The intensity was at a fever pitch as the Los Angeles Galaxy took the field at Avaya Stadium to renew their rivalry with the San Jose Earthquakes in the third chapter of the California Clasico.
One goal was all the Quakes needed to dispatch of their rivals as Shea Salinas' headed in a rebound in the 19th minute and San Jose defeated the LA Galaxy 1-0 on Friday night.
The victory was overshadowed by a controversial red card booking two minutes into the second half as Galaxy defender Leonardo was ejected from the game for taking down Quincy Amarikwa outside the box.
"I think the entire officiating crew didn't do a good job," LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena said. "I don't even know if it's a foul and he's not the last player – Omar's there – and it's a bad piece of officiating."
The man advantage was all the help the Quakes needed to hang on to the victory in the second half, posting their fourth straight shutout win as the Quakes continue to climb the Western Conference table.
The loss snapped the Galaxy's four-game winning streak, and their first two-game road winning streak in over two years. LA's loss means their stranglehold on the Supporters' Shield standings take a significant blow.
"We deserved to lose the game the way we played," Arena continued. "We played a crappy first half. We played better with 10 players than we did with 11."
The quakes got on the board when Marvell Wynne sent a cross into the center of the box where Amarikwa outjumped Gyasi Zardes, heading the ball on target. Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts made a leaping save, but he tipped the ball right to Salinas who had escaped the clutches of Omar Gonzalez and was easily able to head it into the open net.
"I think we were a little bit sloppy because we didn't deal with the first ball and the follow up he was free also," Ricketts said. "I think we fell asleep on that play."
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Despite stellar defense by the Quakes on reigning MVP and current Galaxy captain, Robbie Keane, the game took a major turn when Leonardo was booked by the head official after bringing Amarikwa down.
"First and foremost congratulations to San Jose," Keane said. The goal that they got was a good goal. No problem with them. I do have a problem when you've got a referee who thinks it's all about him instead of actually all about the players."
Replay showed that there was hardly any contact on the play, and that Omar Gonzalez's presence near Amarikwa's left should have negated that the takedown would have led to an obvious goal scoring opportunity. Nonetheless, the Brazilian born defender was shown red and booted from the game by referee Jose Carlos Rivero.
Super-sub Alan Gordon entered into the game for the final 15 minutes in hopes of finding the equalizer for the Galaxy. Gordon is no stranger to the LA vs. SJ rivalry as the famed forward has played for both the Quakes and the Galaxy during his career.
