The San Jose Earthquakes had entered the 2018 California Clasico with a defensive mindset, hoping to stymie the LA Galaxy’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a compact back-line and undo their Southern California rivals on the breakaway. So much for that plan. Ibrahimovic wasted no time imposing himself on the rivalry with a goal inside sixty seconds, and the two teams traded blows in an wild, attacking 3-3 draw.
Zlatan immediately gravitated towards San Jose’s left-side, perhaps sensing weakness in USL call-up Kevin Partida. It was an obvious mismatch, and Zlatan needed only a yard to smash a wicked volley into the back of the net after Partida lost an aerial battle.
Yet San Jose, having trailed at some point in all six Cali Clasico matches, weren’t fazed, and enjoyed dangerous possession in LA’s half. With thirteen minutes on the clock, Magnus Eriksson, Major League Soccer’s most-fouled player by a wide margin, darted into the LA penalty area and drew a penalty. Facing former teammate David Bingham, Chris Wondolowski was psyched out from the spot but converted the rebound to draw the Quakes level.
Although Wondolowski is usually a most gracious player, the forward had choice words for Bingham after the play, infusing the match with early tension.
San Jose didn’t stay level for long, though, as Roman Alessandrini whipped a gorgeous free-kick into the top corner and Ibrahimovic blasted a low free-kick past Tarbell to put LA up 3-1 within twenty-three minutes.
But the Quakes came right back up the other end and pulled one back though Vako, who jinxed through the middle and dragged a low shot past Bingham. Florian Jungwirth nearly brought the Quakes level just before the half, rounding Bingham on a breakaway, but was denied off the line.
San Jose sought to restore normalcy in the second half, introducing Yeferson Quintana for Francois Affolter to match Zlatan’s physicality. It worked. The match settled down and San Jose were able to patiently build through the middle, which nearly yielded a goal when Eriksson’s low shot was blocked by Bingham’s fingertip save on the hour mark.
The Quakes were patient, though, and finally came level in the seventieth minute when Hoesen won another penalty. Wondolowski snatched the ball from Bingham’s hands and emphatically blasted it into the bottom corner.
The match was lending itself nicely toward another late winner. LA threatened to take the spoils as Bradford Jamieson forced Tarbell into a fingertip save and directed Ibrahimovic’s cross narrowly wide, but the Clasico went down to the wire, per usual.
Stahre introduced Shea Salinas, last year’s hero, and the full-back nearly repeated the feat with eighty-nine minutes on the clock, laying it off for Wondolowski to strike the post. The Quakes piled on the pressure in stoppage time, but, this time, could not do the impossible.
