LAFC stumbles against Earthquakes
SANTA CLARA — Rodrigues gave San Jose the lead in the 5th minute and the Earthquakes never looked back in a 3-1 victory over LAFC at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday night.
LAFC (4-4-3) got on the scoreboard in the 69th minute on Cristian Olivera’s second goal of the campaign and his fourth in 21 appearances with the club in his two seasons in the league. Kei Kamara had an assist. Hugo Lloris saved one shot for LAFC.
LAFC has lost six straight on the road against the Earthquakes but leads the all-time series 9-7-1.
San Jose (2-8-1), which ended a five-match unbeaten run, jumped out to a 1-0 lead on defender Rodrigues’ second goal of the season. Cristian Espinoza notched his sixth assist on Rodrigues’ header from the center of the box to the bottom right corner of the net off a corner kick.
Espinoza tallied another assist as the Earthquakes stretched their lead to two goals in the 55th minute on a score by Amahl Pellegrino. Espinoza sent a through ball on the fast break to Pellegrino, who was making his sixth start and ninth appearance.
San Jose had a 3-0 advantage four minutes later after an own goal by LAFC’s Denis Bouanga. It was the second straight week Bouanga had an own goal. He did it against the Portland Timbers before scoring during second-half stoppage time for a 3-2 victory.
William Yarbrough turned away three shots in each half for San Jose. Yarbrough is in his first season with the Earthquakes after spending the past four seasons with the Colorado Rapids.
San Jose has a draw and a victory in its last two outings after suffering through its second four-match losing streak of the season.
The match was played at the home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers instead of PayPal Park — the usual home stamping grounds of the Earthquakes.
LAFC returns home to play the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday. San Jose travels to play the Colorado Rapids on Saturday.