Steven Gerrard celebrates his first MLS goal in the Galaxy win over San Jose (Photo by Duane Barker)
By Tim Peterson
(Carson) – Robbie Keane picked up another hat trick and Steven Gerrard scored a goal in his first MLS game as the Galaxy blitzed San Jose 5-2 Friday night before a sold out crowd of 27,000 at StubHub Center.
The Earthquakes went up 2-0 in a matter of just three minutes in the first half with Quincy Amarikwa scoring both. First Amarikwa took a cross pass and easily knocked it by Galaxy goalkeeper Brian Rowe in the 22nd minute. In the 25th minute Amarikwa put one by Rowe right in front of the box. Unfortunately for the small conglomerate of San Jose fans on hand that was the Earthquakes last highlight of the night as the Galaxy ran off five straight goals.
Keane cut the lead in half in the 31st minute on a penalty kick that was set up when Gerrard was hit by an elbow by San Jose’s Tommy Thompson that earned him a yellow card. Keane then stutter stepped and fired the kick home. Gerrard got LA even with his first goal in a Galaxy uniform as he hammered a shot by San Jose goalkeeper David Bingham on the left side. Baggio Husidic sent a pass to the center of the field for Sebastian Lletget but it caromed off San Jose’s Clarence Goodson and right to Gerrard who rifled it into the net.
Robbie Keane drills home his second penalty kick to complete the hat trick. (Photo by Duane Barker)
The teams went into the break tied at two. Lletget almost broke the tie in the 51st minute when he took a well placed cross from Keane and booted it high just off the cross bar. The Galaxy continued to swarm and it was only a matter of time until they broke through. It was Keane again who broke the tie as he controlled a free kick by Gerrard in the 64th minute and found the back of the net.
“We definitely have chemistry but when you have great players it’s easy to connect,” Gerrard said. “We’re going to have a very formidable line going forward. We’ll only get stronger.”
Keane finished the hat trick on a penalty kick in the 80th minute. For the reigning MVP, it’s his third hat trick of the year and second straight in MLS play.
Lletget used his head in the 90th minute off of an assist from Dan Gargan to get on the board for the LA’s fifth and final goal of the night.
“Our first 20 minutes were not good but our guys responded well,” said Galaxy HC Bruce Arena. “Robbie and Stevie played well together. That second goal was really important to get us going.”
The Galaxy improved to 9-6-7 with the win while San Jose dropped to 7-8-4. Next up for Arena’s troops is a date with Barcelona in International Champions Cup action Tuesday night at the Rose Bowl.
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