Here it is again, just like in 2003. The Los Angeles Galaxy will take a two-goal, first-leg advantage into Spartan Stadium next weekend after defeating the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at The Home Depot Center in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Two years ago, Landon Donovan's goal and assist helped spark the Earthquakes back to a series win, beating the Galaxy 5-2 in the second leg, arguably the greatest MLS match ever played. This time around, Donovan plays for the enemy.
Donovan scored goals in each half after Herculez Gomez's 13th-minute opener to offset Ricardo Clark's 68th-minute strike and give the Galaxy the victory.
The Galaxy had the worst regular season record of the eight playoff teams, but have the ace up the sleeve ahead of anyone in MLS -- the league's best player in Donovan, who is always at his best in the big-match scenario. Donovan's double moved him into a tie with Jaime Moreno for second all-time in playoff goals with 12, the first 10 coming with San Jose.
Both sides made two changes from last week's regular season finale in L.A., which San Jose won 3-1, enabling it to win the season series by the same count. Tyrone Marshall, the Galaxy's Defender of the Year, and San Jose defender Kevin Goldthwaite were sent off in the first half last week and were replaced by Pablo Chinchilla and Wade Barrett, respectively.
Additionally, the Quakes inserted Ronald Cerritos up front with Brian Ching, as Alejandro Moreno's sprained right ankle limited him to substitute status. The Galaxy returned Donovan back to the strike pair after he played as a wide midfielder last weekend, with Ned Grabavoy landing a left-sided midfield spot in the Galaxy 4-4-2 alignment.
As expected, San Jose came out in a defensive posture in order to withstand the Galaxy's early flurries of aggression. While a fiesty match was predictable, given that this is another installment of the California Clasico, sloppy elements to the Earthquakes' physical play and tackling put them on the back foot early.
Cobi Jones, 35, gave his teammates a spark throughout the first half with his running forward, and nearly set up the Galaxy's opener in the seventh minute when he weaved his dribble some 20 yards to the top of the area. He laid off for an onrushing Gomez to the left of the penalty spot, but Quakes defender Danny Califf raced over to block Gomez's first-time shot on the slide.
The Earthquakes had their first look at the Galaxy goal in the 11th minute when Ching, standing inside the top, left edge of the Galaxy area, headed back a long ball for Mark Chung's left-footed blast that sailed two yards over the crossbar.
Jones' spirited attacking down the right flank drew two first-half cautions on San Jose, the first one preceding the Galaxy's 13th minute opener.
After Jones was cut down by Barrett while trying to move toward open space on the right, Gomez took the ensuing free kick and sent a thigh-high drive through the cracks of the San Jose wall. The ball's swerve wrongfooted Quakes goalkeeper Pat Onstad, moving to his right, and bounced into the net for Gomez's first playoff goal.
The Earthquakes' best chance of the half came 10 minutes later as Chung was played to the end line on the left. He chipped a ball across the top of the six-yard box for Brian Mullan, who snuck his body around Galaxy defender Todd Dunivant and lunged for a bouncing header that Galaxy 'keeper Kevin Hartman batted over the bar.
As the intensity heated up and the run of play began to even itself out towards the middle and latter stages of the opening half, Donovan was gifted his 39th-minute goal.
Gomez got in a bending cross from the right that flew over two Earthquakes defenders onto the far post where Kelly Gray inadvertently knocked the ball right into Donovan's path for a clean, first-time, 8-yard finish into the open net on the left side.
The Galaxy scored on both of their shots on frame in the half, which ended as Hartman controlled Dwayne DeRosario's dipping, left-footed drive from 16 yards.
The Earthquakes upped the pressure after the break and almost pulled a goal back in the 60th minute as a rebound shot off a cleared corner deflected off Galaxy rookie Ugo Ihemelu's foot and two feet wide of the right goalpost.
Gomez almost gave the Galaxy a three-goal edge in the 61st minute when he raced by Barrett and spun him around before his 14-yard shot rolled into the legs of Onstad, sprawling to control the ball.
San Jose gave itself life, and scored a crucial goal, in the 68th minute as the Galaxy could not clear away Mark Chung's free kick into the heart of the area. The ball eventually settled on Clark's feet and he made no mistake in clinically depositing a shot through traffic and inside the far, right post.
The Galaxy responded with a number of dangerous attacking waves that went for naught while San Jose's best chance to tie came in the 81st minute when Moreno, who replaced Cerritos in the 67th minute, entered the area one-on-one with Galaxy defender Chris Albright. Albright, however, managed to block Moreno's close-range shot and clear the ball away.
The Galaxy provided the first-leg death knell through Donovan in the 87th minute as he beat Onstad to Jones' long ball from the Galaxy half. After touching the ball over Onstad 21 yards away straight out from goal, Donovan headed the ball into the open net.
Normally, a 3-1 scoreline would be a harrowing scenario. But as the teams head into next Saturday's return match at Spartan Stadium, they know the series is still likely far from over.
MLSnet.com Man of the Match: Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Damian Secore is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
