LOS ANGELES, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes fell to Los Angeles Football Club 2-0 Saturday afternoon at Banc of California Stadium. Walker Zimmerman scored both goals for the home team, heading in two Carlos Vela corners.
The Quakes will now travel to Houston, Texas to take on the Dynamo on Saturday, Sept. 29 at 5:30 p.m. PT. The match will air on NBC Sports Bay Area, KNBR 1050 and 1370 KZSF.
Click here for photos from the match
MLS Regular Season
Los Angeles Football Club 2-0 San Jose Earthquakes
Sept. 22, 2018 – Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.
Attendance: 22,000
Scoring Summary: LAFC – Walker Zimmerman (Carlos Vela) 41; LAFC – Walker Zimmerman (Carlos Vela) 68.
Misconduct Summary: SJ – Florian Jungwirth (caution) 43; SJ – Anibal Godoy (caution) 52.
LAFC: Tyler Miller; Dejan Jakovic, Jordan Harvey, Steven Beitashour, Walker Zimmerman; Eduard Atuesta, Lee Nguyen, Diego Rossi (Benny Feilhaber 65), Latif Blessing; Adama Diomande (Marco Ureña 57), Carlos Vela (Andre Horta 81).
SHOTS: 18; SHOTS ON TARGET: 8; SAVES: 1; FOULS: 6; CORNER KICKS: 12; OFFSIDES: 1.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: JT Marcinkowski; Joel Qwiberg (Shea Salinas 81), Harold Cummings, Guram Kashia, Nick Lima; Florian Jungwirth (Luis Felipe 63), Jackson Yueill, Anibal Godoy; Jahmir Hyka (Danny Hoesen 71), Chris Wondolowski, Vako.
SHOTS: 4; SHOTS ON TARGET: 1; SAVES: 6; FOULS: 8; CORNER KICKS: 1; OFFSIDES: 4.
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES INTERIM HEAD COACH STEVE RALSTON
On the match:
“The performance I thought was actually ok, but obviously I’m disappointed in the result. I don’t want to lose the game, but I think for us coming off the game on Wednesday, short notice and the early game in the heat, and me asking them to do the things I asked them to do, is going to be hard.”
On areas for improvement:
“Of course, they had chances. We didn’t create too much going forward. I thought we possessed the ball at times where we moved the ball, but we never could really get through in the final third. We kind of ran out of ideas. On the defensive side, we had a few bad giveaways that put us in trouble. We gave away too many corner kicks. Ultimately, that is what killed us. Two corner kicks that were pretty much identical.”
On his message to the team:
“I said, ‘Listen guys, I hate to lose, but I am really proud of the effort that you guys put in. It’s been a really trying, tough season, but we’ve got four more games to get ourselves going in the right direction. I think we’ve made a good step into the last four.’”
On moving forward:
“I want to win. Obviously, it is nice to see moral victories here and there, but at the end of the day, when you win, you feel like you are carrying something and you’re building something. It’s hard to lose and say we are getting better. We want to win.”
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES FORWARD CHRIS WONDOLOWSKI
On the match:
“LAFC played very well. They were very well organized. Definitely a Bob Bradley-coached team, compact and well-disciplined. I thought our defense played well too. We gave up two set piece goals, which is a bit uncharacteristic of us. We got punished for our mistakes.”
On team’s reaction the past week:
“The team has reacted very positively to all the changes so far. Steve Ralston’s done a great job. He has sent a good message and the team is bought in. He commands the locker room and has the respect of the guys. It has taken a bit of adjustment with the new formation and we can definitely iron out some wrinkles, but that is something we can work on next week as we get ready for Houston.”
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES GOALKEEPER JT MARCINKOWSKI
On the game:
“With this being my first away match in MLS, I think it is a pretty cool environment to be in. I felt a little bit more confident. I think my decision making can still be a little bit better. I had a few more saves today, but at the end of the day we still didn’t get the result. Bit frustrating, but definitely some stuff to look forward to.”
On the difference between playing against LAFC and Atlanta:
“They are both obviously very dynamic. LAFC definitely tries to keep the ball more. Atlanta focuses mostly on counter attacks due to their speed alone with [Miguel] Almiron and Josef Martinez up top. Whereas here more with Carlos Vela and when Benny Feilhaber came on, it is more football orientated. Obviously, with [Diego] Rossi and [Latif] Blessing out wide they are very dynamic which helps, but I would have to say that they definitively try to keep the ball a little bit more. They are both very dangerous and both can score a lot of goals.”
On the opportunity to play:
“Whenever I get the chance to play I really want to do my best. This is what I love to do. I do not really look at it as a huge opportunity, but it is something that I’ve played my entire life for and I just try to go out there and do my best.”
