LAFC seems to score even against simple Earthquakes

On paper, Los Angeles FC seems like a good choice to continue their recent success.

LAFC (10-4-4, 34 points) entered their home game against the struggling San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night and are 6-0-1 in their last seven games, outscoring their opponents by a whopping 13-2 margin. That includes a 1-1 draw Wednesday night in Austin, where Kei Kamara scored on a header in the 90th minute to salvage a point.

“Abroad, we are always happy with a point when you give up a goal,” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said. “… We’ll take it and we’ll take this momentum home and try to win a game on Saturday.”

Meanwhile, San Jose (3-13-2, 11 points) is 0-5-1 in its last six games, including a 2-1 loss Wednesday night at home to Portland. The Earthquakes are ranked last in the West having scored 45 goals in the league.

San Jose could have escaped with a draw, but Cristian Espinoza’s potential equalizer sailed just over the crossbar in stoppage time.

“The game is cruel,” Earthquakes coach Luchi Gonzalez said. “Too many times we’ve had a lead or had good momentum, so it could have been or should have been or deserved to win while we were creating. I like the excitement our guys are playing with.”

While the trends all point to a one-sided LAFC win, one of San Jose’s rare victories this year was a 3-1 verdict when the teams met on May 4 in Santa Clara. The Earthquakes actually had a 3-0 lead before Cristian Olivera scored in the 69th minute.

To achieve a similar result on the road, the Earthquakes need to get stronger defensively and earn more time in possession. Their possession percentage of 44.5 is 28th out of 29 teams in the league and has been a reason why they have picked the ball out of the net so often.

Both teams are short due to the Copa America. San Jose will be without midfielder Carlos Gruezo, who plays for Ecuador, while Olivera will represent Uruguay.

LAFC has a 9-7-2 lead in the all-time series.

–Field-level media