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Wondolowski’s 26th goal helps Quakes tie Galaxy

Photo by Michael Pimental/ISIPhotos.com

After blowing leads in their previous two meetings against San Jose this season, the Los Angeles Galaxy went into Sunday’s battle against the Earthquakes knowing they couldn’t afford to let up even if they took a lead on San Jose.

Unfortunately for the Galaxy, they became the latest in a long line of teams that simply couldn’t hold a second-half lead against the Earthquakes.

Chris Wondolowski’s header in the 73rd minute helped the Earthquakes secure a 2-2 draw against the Galaxy at Buck Shaw Stadium.

The goal also pulled Wondolowski to within a goal of Roy Lassiter’s MLS record for goals in a season (27).

The Galaxy jumped out in the first half and created a majority of the quality chances, but much like they did against Real Salt Lake before the international break, the Galaxy couldn’t do a good job of converting those chances.

After a scoreless first half, the Galaxy broke through in the 59th minute when Robbie Keane pounced on a loose ball that Justin Morrow was too slow to deal with. The Earthquakes answered right back just two minutes later with a beautiful free kick.

Edson Buddle gave the Galaxy a 2-1 lead when he headed home a Sean Franklin cross, but the lead only held up for four minutes before Wondolowski fought through a sea of bodies on a corner kick to head home the equalizer.

Here are the match highlights:

What did you think of the match? See the Galaxy being able to beat the Earthquakes in the playoffs? Think Wondolowski can break Lassiter’s record?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Again with ACB? I sit in GA… this year alone… ACB was looking for a fight vs. San Jose when they first came down here (actually going AROUND the stadium looking for the Ultras as security escored the SJ idiots out of the building), then they got in a fight with Galaxians, fan group of the same team. Then they get in a fight here.

    But it’s never their fault, right? They’re never to blame. Not surprised to see that girl that’s their leader arrested. If that’s how the leader behaves, what can you expect from the rest of the group. It’s so sad, this was even in local news. That’s the press the Galaxy gets.

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  2. Getting Jason Hernandez back so that Morrow can switch back to his left back position is critical for the playoffs. Corrales could have been swapped for one of his bobbleheads, for how ineffective he was in this game. Other than that, a forgettable game other than Wondo’s 26th. Midfield got dominated by LA in the first half, players coming off injury were rusty (Dawkins, Opara), game was constantly interrupted by fouls and ugly to watch. I really hope that Vancouver can pull out a miracle in the play-in game, but expect that won’t happen and we’ll see more of the same in the semi-finals.

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  3. Re: Marufo- he clearly swallowed his whistle through most of this match (except for about a 5 min spell in the second half when it looked a few players were going to start throwing punches, no cards even then though). makes me wonder if the MLS refs are following the NHL refs allowing ‘playoff hockey’, these last couple of weeks to get ’em used to what’s coming, i.e. “let the boys play.” problem is when it’s two teams that dont like each other already, games can get out of hand quick.

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    • exactly, and more, that the free kick for the first SJ goal was his whistle for a foul Lenhart actually committed (the rough and tumble stuff allowed both ways already), but he blew the whislte that time in that spot against Omar. It was just a bad call. whatever, not the first time Marufo has been below the moment unfortunately. How about, he can do better 🙂

      same with Lenhart. Good player, talented, hard working, heart, I want to like him, but twice in that game he tripped Omar from behind blantanly to get the advantage as Omar was fouled to the ground, once in the 30th minute, again later, the first instance his only dangerous touches of the first half. If that’s allowed all should gainly paticipate

      bit of course that doesn’t make sense

      why not just tell him to stop that stuff and they’ve seen it and they’re gonna whistle it and card it?

      Wondo is unbelievable. Pure class goal again in knowing when to use his A move, the team too executed to perfection. I enjoy his game.

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  4. A lot of people recognized his ability to score in Houston, it was just too difficult for him to break into the starting lineup with Ching there. I remember one finish against Pachuca that was so calm and neat. It was a big game and he was a reserve team play so it was even more impressive.

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  5. What more can be said about Wondo. He’s one of the nicest guys in the league, so passionate, humble, a great teammate, a lock for 2012 MVP, in a class by himself over the last three years, and STILL he’s underrated.

    The article fails to mention that Wondo hit the post twice within a span of two minutes. Hopefully that doesn’t come back to haunt him. Portland are tough at home but I certainly wouldn’t bet against Wondo getting one or two in that game.

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  6. @da truth:
    3 members of the SJ supporters group, entered the segregated LA area, created a ruckus and ruined a great trip for all. The “security’ did nothing to stop them as well.

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  7. what is impressive about Wondo is; you KNOW he’s the go to guy…..you know he’s going for the record…..you know they are going to try to get him the ball….but still you just can’t stop him……..not even a team as good as LA. As a forward it takes skill/talent to read defenses, knowing how to get on the end of the ball, how to be at the right place at the right time, ……the ability to get himself free in ideal spots to finish from close range. Why he is not a full time player on the USMNT, being mentored by Klinsmann is beyond me.
    For some reason coaches sleep on Wondo…….image he was traded to the San Jose Earthquakes from houston in exchange for Cam Weaver in June 2009!!!! It took a coach like San Jose coach Frank Yallop to see those skills in the reserve league and harvest that talent to become one the most dangerous forwards in MLS…….

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  8. Anyone else hear about the fight that broke out by the LA supporters ?

    The whole LA supporter section was kicked out of the game and they had 20 cops guarding the section.

    Outside, not sure if they uses it as a training purposes, but 100 cops in riot gear and AR-15 were roaming the stadium outside after the game.

    LOL the crowd was a mix of families and people you would see at comic.con

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    • At the game the fracas appeared to start and was confined in and around the LA supporters section. A bit of shoving, smoke and eventually a police controlled exit of all but a handful of LA fans from their supporters section. All happened up in stands behind where Garber was watching the game. It seems there was additional activity outside stands between fams removed and the police. Local ABC TV news this morning showed an LA fan throwing beer on police… not a smart move. Police response was helped with the police HQ being just a block away from the stadium.

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    • That’s a damn shame, both that a few LA fans came to make trouble and that the cops went all riot squad on the them. When we go down to LA for the playoffs, you know the media focus will be on the potential for trouble, not the outcome. It’s great to see the growth in popularity of the sport in the US, but we don’t want to get like the EPL, where you have to be registered in advance to buy tickets, to avoid hooligans getting in.

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      • Agreed. That’s one aspect of the global game that MLS has mostly avoided, and I hope it remains that way.

        I was watching the game back home in SoCal, so I didn’t see the events unfold in person, but unfortunately, I watched the news clips and recognized several of the arrested ACB members. Several of them are leaders of the group. That was very disappointing. I hate mob mentality, and all it takes is a couple bad apples to rile up a group.

  9. dude needs to be playing in Europe. JK should call him up in January. Help get some more international games under his belt to improve his “image”. Turkey, Belgium, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway. He could make say half a million a season and would get him more call-ups for the Nats

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