LAFC stumbles against San Jose Earthquakes

A combination of scenarios finally turned wrong for LAFC on Sunday.

Having to take the field just five days after an emotional match against Cruz Azul that enabled then to advance to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup, and having to play against a San Jose Earthquakes team that is off to a torrid start to the season was certainly was a challenging scenario for LAFC. Indeed, everything came crashing down for LAFC on Sunday evening. A series of mistakes by LAFC resulted in three goals inside a six-minute span for San Jose, and the Quakes handed LAFC its first loss of the season with 4-1 result at BMO Stadium.

It’s tough,” LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead said. “I think there was a little bit of sense of the guys just thinking that things were going to bounce our way, and when you drop it, even against a good team that comes in hungrey to get three points and are playing well and in a good spot in the table right now, those things can happen, this league can punish you like that.”

The Quakes were carried by Ousseni Bouda, who had a brace in the match. His performance was vital in the Quakes improving its record to 7-1-o and 21 points, now tied for first place with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Western Conference. LAFC (5-1-1, 18 points) slips into a three-way tie for third place with Seattle and Real Salt Lake.

After a scoreless first half, the goals came in the second half, mostly for San Jose. The Quakes got on board eight minutes in, and it started when Beau Leroux intercepted a pass from Mark Delgado, dribbled past the halfway line, then sprung Timo Werner with a ball down the left side. Werner dribbled into the penalty area, crossed a ball through the six-yard box and Bouda one-timed a right-footed shot past a scrambling Hugo Lloris into the back net to vault San Jose into the lead.

Turns out the Quakes were just getting started. Again Leroux forced an LAFC turnover near the halfway line, this time when he dispossessed Ryan Porteous, Werner then took the ball and dribbled all the way into the penalty area, evaded Nkosi Tafari’s challenge and slotted a right-footed shot past Lloris into the back net to double the San Jose lead in the 56th minute. More LAFC mistakes led to a third San Jose goal, and it started when Preston Judd fired a left-footed volley just inside the box, the shot hit off the crossbar, but fell to the feet of Bounda, who then tried to play a ball into the six, the ball was deflected, but Jamar Ricketts kept the play alive for the Quakes, Ricketts sent a ball back inside the six, Porteous cut off the cross, but the ball went the wrong way for LAFC, as the ball went into the back net for an LAFC own goal in the 59th minute, and suddenly, San Jose was up three goals.

“We started the game really bad,” LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos said. “They (San Jose) arrived first to all the first and second balls.”

LAFC did its best to get back in the game. LAFC pulled a goal back in the 74th minute, as Mark Delgado played a ball to Denis Bouanga on the right side, Bouanga crossed into the penalty area looking for Son-Heung Min, Quakes defender Reied Roberts cut off the cross, but the ball continued forward, and keeper Daniel Dos Santos could not recover in time, as the ball crossed the goal line for a San Jose own goal in the 74th minute that broke the shutout. San Jose however dispelled any notion of an LAFC comeback in the 80th minute when Niko Tsakiris dribbled into the penalty area, passed to an unmarked Bouda, and he fired a right-footed shot that beat Lloris near post to restore the three-goal advantage and basically end the match right there.