San Jose Earthquakes stun LAFC in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA – It was another beautiful Sunday evening in Los Angeles with the game-time temperature at 70 degrees, and the San Jose Earthquakes hoped to regain some momentum from the thrashings they have taken. Meanwhile, LAFC is looking to get back on track as they continue to play without Mexican Super Star Carlos Vela.
San Jose came out with a brilliant game plan. They attempted to mimic LAFC and attack. They paced themselves as they attacked the left side of the Black and Gold defense. Though most teams have tried this, Latiff Blessing has mange to hold his own on the defensive side of the ball.
Almeyda’s team was stifling the Bod Bradley’s team. They limited shots on goal, and ball possession was also in their favor. Rossi was held on check in the first half. As well as San Jose played on defense, their offense was lackluster at best. Just before the half in the 45th minute, the home team finally managed to put the ball behind the net. Mark-Anthony Kaye scored with his left foot left from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Just as the Earthquakes thought they would go into the half in a zero to zero tie, LAFC had other plans. Suddenly, San Jose was down 1-0 at halftime.
In the second half, Bradley’s team made a serious attempt to add another goal, and they came very close, but they could not do it. The majority of the second half was played at San Jose’s pace, they kept the ball away from LAFC’s elite strikers, and it was frustrating Bob as he was very animated on the sideline. The score remained 1-0 for most of the game, but it was evident that Matias’ team was still playing and competing.
This game remained with a 1-0 score in favor of the home team; however, things changed instantly. Shea Salinas scored in the 80th minute and tied the game. San Jose celebrated this goal, and they were not done yet. The Quakes turned the tide as they keep attacking, and LAFC was not matching the intensity. The 90 minutes were over, and the referee gave three minutes of stoppage time. This moment proved that the Earthquakes had enough left in the tank to muster up one last attempt to score. In the 93rd minute, they did just that. Jackson Yueill scored a decisive goal and to put San Jose up 2-1. Once again, Almeyda’s team was ecstatic as they celebrated on the sideline. The entire team felt jubilation as they knew they had just collected three points on the road with a team that rarely loses at home. San Jose has now placed itself in striking distance to make a run at the MLS playoffs.
