, but missed by mere inches. On the ensuing corner kick, Victor Vasquez sent the corner low, the ball deflected first off Luciano Abecasism then off keeper JT Marchinkowski and across the goal line for a goal that leveled matters. The Galaxy however when from benefitting off an own goal to giving one right back in the 71st minute, as Eduardo Lopez dribbled around the end line area, got past Sega Coulibaly, then fired a ball that deflected off Niki Hamalanien and across the goal line to reclaim the lead for the Quakes.
San Jose had their foot on the accelerator in the first half. The Quakes’ first chance came in the 10th minute, as Eduardo Lopez played Shea Salinas into the penalty area, Salinas dribbled around the end lined before playing a pass back to Judson, who took the shot, but Coulibaly cleared the ball inside the penalty area. San Jose’s best chance at goal however came just before halftime, when Salinas played Lopez forward, Lopez crossed into the penalty area, Jeremy Ebobisse one-timed a ball towards goal, the shot was stepped by Bond, but Bond left a rebound chance for Ebobisse, but Bond denied him again with another save.
“I thought the first 60 minutes were pedestrian, it was slow, it was just blah,” Vanney said.
It won’t get any easier for the Galaxy coming back from the All-Star break, as they pay a visit to Banc of California Stadium to play LAFC in round two of El Trafico.
