L.A. Galaxy 5 – 2 San Jose Earthquakes
Steven Gerrard and Robbie Keane prove that MLS is bound for greatness. The duo’s inspiring display of soccer last night (Friday) is yet another proof of the world’s greatest football players coming to Major League Soccer to build their career, not retire.
Saturday, July 18, 2015
We at MLSGoals, alongside everyone else in American and elsewhere were anticipating the Major League Soccer debut of Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard. Early in the match visitors San Jose Earthquakes seemed to be determined to rain on Gerrard’s MLS welcome parade, but at the end the world and MLSGoals got what they were waiting for.
The Major League Soccer debut of Team England and Liverpool Captain, Merseyside end English Premier League legend Steven Gerrard at LA Galaxy’s StubHub Center turned out to be a dream night for American, and even world soccer. However, it was not only due to Gerrard.
Obviously this match grabbed the attention of many others, beside us at MLSGoals…with former LA Galaxy stars David Beckham and Landon Donovan also in attendance. To make things even more interesting, Donovan indeed played for LA Galaxy between 2005 and 2015; but back in the early days of his career, Donovan also played for San Jose (2001-2004).
Hosts LA Galaxy, after this match are ranked at the top of the Major League Soccer Western Conference with 34 points (9-6-7) have met California arch rival from the North San Jose Earthquakes, ranked 7th in the MLS Western Conference (7-8-4).
The game actually started with San Jose being the impressive side, creating chances and trouble for LA’s defense. The first 2 goals came from San Jose’s Quincy Amarikwa, The California native played with San Jose for a brief stint in the past (2009-2010), and was acquired last month again by the Earthquakes from Chicago Fire. This was his second start since arriving, and what a start he game us.
Amarikwa scored 2 goals within 3 minutes, first with Sanna Nyassi making a run from the right, and sending a fantastic, curved cross-ball right to the front of the box for Amerikwa to shoot in (21’), and the second coming off a free kick, with Clarence Goodson bouncing the ball behind the wall to Amerikwa’s direction, who again finds the back of the net with a fantastic finish (25’).
LA Galaxy 0 – 2 San Jose Earthquakes
All seemed to be going San Jose’s way on the first half hour of the night, but things would take a turn. When new MLS arrival Gerrard starting taking matters into his own hands…
San Jose’s Tommy Thompson did not resist the temptation of keeping his arms down when going up for a ball against Steven Gerrard. Thompson hit Gerrard in the face on the way down. As it was in Earthquakes’ penalty box, a penalty kick was given, to be taken by Galaxy’s Robbie Keane, who scored LA’s 1st goal of the match (30’).
LA Galaxy 1 – 2 San Jose Earthquakes
However, it was just an opener, in so many ways for Steven Gerrard, as he was determined to get his own MLS Goals this very special night. Gerrard was involved in an attack running the ball from the left, and passing it across to Robbie Keane on the right. Gerrard was so fast that Keane even had to backtrack a bit to get the ball. Keane then sent it back into the centre of the box, and bouncing off San Jose’s defense, the ball came towards Gerrard who never took his eyes off it. To score from the bottom-right corner (37’).
And after 120 goals for Liverpool, and 21 goals for Team England, Steven Gerrard scores his first Major League Soccer Goal!!
LA Galaxy 2 – 2 San Jose Earthquakes
Gerard then went on to assist Robbie Keane scoring his 2nd goal of the night, sending a free kick from the far left into the center-left of the box, with Keane finding the back of the net again (64’).
LA Galaxy 3 – 2 San Jose Earthquakes
But the night was still young for LA Galaxy, and for Keane especially, who went ahead to complete a hat trick. With San Jose’s keeper David Bingham tripping Galaxy’s Baggio Husidic in the box. Keane capitalised on a penalty for the 2nd time tonight (80’).
LA Galaxy 4 – 2 San Jose Earthquakes
And to finish off Gerrard’s MLS welcome party in style, Robbie Rogers assisted Sebastian Lietget who closed the match with his own goal for Galaxy in the last minutes of the game (90’+2’).
Yet another inspiring night of MLS Goals, not to forget San Jose’s Quincy Amarikwa; but mostly thanks to LA’s Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard. Both were teammates before, in Liverpool FC (2008-2009), and have the combined age of over 70 years old.
However, Keane and Gerrard are both living proof for world-class soccer players coming to Major League Soccer to give their hearts and soul, on and off the pitch.
