Not a classic Quakes performance in Clasico loss to Galaxy

Rival Galaxy scores on own goal, penalty kick at less-than-full Avaya

SAN JOSE — Earthquakes management wanted more goals this season.

But not the way they flowed like a gushing waterfall Saturday night in a wild but erratic California Clasico at less-than-full Avaya Stadium.

The Quakes (5-5-4) gave up a penalty kick, an own goal and two other scores on defensive breakdowns in a 4-2 defeat to rival Los Angeles Galaxy that saw their home unbeaten streak come to a crashing halt.

With only 16 available players, San Jose was no match for the Galaxy (5-5-2) and Mexican star Giovani dos Santos’ two goals.

Dos Santos and French midfielder Romain Alessandrini seemed to cause a rare defensive lapse as an eight-game Avaya unbeaten streak ended just when the Quakes had a chance to move into second place in the Western Conference.

“Our defending was passive and they took advantage of it,” coach Dominic Kinnear said. “We were disjointed.”

Whatever the reason, San Jose couldn’t rebound from an own goal by Victor Bernardez just before the end of the first half that gave L.A. the lead for good.

The Earthquakes showed few signs of another late rally although the Galaxy lost central defender Daniel Steres just before halftime because of a non-contact muscle injury.

“You never want to give up four goals at home,” said Tommy Thompson, who earned his second assist of the season on Danny Hoesen’s debut MLS score in the 37th minute.

Any goodwill from the Dutch striker’s first score was lost because of dos Santos’ penalty kick in the 35th minute and the 44th-minute own goal.

The bad juju began when San Jose’s Kofi Sarkodie tripped Bradley Diallo while the L.A. player charged toward the goal. Referee Ricardo Salazar called for a penalty kick that dos Santos converted to score in four consecutive games.

Still, the Earthquakes felt as if they had a chance when tying the score four minutes later as Hoesen side-kicked his breakthrough goal off Thompson’s pinpoint service.

“It took me a while but hopefully now I can keep going.” he said.

The good times didn’t last against the charging Galaxy, which added a game-killing goal in the 64th minute on a counterattack that began with an Ashley Cole steal. He launched Alessandrini down the left flank before the star midfielder found a late-trailing dos Santos open across the field for an easy header.

Los Angeles also relied on an incredible reaction save by goalkeeper Brian Rowe late in the game. But really, the Galaxy defense made it difficult for San Jose to find an opening after grabbing the lead.

“In the second half L.A. was one class better than us,” defender Florian Jungwirth said.

The final score wasn’t the Quakes’ only frustration. Although the attendance was announced as a sellout in the 18,000-seat stadium, the team failed to attract a full house for the third consecutive home game.

If fans aren’t interested in seeing an entertaining match against the Quakes’ biggest rival then it begs the question of what is missing.

It didn’t help on the field that Kinnear had had a depleted roster. Shea Salinas (knee) and Shaun Francis (knee) were ruled out earlier in the week but Anibal Godoy (hip) and Fatai Alashe (knee) also couldn’t play.