A goal from defender Ryan Cochrane in the 90th minute was the difference as the San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Los Angeles Galaxy 3-2 at Oakland's McAfee Coliseum Sunday afternoon.
The win was the first in nine matches for San Jose, which remains in seventh place in the Western Conference. Los Angeles, meanwhile, saw it winless streak stretch to seven games.
The Quakes had opened a two-goal lead in the first half, as Arturo Alvarez and Darren Huckerby scored. But before the half was out, Landon Donovan pulled a goal back for the Galaxy, then late in the second half, Edson Buddle netted a score for LA that seemed to secure the point, until Cochrane's late heroics.
San Jose picked up Alvarez, who s making his second tour of duty with the Earthquakes, from Dallas earlier in the week. Head Coach Frank Yallop inserted him in to the starting lineup at forward. The move paid off almost immediately, as in the eighth minute he opened the scoring.
From the left wing, Huckerby centered a pass to Scott Sealy at the top of the penalty area. Sealy's one-touch pass found Alvarez racing up the middle, and he bent a left-footed shot past Galaxy goalkeeper Steve Cronin cleanly inside the right post.
The goal was San Jose's first in three games against the Galaxy this season.
San Jose doubled its lead in the 40th minute when Eric Denton knocked the ball forward for Huckerby. LA defender Chris Klein slipped, allowing Huckerby to come in alone on goal from the left wing. From a tough angle, Huckerby's shot slid past Cronin to the far post for a 2-0 Earthquakes advantage.
LA then battled back, getting a goal back almost immediately. In the 42nd minute, a David Beckham free kick from 35 yards out found Donovan for a header from six yards out. Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon made the save, pushing the ball off the crossbar, but San Jose couldn't clear the rebound.
The ball got back out to Beckham on the the right wing, and he sent another cross to the net. This time, Donovan's header from the top of the six cleanly beat Cannon inside the left post for his league-leading 13th goal of the year.
Still down a goal, in the 75th minute, the Galaxy brought in Carlos Ruiz and switched to 3-4-3 formation as they searched for an equalizer. They got it less than a minute later, after Edson Buddle got the ball about 30 yards from goal. Buddle danced through the San Jose defense, taking advantage of a collision between defenders Nick Garcia and Ramiro Corrales to score from 20 yards out.
But in the end, it was San Jose coming out on top. In the 90th minute, a Corrales cross from the right wing was knocked away by Cronin, and Darren Huckerby pounced on the loose ball. Huckerby's shot from 15 yards out shot was saved, but the rebound fell to Cochrane, who put it away to give San Jose the win.
The Earthquakes now enjoy a break, returning to action August 16 when they play host to the New England Revolution. For the Galaxy, they next face Chivas USA at The Home Depot Center on August 14.
Pete Ratajczak is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
