The LA Galaxy marked some big things off their checklist in their 1-0 US Open Cup triumph Wednesday night at San Jose: their first road victory in any competition since last August, reaching the competition's quarterfinals for the first time in four years, and responding strongly to a poor showing in an MLS loss to the Earthquakes four nights earlier.
Despite fielding a reserve side that included no starters from Saturday's defeat, the Galaxy got a superb early goal from Jose Villarreal, then held off repeated second-half forays to post just their second shutout in their last eight outings.
All that was missing, it seemed, was a goal by Alan Gordon, who still hasn't scored against his former club while wearing an LA jersey.
He thought he got one, when he nodded on target an 82nd-minute chip from Rafael Garcia that looked like it might have crossed the line before Earthquakes goalkeeper Bryan Meredith parried it away.
Referee Allen Chapman ruled otherwise, and LA held on for 11 more minutes, including stoppage time, for their first victory over an MLS club in the Open Cup since 2006.
“Yep, it was in,” said Gordon, who scored some big goals for San Jose against the Galaxy before returning to his original MLS club last August. “Well, from my angle, I thought it was in. It was probably pretty close, but that would have been a big goal. They were pushing hard and they were getting close, and we were giving everything to keep them out, so that would have been a huge relief. We didn't get it, but we battled and we got a really good road win.”
It arrived thanks to Villarreal, who finished succinctly from a Kenney Walker ball over the top in the sixth minute and might have, with greater fortune, tallied a first-half hat trick.
But San Jose, as in Saturday's win, dominated the game after the break, outshooting LA, 10-2, and taking seven of their 10 corner kicks. LA goalkeeper Brian Rowe, who will be the Galaxy's No. 1 while Jaime Penedo is with Panama at the CONCACAF Gold Cup, made two timely saves to minimize the damage.
The Galaxy had not won a road game in 16 tries in all competitions since an Aug. 31, 2014, MLS rout of Chivas USA - played, of course, on LA's home field. The last time they had been victorious away from StubHub Center was Aug. 20, 2014, at Colorado.
Head coach Bruce Arena was not all that impressed -- “It's not a big deal,” he said, “we're going to win games on the road” -- but his players were.
“It was huge, in my book,” Gordon said. “It's the first road win we've had all year, and I know it's not in MLS play, but it's still a road win, it's still important, we're moving on to the quarterfinals. Anything we can do as reserves to help the team is a plus, and we did that tonight, and that's important for the whole squad.”
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Gordon, Villarreal and defender A.J. DeLaGarza were the only Wednesday starters who had also played on Saturday, when all came off the bench. Saturday starters Dan Gargan, Juninho and Sebastian Lletget came on in the second half to strengthen LA's resolve against San Jose's pressure.
Arena left Robbie Keane, Robbie Rogers and Baggio Husidic home as LA played their sixth of seven games in 23 days, and US national-teamers Gyasi Zardes and Omar Gonzalez also were gone for the Gold Cup.
Although Leonardo and DeLaGarza were the only first-choice starters in the Galaxy lineup, the early-season injury crisis afforded so much playing time that LA's lineup came into the match with a combined 65 starts, seven goals and eight assists this year.
“We've got to prove to Bruce that we can do it,” said Villarreal, just 21, whose goal was his third this year. “It was a young group, and we've just got to compete out there and show him we're young guys and we're going to fight until the end. That's what we did.”
