San Jose Earthquakes score twice in stoppage time to beat Los Angeles Galaxy

STANF0RD -- The Earthquakes' magic at Stanford Stadium continues.

In a spellbinding finish before a delirious sold-out crowd of 50,028, Shea Salinas and Alan Gordon scored in second-half stoppage time to deliver a 3-2 victory over the stunned Los Angeles Galaxy on Saturday night.

This one had to be seen to be believed.

"I don't think those things are supposed to happen. It was a pretty special night," Quakes interim coach Mark Watson said.

Playing a man down for the final 13 minutes after Victor Bernardez was ejected for a second yellow card, the Quakes appeared in deep trouble against the classy Galaxy attack, led by Robbie Keane and Landon Donovan, who had two assists apiece.

But the Quakes rallied, as they did a year ago in a wild 4-3 win over the Galaxy at Stanford Stadium, also in front of a sold-out crowd.

"This is the loudest game I've ever been in," Salinas said. "Every fan was on their feet at the end."

Now the Quakes (5-7-6), who entered the night in eighth place in the Western Conference, are eager to go on the run.

In the 87th minute, the Galaxy, leading 2-1, had a chance to put the game away, but Hector Jimenez was foiled as Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch turned back his point-blank attempt.

The Quakes tied it 2-2 in the 92nd minute on a Salinas follow shot after former Stanford star Adam Jahn redirected the ball with a header off a Salinas cross. Gordon then brought the house down in the 93rd

minute, nodding the ball into the goal off a brilliant chipped pass from Sam Cronin. It was his second goal of the match and the season.

Quakes players began celebrating, and the crowd, which had little to cheer for the game's first 50 minutes, erupted. Postgame fireworks followed on Military Appreciation Night.

Gordon replaced target forward Steven Lenhart in the 64th minute, one minute before Jimenez scored to increase the Galaxy's lead to 2-0.

"Lenny deserved those goals," Gordon said. "He's always doing the dirty work. I feel bad coming in and stealing the glory. It was a team effort, and when I score, Lenny scores, and when he scores, I score."

The Quakes probably considered the game a must-win after a series of poor performances. San Jose had been shut out in five of its previous seven matches overall.

Keane had two world-class assists before a Quakes rally. Gordon scored his first goal of the match to trim the deficit to 2-1 off a Salinas cross in the 68th minute.

Galaxy coach Bruce Arena, whose team fell to 7-7-3, blamed himself for his team's implosion. Well, sort of.

"To have a team of players and coaches that are that poor and stupid in the last five minutes of a game, that's my responsibility," he said.

The Quakes came out strongly in the second half as Marvin Chavez and Rafael Baca both had cracks on goal during a nice sequence started by Steven Beitashour's cross. During the chaotic sequence, Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez had the ball graze off his head, denying Lenhart a possible header goal.

The Quakes were fortunate to trail only 1-0 at halftime as the Galaxy's dynamic attackers had San Jose's back line under steady duress.

Los Angeles capitalized on the class gap in the 20th minute on a dazzling sequence capped by Marcelo Sarvas' one-touch delivery into the near corner off the goal, off a one-time pass from Keane, who had been fed by Donovan.

Salinas spurred the team all night with aggressive attacks. He said the team "still" has a lot of heart.

"Our defense stepped up and played great. They stopped counterattack after counterattack," Salinas said.

The show was spectacular, just like last year. About 10 minutes before kickoff, four parachutists swooped down onto the field, the last one waving an American flag. Acknowledged at halftime were members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard.

San Jose entered the match in a world of hurt, with most of its key attacking players nursing injuries and struggling through down years.

The club this week signed defender Clarence Goodson, who played the past three years with IK Start of Norway and Brondby of Denmark. But he won't join the Quakes until after the Gold Cup concludes at the end of July.

The Quakes, who had a 1-3 road stretch before Saturday's win, next play at Chicago and New England.

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/earthquakes/ci_23569952/san-jose-earthquakes-score-twice-stoppage-time-beat?source=rss_viewed

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