CARSON, Calif. – With one victory in the SuperClásico, Chivas USA was able to wipe out a pair of dubious distinctions and build confidence for the long season ahead.
Jose Erik Correa’s penalty kick goal in the 72nd minute gave the Rojiblancos not only their first victory of the season at the Home Depot Center in 2012, but their first victory against the LA Galaxy in five years.
A draw that could have been a loss nonetheless felt like two points dropped when a goal by Alan Gordon in the 90th minute allowed San Jose to tie the Crew 1-1 at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday and spoil the outstanding efforts of goalkeeper Andy Gruenebaum.
Gruenebaum made seven saves, including a penalty kick by Chris Wondolowski in the 22nd minute, and kept the Crew in the match long enough for Justin Meram to score in the second minute of first-half stoppage time for their only shot on target in the game.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Normally, finding yourself down a goal with less than 15 minutes to play would put a damper on a club. Not for the 2012 version of the San Jose Earthquakes.
For the second consecutive match, the Earthquakes have erased 1-0 deficits with goals in the final minutes, both coming from second-half substitute Alan Gordon – last Sunday vs. Chivas USA and again on Saturday night against the Columbus Crew – to come away with 1-1 ties.
CARSON, Calif. – In the lean years as well as the triumphant ones, the LA Galaxy had dominated rivals Chivas USA.
Not even that small joy is going the Galaxy’s way this season.
For the first time since Sept. 13, 2007, the Galaxy lost a SuperClásico, falling 1-0 in the first of three scheduled meetings against Chivas this season. Instead of the Galaxy’s dominance over Chivas rising to the forefront, it was the Galaxy’s shortcomings from 2012 that held the club back once more.
It was tough enough for the Philadelphia Union that they were playing without suspended midfielder Freddy Adu and injured starting goalkeeper Zac MacMath. Then things got even trickier when Gabriel Gómez and Carlos Valdés had to leave with second-half injuries Saturday night against FC Dallas.
But despite many key absences — and a couple of players making their team or league debuts — the undermanned Union managed to snap a three-game losing streak with a gutsy 1-1 tie against a Dallas squad that was also depleted.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — San Jose has made a knack of scoring late, and they did it again on Saturday night as second-half substitute Alan Gordon beat the seemingly unbeatable Andy Gruenebaum in the 90th minute to for a 1-1 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium.
In scoring his third goal of the season, Gordon brought the Earthquakes total goals to 23, six of which have come in the final 15 minutes of a match. Gruenebaum had a career night, stopping a personal best seven, but could not get behind the Long Beach, Calif., native’s shot.
MONTREAL – The end result may still have been the same, but the Montreal Impact's 2-1 loss to the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night was nothing like the 5-2 drubbing suffered in New York on March 31.
Montreal looked the superior side at Olympic Stadium, but struggled to find a breakthrough against an organized and resilient Red Bulls team that went down to 10 men after Victor Palsson's red card on 58 minutes. The Impact's lone goal came on a first-half penalty kick converted by Bernardo Corradi.
CARSON, Calif. – Jose Erik Correa scored the lone goal on a penalty kick as Chivas USA snapped a six-game losing streak against derby rivals the LA Galaxy. It was the Goats' first SuperClásico victory in five years and their first home win in 2012.
The Rojiblancos struck in the 71st minute of play when Correa scored his second goal in two matches from the penalty spot after LA defender David Junior Lopes saw red for using his hand to block Correa's shot on the line.
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. – It’s been an injury-riddled opening two months of the season for the Colorado Rapids, but they’ve found a way to hold serve due to contributions from unlikely sources.
Saturday night, two goals from two defenders – Tyrone Marshall in the 52nd minute and Kosuke Kimura in the 60th – helped the Rapids take a share of the points against Sporting Kansas City, despite dropping into a 2-0 deficit in under 14 minutes.
That's been the rallying cry frequently heard among members of Toronto FC during the club's early season struggles. The hope is that keeping opposing teams off the scoreboard will lead to the first points of the 2012 season.
