By Matthew T.F. Harrington

SAN JOSE, Calif. –  If the San Jose Earthquakes expected to continue their three-game win streak, let alone the run of 270-plus minutes without yielding a goal, to continue Friday night at Avaya Stadium they’d need their A-game. Facing in-state rivals the Los Angeles Galaxy in the third and deciding leg of the California Clasico between the first two California-based MLS Sides, the Quakes needed to find a way to slow one of the MLS’ most potent offenses and red-hot sides down.

“That’s life in MLS,” said Quakes coach Dominic Kinnear. “It’s a league of streaks.”

San Jose did just that, extending its own streak to four-straight triumphs, topping the Western Conference leaders 1-0 to move ahead of Settle into the fifth spot in the table.

“I’m really happy with this group,” said Kinnear. “The last three weeks we’ve been good. We’ve followed those performances up with a good level of consistency. That’s the reason why we’re winning games.”

Shea Salinas scored and David Bingham made 4 saves to pick up a quartet of clean sheets in as many games. The Quakes earned the crown as Clasico victors, beating LA 3-1 at Stanford Stadium June 27^th before being thrashed in Carson 5-2 on July 17^th.

The Galaxy entered Friday’s match having scored a league-leading 49 goals over 27 games backed by imports like Steven Gerrard and MLS mainstay Robbie Keane. Despite coming into play with the 2^nd most saves in the MLS (86) and ranking third in shutouts (9), Bingham and San Jose had their hands full keeping an LA squad off the board and out of the win column for a fifth-straight match.

“If anybody has been awake,” said Kinnear. “If anyone has been alive in the last five years in soccer, you know those players already. You want to show them you belong, that you’re a good player. If you step on the field and you’re just looking at the names, you’re going to be in for a long night. They’re not good players, they’re great players.”

The road-weary Quakes now find themselves with the upper hand in the closing weeks of the MLS season. They finish up the season with 6 of 8 matches at home as they look to lock up a playoff spot for the first time since 2012 when San Jose won the Supporters Shield with a league-best 19 wins.

A dogged effort by midfielder Shea Salinas put the Quakes on top 1-0 in the 19^th minute. Forward Quincy Amarikwa headed a shot onto Galaxy keep Donovan Ricketts, but the MLS vet got his gloves on the bid. Amarikwa’s header proved too strong for a clean grab, instead popping the ball into the air. Salinas capitalized, hitting the goal box on a dead sprint, to head the loose ball into the top right corner of the net for a 1-0 lead.

“Marvell made a great cross and Quincy fought it,” said Salinas of his goal. “Ricketts made a great save. God just put me in the right place and I was able to put it in the back of the net.”

“He just looks confident,” said Kinnear of Salinas and his two-game goal streak. “I think he feels that, no matter who the defender is playing against him, he feels he can beat them.”

“The Quakes started the second half holding most of the momentum, but found themselves further in control after the officials sent Leonardo off with a red card. The Galaxy defender hauled Amarikwa down from behind in the 47^th minute to put his team down a man for almost half the contest. LA handcuffed itself in the 74^th minute Dave Romney was given a yellow card as well. While the Quakes didn’t score with the man-advantage, they ran the Galaxy ragged with the edge.

After building the streak by breaking Eastern Conference Leaders D.C. United and Sporting Kansas City, third best in the West, the Quakes can make it 5 against the scuffling Philadelphia Union next Saturday. The Union currently sits one win ahead of Chicago as the leg of the Eastern Conference table.

“Teams can come here and beat anyone on any given day,” said Bingham. “We have to continue to play well.”