The San Jose Earthquakes’ Carlos Fierro (7) and Chris Wondolowski (8) share congratulations during their game against the Seattle Sounders FC on Wed May 12, 2021 at Pay Pal Park in San Jose. The Quakes lost to LAFC on Sat Oct 16, 2021 at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles (Bay Area News Group file photo)

by Marko Ukalovic

LOS ANGELES—Cristian Arango has been carrying LAFC on his shoulders since Carlos Vela went down to injury as they fight for their playoff lives.

Arango had a brace and an assist in his team’s 3-1 over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday afternoon at Banc of California Stadium.

LAFC are unbeaten in its last two matches (1-0-1) and sit in eight place in the Western Conference with 37 points, one point behind Minnesota FC, who have 38 points and currently the final playoff berth. San Jose have lost three games in a row and and their fading playoff hopes suffered another blow with five games remaining in the season. They are in 10 tenth place with 33 points.

Vela has missed the Black & Gold’s last eight games with a hamstring injury. He missed three games at the beginning of the season with a different injury as well.

LAFC (10-12-7) drew first blood early in the match. In the third minute, a turnover by San Jose led to Arango sending a back pass into the middle of the box where Danny Musovski crashed in and buried a shot through two Quakes defenders and Quakes goalie JT Marcinkowski for his fourth goal of the season.

San Jose (8-12-9) had a chance in the 24th minute to even the score. Jeremy Ebobisse, who made his first appearance since suffering a head injury on September 4th, received the ball inside the box but his chip attempt into an empty net was swept away by Kim Moon-Hwan before the ball was able to cross the goal line.

Arango set up his first goal when he was able to get Jackson Yueill to concede a penalty inside the box in the 26th minute. Yueill made contact with Arango but the Colombian striker sold the penalty when he immediately went down in a heap on the pitch. Referee Alan Kelly ruled Yueill did enough to earn the penalty.

Two minutes later, Arango, better known as “Chicho” came up slowly, hesitated and then shot the ball to the left side, as Marcinkowki guessed to the right, to convert the penalty kick for his team leading seventh goal of the season.

San Jose had two scoring chances during stoppage time at the end of the first half but Ebobisse’s shot went high over the net and Benji Kinkanovic had his shot attempt blocked by an LAFC defender.

“I believe in the first half we were pretty inaccurate when we had the ball,” said Quakes head coach Matias Almeyda. “They put their chances away and we did not.”

Almeyda made all of his substitutions early in the second half as he looked to maintain the momentum his team seized late in the first half. He inserted Cade Cowell, Chris Wondolowski and Andy Rio in the 55th minute to keep the offensive pressure inside LAFC’s defensive zone.

In the 61st minute the moves paid off as San Jose cut the lead in half off a set piece. Chofis serviced a corner kick near the right post where Rios headed the ball past LAFC goalie Jamal Blackman over to Carlo Fierro, who came in as a sub to start the second half, and he knocked the ball off his chest into the back of the net for his first goal of the season.

San Jose had three quality scoring chances in the final 15 minutes to even the match, but Blackman came away with highway robber each time. Cowell first chance in the 75th minute was a blazing shot from just outside the box that Blackman needed both hands to knock the ball away. Jack Skahan’s attempt in the 83rd minute was stoned away by Blackman.

Cowell’s second chance in the 83rd minute from outside the box was thwarted by a diving save thanks to the quick reflexes of Blackman that ended with frustration for San Jose.

“The first 20-30 minutes was tough I think,” said midfielder Shea Salinas. “But our team settled in and ended up playing well the second half. It just wasn’t enough.”

LAFC put the game away in the 88th minute when Brian Rodriguez won a challenge along the midfield sideline along with Yueill. Rodriguez created a two-on-one odd man rush and serviced a ball from left to right over to Arango who one-timed the ball into the far left corner for his second goal of the match and eighth of the season.

Blackman finished the match with five saves to earn the victory. Marcinkowski made two saves on four shots in the losing effort.

GAME NOTES: Each team finished the match with three corner kicks.

Los Angeles FC won their first five meetings with the Earthquakes in MLS, outscoring them, 20-4. San Jose had won all four meetings since, the first team to beat LAFC four straight times in MLS play, regular season or playoffs.

After not allowing more than one goal in 11 straight matches (9 total goals conceded) from mid-July to mid-September, San Jose has conceded at least three goals in five of its last six games (16 total goals conceded). The only team the Earthquakes held under three goals in that time was LAFC (2-0 win on September 25).

Los Angeles FC has held opponents to just 9.9 shots per match, second fewest in MLS (NYCFC – 9.3), though opponents have scored with a league-high 14.9 percent of those shots. San Jose had a total of 15 shots in the match.

Eric Remedi has received 12 yellow cards this season, tied with Leandro González Pirez for most in MLS. Remedi has also been fouled 97 times, 14 more than any other player in the league in 2021.

UP NEXT: San Jose hosts Austin FC on Wednesday 10/20 at 7:30pm at Pay Pal Park.