Both the LA Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes pulled off tight one-goal wins over the weekend, with the former regaining its position at the top of the overall league standings and the latter coming within one point of Portland for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
Giovani Dos Santos opened up the score with this brilliant 11th minute finish, which Fútbol MLS described as “lo que un mexicano puede llamar un taco.”
He didn’t stop there, either – four minutes later, Gio assisted Robbie Keane to put LA up 2-0 in the early goings.
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The Latino dominance went both ways, as Colombian midfielder Michael Barrios popped a header into the Galaxy net in the 35th minute off a ball sent in by his Argentine midfield companion Mauro Díaz.
LA moved past Vancouver and the New York Red Bulls with 50 points in the Supporters’ Shield race with the victory, but their foes all have games in hand. They head to Seattle for a matchup with the Sounders this weekend.
In the nail-biter with major playoff implications between San Jose and Real Salt Lake up north, Argentine midfielder Matías Pérez García scored a late 87th minute blast to give the Quakes the 1-0 win.
Garcia’s left-footed rocket took a deflection and slid into the bottom right corner of the net, his first successful strike since June 20. In a moment of pure elation, he ripped off his shirt and received a second yellow card, leaving San Jose a man down with three minutes left in regular time.
San Jose now stands at 12-12-7, in seventh place in the Western Conference with 43 points. They take on the Whitecaps at home this Saturday, a must-watch for Galaxy and Quake fans alike.