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San Jose Earthquakes 2, LAFC 2: Los Angeles stunned by late San Jose goal, share points on the road

Playing most of the match at disadvantage, LAFC couldn't pull off the win, dropping points on last second goal
Trebor TracyBy 6 Mins Read
LAFC forward Denis Bouanga made history with his goal in the draw. Photo courtesy of Los Angeles FC

Under 10 matches left to play MLS regular season. LAFC come into this Western Conference clash looking to desperately stop a summer skid that has seen them lose home field advantage and fall to sixth in the conference standings. This is the second of what will be four matches on the road for the black & gold, and this is arguably the hardest of all the trips as they have only won three times on the road against Earthquakes all-time, in this matchup. The home side Quakes come into this match sitting above LAFC in the conference standings, but more importantly, have rekindled their incredible form from earlier in the season that saw them flirt with the top of the table. Playoff implications and a big three points on the line in Santa Clara this evening.

The first 15 minutes of the match saw both sides looking real timid. There was a grand total of one shot on goal, provided by LAFC, a combined three touches in opposition’s box, with San Jose keeping nearly 70% of the possession early. It took a while, but we did get a goal in the first half despite the really slow start to the match. A great moment from LAFC superstar striker Heung-Min Son who got the ball near the middle of the pitch. He then continued to drive at the defense, who inexplicably kept backpedaling as he went forward, until he was close enough for a shot and he took it. A great curler that started off wide and went right past the keeper, sneaking into the corner for the first half lead.

Just minutes after taking the lead, LAFC give momentum right back in a big way as defender Aaron Long was shown a straight red card for a foul as San Jose was going on the break. The ruling was while the foul occurred outside of the box preventing the penalty, it was an obvious DOGSO (Denial Of Goal Scoring Opportunity) and after a quick review from VAR the ruling upheld and now Los Angeles were up a goal, but having to play the rest of the match down a player.

The team were able to withstand the initial shock and subsequent San Jose pressure to see out the first half with their one goal lead in tact. LAFC are unbeaten this season when taking the lead a milestone that would be put to the test in the second half.

The home side started off the second half a bit slow, unable to take advantage of their chances despite holding a player advantage. In the 53rd minute, LAFC made them pay for not doing more early. A great counter attack saw Sonny get the ball with space to run yet again, this time he had Denis Bouanga running beside him and begging for it. Son obliged with a great pass that found Bouanga who tapped it home to double the lead for the black & gold. The goal was also historic, giving Bouanga 79 MLS regular season goals, surpassing the previous record held by LAFC legend, Carlos Vela.

For a chunk of the second half, Los Angeles looked like the team with the advantage, but then Earthquakes Head Coach Bruce Arena made a few key subs and it didn’t take long for them to make an impact. In the 71st minute San Jose cut the deficit in half behind a great ball into the box from substitute Timo Werner that was placed perfectly for substitute Preston Judd who headed it past Lloris for the goal.

It looked like LAFC responded immediately, scoring a third goal just minutes later, but upon further review, it was determined there was a foul by LAFC defender Sergi Palencial in the build-up, negating the score. LAFC’s defense would get tested late as San Jose upped the pressure in the final 15 minutes of the match, knocking on the door of the goal as they desperately searched for an equalizer at the very least.

Hugo Lloris was once again showing us all why he’s considered the MVP of the team. He finished the match with eight saves, and five of those came in the final 10 minutes of the match. San Jose had prime opportunities that looked like sure goals if not for the efforts of the legend between the posts. With time ticking down, in the last seconds of what was an eight minute stoppage time, after all the chances and close calls, San Jose finally put one past Lloris for the equalizer. Defender Reid Roberts got off a shot from well outside the box that skirted past defenders and nestled in the lower corner of the goal, out of reach of a diving Lloris, salvaging a point for the home side.

Had you offered Los Angeles a chance to finish the match level, sharing points, at the moment they received their red card, they absolutely would have taken that. However, with how the match played out, this will be a disappointing draw that sees the team remain in sixth place, with clubs below them inching closer with the regular season winding down. Now, the black & gold turn focus to their final road match of this stretch, a tricky visit to Texas, taking on FC Dallas. They will also be dealing with missing players, as the match takes place right in the middle of an international break.

Thoughts on the draw against Earthquakes? Let us know in the comments below!

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