STANFORD — Beau Leroux didn’t wait lengthy so as to add his identify to the checklist of legendary California Clasico moments.
The Santa Teresa Excessive College alum and former San Jose State participant discovered the ball at his ft simply outdoors the 18-yard field and took a web page out of former LA Galaxy participant David Beckham’s e book. Leroux bent an ideal curling strike round Galaxy goalie Novak Micovic, placing the Earthquakes up 1-0 at Stanford Stadium.
However San Jose couldn’t fairly end the job. Quakes keeper Daniel dove to make key saves within the sixtieth and 68th minutes however couldn’t end an analogous play within the seventieth, as Marco Reus buried a rebound to convey the Galaxy degree at 1-1.
The Earthquakes couldn’t add one other aim, and Los Angeles (1-13-6) salvaged the tie. San Jose (7-7-6), which entered Saturday in fifth in Main League Soccer’s Western Convention, thus left two factors on the desk in entrance of 42,881 followers at Stanford.
LA’s late aim took the shine off Leroux’s particular strike, which got here on the identical stadium the place he had grown up watching the Quakes play in Clasicos passed by. However the stunner was nonetheless one San Jose’s rookie midfielder cherished within the rapid aftermath.
“It’s an unreal and surreal second for me enjoying in these video games,” Leroux mentioned. “Earlier than the sport, I used to be really wanting on the spot the place I might often sit previously. Simply on the midway line on the very high, like within the nosebleeds, sort of. Nevertheless it’s superior to be on the sphere.”
Leroux famous that he likes to hit pictures from the highest of the field, calling them his “robust go well with,” and his roller discovered the again of the online in classic Beckham vogue. A lot as Beckham did on a free kick towards the Earthquakes in 2012, Leroux discovered himself with a little bit of area and curved the ball up and round Micovic on the suitable aspect of the aim, giving San Jose a jolt.
San Jose dominated a lot of the early run of play, however just a few stable possibilities went simply awry. A large left-side strike from winger Chicho Arango hit the aspect of the online, and a number of lengthy pictures went excessive.
They’d have cleared the soccer goalposts at Stanford Stadium. However that wasn’t the game being performed on the farm Saturday evening.
“I give the Galaxy plenty of credit score,” Quakes coach Bruce Enviornment mentioned. “They performed very effectively within the second half. We didn’t play effectively. And I assume you may attribute rather a lot to the Galaxy. They did a terrific job. I feel Daniel made some actually large saves, as did their keeper on the finish of the sport.”
The primary speaking level after the sport remained Leroux’s aim, although, which highlighted a stellar early begin to the season for the 21-year-old. Leroux has scored 4 targets and added 4 assists in 20 video games, and his play is standing out on a workforce that options some very completed veterans.
“That’s a reasonably good aim complete for a man enjoying in his place,” Enviornment mentioned. “So he’s completed very effectively. It’s nice to see. He continues to enhance. He’s been a pleasing shock this yr.”
The Earthquakes almost escaped with three factors as Arango was as soon as once more an element down the stretch. Receiving a cross from Leroux, Arango almost completed a header within the field within the fourth and remaining minute of stoppage time, however it went large left.
Late within the recreation, San Jose performed like a workforce contesting its second match in 4 days. The Earthquakes had simply earned an emotionally draining comeback win over Dallas on Wednesday, and which may have defined the second-half fade the place they have been a lot much less threatening within the remaining third.
“This week has been very robust for the MLS groups,” Enviornment mentioned. “The scheduling with this two-day layoff was loopy. On Wednesday, we performed in troublesome, troublesome situations, they usually needed to flip round and play Saturday. In order that was very difficult. For us to get 4 factors out of it’s optimistic. We bought by way of the week. We didn’t play our greatest tonight, however getting some extent goes to be necessary.”
Leroux wasn’t making any excuses.
“Mentally, we simply gotta be stronger to shut out video games and to safe three factors,” he mentioned. “We possibly misplaced focus for just a little bit, however we have been nonetheless lucky to get some extent.”
San Jose isn’t in a foul place within the MLS standings. The Earthquakes are nonetheless in a playoff spot, now sixth within the West after Seattle beat Austin on Saturday.
The Quakes had blended feelings after the draw. They might have completed extra.
However one factor’s for certain – San Jose has a local star on its arms in Leroux. The primary-year participant, who signed the day earlier than the Earthquakes’ first recreation, is one among three Quakes to seem in each match and has began 17 of 20 league matches this season.
“I already had it in my thoughts I used to be going to the touch it and hit it,” Leroux mentioned of his aim. “After I hit it, I assumed it was really hitting the crossbar and going out or one thing like that, as a result of that occurs rather a lot for me. After which I noticed it hit the again of the online, and it was a surreal second.
“Once they scored, clearly it sort of sucked out the vitality from our workforce. I feel in direction of the very finish, we responded effectively, and we wished to get that final aim. However we couldn’t.”
