Photo courtesy of the LA Galaxy.
Sometimes it’s not how you score a goal, as long as the ball crosses the goal line and it’s a goal for your team, you will take it.
That was what the LA Galaxy must have felt following its Saturday evening tilt with the visiting San Jose Earthquakes. After a first half where three great chances did not go in due to some badly timed deflections, a deflection finally went the Galaxy’s way in the second half. A Quakes own goal from Tanner Beason combined with some spectacular goalkeeping was all the Galaxy needed to hold off the Quakes 1-0 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
The moment came for the Galaxy in the 70th minute. Samuel Grandsir held the ball on the right side, then dribbled into the penalty area, where he met San Jose’s Paul Marie. Grandsir collided with Marie, which caused Marie to fall, but Grandsir kept his balance, took the ball to the endline, played a ball into the six yard box, Tanner Beason got his left foot on the ball, but the deflection was to the Galaxy’s benefit, as the ball crossed the goal line and went in at the far post.
Not that the Galaxy didn’t have chances themselves to get on the board. Kevin Cabral, the Galaxy’s headline signing as a young Designated Player, got his first chance in the 20th minute with some impressive pace. First Cabral sped past Tommy Thompson and dribbled forward into the penalty area, then he juked Florian Jungwirth in the box and chipped a ball past keeper James Marcinowski for a sure goal, but Beason came in at the mast minute and cleared the ball at the goal lone, denying Cabral his first goal in a Galaxy shirt, not to mention one that would have made the highlight reels.
The Galaxy continued to apply the pressure in the first half. Efrain Alvarez pounced on a poor clearance attempt by Marcinowski and had the ball inside the penalty area unmarked. Alvarez gathered himself and took the shot, but Marcinowski made amends for the bad clearance by parrying Alvarez’s shot over the end line. On the ensuing corner, Steres headed the corner for goal, but it hit off the crossbar, Jonathan Dos Santos swooped in and attempted a volley at the top of the box, the shot did get past Marcinowski, but Thompson, who was inside the six, dove to his left and headed the ball out of the penalty area.
The Galaxy also got a great performance from keeper Jonathan Bond, who made 12 saves in the match. None were more important than the two Bond made in the 83rd minute. ANdy Rios attempted a volley from about 26 yards out, Bond made the stop in the box, but the ball went to Shea Salinas, already inside the penalty area, and he immediately one-timed a shot on goal, but Bond recovered with enough time to parry over the end line.
