Joseph Paintsil scored a short-handed goal in the 79th minute on Wednesday night, lifting the 10-man Los Angeles Galaxy to a 1-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes at Dignity Health Sports Park after midfielder Lucas Sanabria received a red card before halftime.
Red Card Forces LA Galaxy to Play a Man Down
Midfielder Lucas Sanabria exited the game after receiving a red card following a pair of yellow cards issued in the final nine minutes of the first half. The disciplinary setback left the Galaxy (6-8-7) to navigate the entire second half a man down against the Earthquakes.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, the hosts managed to weather San Jose’s attacks. Goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski delivered a stellar performance under pressure, finishing the night with five saves to secure his third clean sheet in 16 starts this season.
Paintsil Strikes in the 79th Minute to Break the Deadlock
With time winding down and both sides fighting for a breakthrough, Paintsil seized his moment. The forward found the net in the 79th minute, capitalizing on assists from rookie defender Harbor Miller and Marco Reus to net his fifth goal of the campaign.
Miller collected his second helper of the season, while Reus picked up his seventh assist, setting up Paintsil to beat San Jose goalkeeper Angus Gunn. Gunn finished the match with six saves for the Earthquakes in his fifth MLS start.
Star Additions and Squad Adjustments on Display
Wednesday’s fixture gave home supporters an extended look at roster additions. Forward Hirving “Chucky” Lozano started in his first home match for the Galaxy after making his debut off the bench in his previous outing. Alongside him, players like Kyōgo Furuhashi active in the attack kept the pressure on the San Jose defense throughout the opening 45 minutes.
On the other sideline, San Jose struggled to capitalize on their man-advantage after the break. The defeat extends a difficult stretch for the Earthquakes, who have dropped three in a row and sit 0-4-1 since July 1 following an earlier 1-1 draw against the Galaxy earlier in the season.
Snap of the Winless Skid Shifts Momentum
The hard-fought shutout victory snapped a 0-3-3 winless skid for Los Angeles, marking their first win since beating the Sounders 2-0 in Seattle on May 16.
Both teams face quick turnarounds as the regular season grinds forward. San Jose returns home to host Minnesota United on Saturday, while the Galaxy prepares for a trip to face CF Montreal on Saturday.
