Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez scored two goals to lead the Los Angeles Galaxy to a 3–2 victory over the host San Jose Earthquakes on Sept. 24 in the California Clasico at Stanford, Calif.
Gaston Brugman also scored a goal for the Galaxy (13–12–7, 46 points), who are tied with the Portland Timbers for the fifth-most points in the Western Conference with two matches remaining. The top seven teams make the playoffs.
Cristian Espinoza and Nathan scored for the Earthquakes (7–15–10, 31 points), who are in last place in the 14-team West. San Jose is winless in its last four matches (0–3–1) while being outscored 12–4.
Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Bond and San Jose’s JT Marcinkowski each made one save.
The Earthquakes held a 13–11 edge in shots, but the Galaxy put four on target to San Jose’s three.
Chicharito scored his first goal of the game in the 12th minute when he sent a close-range left-footed shot past Marcinkowski.
The Galaxy made it 2–0 in the 42nd minute when Brugman unleashed a hard right-footed shot from outside the box.
The ball hit the underside of the crossbar and went into the net for his third goal of the season. Los Angeles had a 5–1 edge in shots in the first half.
Chicharito was back at it again in the 69th minute when he engineered a give-and-go with Efrain Alvarez and sent a right-footed grounder into the left corner of the net.
It was Chicharito’s 17th goal of the season, and the brace was his fourth of the campaign.
A short time later, Espinoza had a breakaway attempt, but Bond knocked him down to the ground and a penalty kick was awarded.
Espinoza stood at the spot in the 74th minute and easily booted a right-footed shot into the right corner of the net for his seventh goal of the season.
Nathan sent a header over the net off a corner kick in the 86th minute.
But in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time, Nathan sent a header on net that glanced off a Galaxy defender and past Bond just before play was signaled over by the referee.
