It was definitely Cali but not all that Clasico, as the San Jose Earthquakes dominated the LA Galaxy 4-0 in the rivalry match at Dignity Health Sports Park on Wednesday night.
The Quakes dominated possession throughout the first half, but only got one goal to show for it by halftime. That came in the 44th minute, with Nick Lima firing through traffic on a rebounded shot to get his team on the scoreboard. That capped a half in which the Galaxy started flat and worked its way to narrow the Quakes' shot advantage to 7-3 and its possession to 62.5 percent.
Thanks to Carlos Fierro and Andres Rios, San Jose was able to double its lead less than seven minutes into the second half. After the Quakes recovered a turnover in the Galaxy's half, Fierro was granted time and space to operate by LA's defense, and found Rios with a perfect pass he was able to simply redirect into goal.
Shortly after, LA made a somewhat shocking sub, with El Tri star Chicharito being pulled for possible future El Tri star Efrain Alvarez. But the Quakes built on its lead in the 76th minute, with Tommy Thompson trying to chip surprise starter Jonathan Klinsmann. Klinsmann got a big block on the shot attempt, but Thompson was able to slot the rebound into the net to extend the lead to 3-0. Then, Lima was able to add insult to injury with a stoppage-time goal.
Goals
- 44' – SJ – Nick Lima | WATCH
- 52' – SJ – Andres Rios | WATCH
- 76' – SJ – Tommy Thompson | WATCH
- 90' + 3' – SJ – Nick Lima | WATCH
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: In this enigmatic, Jekyll-and-Hyde season for the Quakes, this was about as good as it's been, and the result keeps them in the thick of the West playoff race. The Galaxy, on the other hand, looked woeful in a loss that cemented their last-place standing. If there's a silver lining (other than that MLS doesn't have relegation), it's that Klinsmann had some moments and good saves in a scoreline that didn't flatter him.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Lima's initial goal came perhaps later than it should have, but it put a cap on a dominant first-half performance that was then replicated and even improved upon in the second.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: Lima's two goals make him the obvious choice. He also had a crucial tackle in the box on Sebastian Lletget that kept the Galaxy from grabbing a first-half lead against the run of play.
Next Up
- LA: Sunday, October 18 vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC (7:30 pm pT | MLS Live on ESPN+, TSN 1/4 in Canada)
- SJ: Sunday, October 18 vs. Seattle Sounders FC (7:30 pm PT | MLS Live on ESPN+, DAZN in Canada)
