Hector Jimenez the hero and villain in his first start for LA

Alan Gordon celebrates his last minute winner. ( Photo credit: Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)

In their full-team debuts, most MLS youngsters hope to have as much influence on the match’s scoreline as possible. Hector Jimenez probably would have liked to had a little less influence in his team’s stunning 3-2 loss to the San Jose Earthquakes in midweek.


It started out so well for the LA Galaxy midfielder, making his first start for the team that drafted him in the second round in 2010. Just three minutes in, the winger, filling the void on the Galaxy’s right side of midfield left by captain Landon Donovan while away on national team duty, cut inside the SJ box and was found by an incisive square pass from forward Chad Barrett. Taking the shot first time with the instep of his right foot, Jimenez put the Galaxy up 1-0 and netted his first career MLS goal less than five minutes into his first start. 


From there, much of the first half played out well for Jimenez and his Galaxy teammates, as the midfielder provided a bit of confidence and an injection of pace, while the rest of the team remained dangerous on the counterattack. Galaxy midfielder Juninho almost made it 2-0 when his lightning bolt from 35 yards out nearly caught goalkeeper Jon Busch off his line. 


The first half would end with LA’s narrow advantage, but with SJ never really troubling the LA goal, the 2011 champs looked to be fully in control. And the second half would start very much the same, until the match’s 59th minute.


Once again, Jimenez was at the center of attention. 


Collecting a short clearance off a David Beckham corner, Jimenez’s touch let him down as he tried to beat his marker. With SJ’s Steve Beitashour rushing onto the loose ball, Jimenez made a rash two-footed lunge, getting the ball but clearing out Beitashour in the process. Match referee Jair Marrufo went immediately to his pocket and produced a red card for the two-footed, studs-up challenge. LA were down to 10 men for the match’s remaining half an hour.


“I put my team into a tough position there at the end with red card,” said a repentant Jimenez outside the locker room after the game.


But down a man, LA showed a bit of resilience and resolve, and even managed to extend their lead in the match’s 73rd minute. Off a counterattack, Beckham found midfielder Mike Magee in space about 35 yards from the SJ goal. Still with a lot to do, Magee rounded his defender and then rounded Busch, finishing his shot into the roof of the net left-footed and from a tight angle. 


Up 2-0 and playing with the confidence and energy that seemed to elude them much of the season, LA looked a sure bet to secure the match’s three points even with 10 men. Then the other shoe dropped.


With the Galaxy supporters barely back in their seats after the Magee goal, the Quakes struck through a Steve Lenhart diving header off a corner to cut LA’s lead in half. And just five minutes later, a contentious handling of the ball by  Beckham in the Galaxy penalty area saw Marrufo award SJ a penalty, which substitute Shari Stephenson coolly finished under goalkeeper Brian Perk in the 82nd minute.


Having seemingly dropped two of the match’s three points, and all but certain to walk away with a disappointing draw after being up 2-0, former Galaxy striker Alan Gordon sent matters from bad to worse for LA when his looping header found the back of the net in the match’s 94th minute. Pouncing on a lofted ball into the Galaxy area, Gordon caught the Galaxy defense napping to score his third goal against the Galaxy with his third different team since being traded by LA in 2010.


After the match, Galaxy Head Coach Bruce Arena had this to say of his team’s disappointing loss.


“We’re up 2-0 with I don’t know how many minutes left to play. Really poor tactical approach on our behalf, you shouldn’t get beat on a restart for a goal. It brings them back in the game… and then defending, playing out the game with 10 players, we can’t lose the ball in our defensive half, we have to play the ball up the field. We have to pool in collectively as a group and defend with our 10 players and play the game out, take our three points and go home,” said Arena. 


“Some young mistakes,” said Area of the loss. “But even our captain tonight, David [Beckham], [with the] handball, which I think is an appropriate call and turning the ball over at the end of the half resulted in another cross.”


The Galaxy are now winless in their last six matches, and face a quick turnaround as they travel to Houston to take on their 2011 MLS Cup opponent, Houston Dynamo. The team will again be without Donovan, as well as Robbie Keane, who also missed the match due an international call-up.