The Earthquakes earned another hard-fought road point on Sunday night – this time using an 87th-minute equalizer to draw 1-1 with the rival LA Galaxy. So far this season, the Quakes have earned draws on the road against FC Dallas, Philadelphia and LA, who have an undefeated record of 13-0-6 at home.
San Jose dominated possession and had the majority of scoring chances through the first half, with forward Chris Wondolowski nearly bagging a goal, or two, during the first 45. But the longer the match went on without the Quakes finding the net, likely the more confidence the Galaxy would gain about finding a late winner.
And sure enough, they almost did.
An unfortunate touch by Earthquakes defender Marvell Wynne that found its way into the back of the very net he had defended so well all night seemed to ignite the crowd and put LA within minutes of claiming all three points.
But second-half substitute Chad Barrett and 22-year-old midfielder Fatai Alashe wouldn’t let the large contingent of Quakes fans that traveled down to SoCal go home disappointed. The duo combined on a wonderful cross and header that resulted in the Galaxy fetching the ball from their own net.
Ultimately, the Quakes defense proved up to task once again, seemingly rendering the star-studded cast of LA invisible at times. In fact, while the Quakes have had 11 men on the field against the Galaxy this season (134 minutes), no LA player has been able to score.
The Quakes return to action next Saturday against FC Dallas at Avaya Stadium, presented by Petersen Dean. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the match will be aired live on CSN California, KLIV 1590 and KZSF 1370.
