Walker Zimmerman netted a rare brace on Saturday to lead the Los Angeles Football Club to a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday in the teams' inaugual meeting at Banc of California Stadium, thumping home two headers off Carlos Vela corner-kick deliveries.
Though their goals came off straightforward set pieces, the hosts were deserving winners on the day, as the Quakes matched them in terms of possession and buildup play but were fully outclassed in front of goal. LAFC created 18 shots, keeping eight of them on target, while the visitors could manage just four and one, respectively.
The victory marks San Jose's second loss in two games under interim coach Steve Ralston, though he can take some solace in the fact that his group kept pace with the talented expansion side in many facets of the game.
Goals
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: Both the run of play and the result pointed to these teams' respective zeitgeists, as LAFC confidently cruised to a win that keeps them on their postseason-minded trajectory, while the Quakes can take heart from a professional performance without being fooled as to the rebuilding work ahead.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: When Zimmerman leaped highest to snap his first strike past JT Marcinkowski, the onus fell on San Jose to muster a comeback that they could not conjure up in their fragile state.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: While Vela was quite good as usual, it's no contest, thanks to Walker Zimmerman's banner day.
Next Up
- LAFC: Saturday, September 29 at Chicago (3:30 pm ET | Univision, Twitter — Full TV & streaming info)
- SJ: Saturday, September 29 at Houston (8:30 pm ET | Full TV & streaming info)
