Match Thoughts: San Jose Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy

This was just one of those bizarre matches. Things you don't see very often, but you saw them in this one. First off, both teams were missing big guns. For San Jose, Chris Wondolowski was still away with the US National Team. LA was missing Landon Donovan with the National Team as well David Beckham with back spasms. Earlier in the week, the Galaxy had been fined 5,000 dollars by MLS for purposefully omitting Beckham from their injury report prior to their win over Colorado.

Despite missing Wondo, the Quakes came out strong and aggressive in the attack. They had a flurry of chances in the opening minutes, and if not for some stellar goal keeping by Ricketts, could have been up by two or three goals after just five minutes. Those missed chances would come back to haunt the Quakes.

After the opening volleys by the Quakes, LA started to settle in some. They tested the San Jose goal a time or two, but never as seriously as San Jose attacked in the opening minutes. San Jose didn't go away though. A little later in the match, Kari Stephenson tried to get on the end of a ball in from Ryan Johnson and had a wicked collision with Donovan Ricketts, who was trying to punch the ball clear. The LA keeper, just back from Gold Cup, left the match with what is being described as a "forearm injury." Josh Saunders entered the game.

Saunders and Lenhart immediately started having trouble with each other. Lenhart is a great player, but he was a real douche in this match. In the 43rd minute, Lenhart headed the ball out of Saunders' hands in the box. As Saunders brought it back up, he elbowed Lenhart. Of course, Lenhart made a real meal of it, and went down like he'd been shot in the face. Saunders was given a red card, Lenhart a yellow. LA looked to be in trouble as they slipped Mike Magee into goal. La fought the Quakes to a 0-0 score at the half.

You'd think the Quakes would have no trouble getting three points against a Forward as emergency keeper, but you'd be wrong. For much of the second half, LA looked like the more likely team to score. Finally, in the 80th minute, the Quakes started to unload some on Magee, but he notched the clean sheet and earned the Galaxy a precious point on the road.

Magee for keeper in the MLS Best XI this week? Why the heck not?