MLS Snapshot: Zardes, LA defense lead Galaxy to 1-0 win over San Jose (VIDEO)

One game, 100 words (or less):  In front of 50,006 at Stanford Stadium, San Jose’s attempts to leverage Steven Lenhart fail to pay off, with a series of chances in the air against an Omar Gonzalez-less defense allowing the Galaxy’s single goal to stand up. Finishing into the top of Jon Busch’s net in the 62nd minute, Gyasi Zardes delivered full points for the Earthquakes’ visiting rivals, giving LA a 1-0, California Cup victory in Palo Alto.

Three moments that mattered:

1. 32′ – “Ball-to-hand” –  Though San Jose had come close through Lenhart multiple times, LA exerted its typical control on the game, an advantage that nearly paid off just past the half-hour mark. On a shot from Zardes from the left of the area, a deflected ball find Brandon Barklage’s right hand just outside the six-yard box, though Baldomero Toledo refrains from blowing the whistle. While replays showed Barklage’s arm away from his body, Toledo sees with ball-to-hand as the game goes on.

Gyasi Zardes, pictured here in a game against the Philadelphia Union, scored in the second half in Palo Alto, Calif., on Saturday, helping the LA Galaxy to a 1-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes (Photo: Getty Images)

2. 62′ – Gyasi takes no chances – It took half an hour, but Zardes got his revenge, converting on a beautiful play by the Galaxy to give the visitors the lead. With Robbie Keane having floated high to the left flank, Marcelo Sarvas burst out of midfield to serve as the target for his cross, eventually chesting the ball down for an oncoming Zardes. Finishing into the top of Busch’s net, the second-year attacker gave San Jose’s keeper no chance to keep the game level. Just past the hour, it was 1-0, LA.

3. 88′ – Tonight, it was good Jaime – Though Lenhart had been active of the game’s first half-hour, Los Angeles had managed to keep him quiet for the rest of the night. Perhaps that was possession limiting San Jose’s set piece chances. Maybe it was the defense adjusting. Regardless, Lenhart didn’t bother Jaime Penedo against until just before the end of regulation time, when the San Jose attacker ran onto a set piece served into the middle of the penalty area. With one of his rare tries on target, Lenhart forced a sprawling save from the LA keeper, who pushed the shot over the bar to preserve the Galaxy win.

Three lessons going forward:

1. All of a sudden, LA has depth in defense? – Not only was Gonzalez gone, but Leonardo and A.J. DeLaGarza were held out. That meant Tommy Meyer and Kofi Opare started in the middle while Robbie Rogers played left back. Maybe we have to wait and see before assuming those will prove good options (we already know a lot about Meyer and Opare in the middle), but for one nice in the Bay Area, the back line was definitely good enough. A supposedly thin LA defense kept a clean sheet, albeit against a team that was missing Chris Wondolowski and Shea Salinas.

2. Tick-tock on San Jose’s playoff hopes – We’re not in must-win territory by any means, but in a highly competitive Western Conference, time may be running out for teams like San Jose and Portland to go on a run. With Seattle and Real Salt Lake like to stay at the top of the conference, LA’s underlying numbers hinting they’ll catch up, and Vancouver’s quality having coalesced under Carl Robinson, the Earthquakes and Timbers may be left waiting to see if the Rapids are for real. With both teams suffering home losses this weekend, the time is slowly ticking away.

3. Stanford games hint at San Jose’s potential – It was only appropriate that, on the night that San Jose’s notorious 1906 Ultras spoke out against the club, the Earthquakes were given another reminder of the potential of their market. The huge crowd in Palo Alto spoke to the ability to grow beyond the restricting confines of Buck Shaw Stadium, which San Jose will leave at the end of the year.

While it’s always difficult (and often, ill-advised) to speak out against loyal fans, San Jose has done great job of separating the organization’s future from the problems of the Ultras’ recent past. As Saturday showed, there are other people willing to fill the new stadium when it opens in 2015.

Where that leaves them:

• San Jose, with 16 points in 14 games, stay eighth in the Western Conference, two points above Chivas USA.
• LA pulls itself within two points of fifth place Vancouver while maintaining two games in hand on the Whitecaps.

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