Earthquakes’ offense struggles as winless streak extends to nine with loss to LA Galaxy

STANFORD — Ian Russell’s first match as head coach of the San Jose Earthquakes ended similarly to how Luchi Gonzalez’s last one ended: A loss to an L.A. team. 

Despite creating opportunities to score, the Quakes couldn’t convert as they fell to their rival LA Galaxy 3-0 in the 101st California Clásico at Stanford Stadium on Saturday night. 

The Quakes outshot the Galaxy 17-14, had six on goal and had an expected goal rate of 1.9, but failed to put a goal on the board. 

“It’s been kind of a theme, we don’t finish when we need to,” Russell said after the match. “We get goals conceded at inopportune moments like tonight.  I thought we created enough chances to at least be in this game. But the scoreline doesn’t look like it.”

San Jose started the match with a high-pressure defense, something Russell emphasized in practice leading up to Saturday.  

The plan worked early on as the Quakes turned defense into offense, but San Jose couldn’t finish when it was in position to score. 

In the 22nd minute, Galaxy midfielder Mark Delgado was given a yellow card after a hard foul on Amahl Pellegrino. On the ensuing free kick, Cristian Espinoza found Daniel Munie near the goal area but Munie’s header was just off as it fell into the hands Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy. 

Later in the half, Espinoza found a cutting Jackson Yueill near the right side of the box who then hit an open Jeremy Ebobisse in front of the goal. Ebobisse seemed to have a clear shot on goal, but fumbled the pass and his shot went over the top of the goal post and out of bounds. 

Ebobisse’s struggles continued in the 37th minute. On a corner kick, the ball ricocheted off a Galaxy defender and into the feet of the 27-year-old striker. But as Ebobisse tried to coral the ball, he slipped and allowed the Galaxy to get a break away opportunity. 

Speeding down the field, Galaxy attacker Gabriel Pec found Joseph Paintsil who fired a left-footed shot that hit the bottom left corner to score his sixth goal of the season and put the Galaxy up 1-0 before the half ended. 

San Jose had a total of nine shots in the first half with three being on goal.

“I think if we put some away early, it’s a different game,” Yueill said. “It’s something we need to work on still, and it’s been something that we’ve lacked this year. Putting away goals in important moments.”

The Quakes’ offensive woes continued in the second half, and with Ebobisse struggling, head coach Ian Russell substituted former Galaxy attacker Preston Judd in his place at the 60th minute.

A minute into entering the match, Judd found himself one-on-one with McCarthy after Benjamin Kikanovic found him streaking up the right side of the field. Judd had a clean look on the right side of the penalty box, but his right-footed tap went wide right. 

The crowd of 40,844 people let out a sigh as the energy seemed to have been zapped from the stadium with the missed opportunity. 

“You finish that chance and the game can change,” Russell said. 

L.A.’s dagger came in the 72nd minute.

Midfielder Riqui Puig, who subbed into the game in the second half after not playing for over three weeks, found a clean look from outside the middle of the penalty box. Puig’s shot barely missed, hitting the top of the crossbar. 

On the rebound, Dejan Joveljic’s header found the net to put the Quakes away for good as he scored his 12th goal of the season. 

The Galaxy added one more goal in the 90th minute for good measure after Mauricio Cuevas scored on a cross from Miki Yamane. 

Russell’s tenure as head coach didn’t start off with a win, but Yueill said he appreciated a change of voice on the sidelines. 

“A lot of the guys have played with him, so we have a lot of respect for him,” he said. “He brings a calm energy, but he wants to press. He wants to play, he wants to be dynamic and get it behind. So guys are eager to, you know, still make the mark and still make something of this season.”

With Saturday’s loss, the Quakes dropped to 3-15-2 and are now winless in their last nine which include five straight losses. The Galaxy notched their 40th win in the California Clásico and moved to second in the Western Conference behind LAFC. 

San Jose will be on the road next week when it plays St. Louis SC on July 3.