By GREG BEACHAM
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Substitute Ousseni Bouda scored in the 74th minute, and the San Jose Earthquakes extended the LA Galaxy’s MLS record season-opening winless streak to 16 games with a 1-0 victory Wednesday night.
Bouda slipped between two defenders and got his third goal of the season on a precise pass from fellow substitute Preston Judd for the Quakes (16-6-6, 22 points), who snapped a four-game losing streak in the California Clasico rivalry.
Earl Edwards Jr. made six saves to keep his third clean sheet of the season for San Jose, which is unbeaten in eight matches across all competitions in May. Quakes head coach Bruce Arena had a successful return to the stadium where he led the Galaxy for nine seasons and won three MLS Cup championships.
“I really enjoyed it here. I have a lot of good friends here, friends for life,” Arena said during his postgame press conference. “I enjoyed living in LA and I enjoyed coaching the Galaxy, so it’s nice to come back.”
The defending MLS Cup champion Galaxy (0-12-4, 4 points) are edging toward historic ignominy after dropping yet another match at the stadium where they went unbeaten in 2024 and won their league-record sixth title in December.
The MLS record is 19 straight winless matches in league play by the MetroStars in 1999. Real Salt Lake also played 18 straight without a win from 2005-06.
The Galaxy nearly salvaged a draw in the final minute of second-half injury time, but Edwards saved captain Maya Yoshida’s header deep in the San Jose box. LA supporters chanted “We want better!” after the final whistle.
The Galaxy’s woes have only compounded throughout the new season despite the return to health of stars Joseph Paintsil, Gabriel Pec and Marco Reus. All three international veterans played major roles on last year’s championship team, but were limited by injury in the new year.
Reus left in the 59th minute against San Jose after sitting down on the grass without contact and eventually walking off the field. Reus struggled with a knee injury earlier in the season, but had been playing well in recent matches.
Disorganized in attack and lacking any crispness in their passing, the Galaxy still look lost without Catalan midfielder Riqui Puig, who orchestrated their excellence throughout the 2024 season before tearing a knee ligament in the conference final. Puig could return this summer, but LA also had to part with a handful of key contributors to last season’s team due to the salary cap constraints created annually for the MLS champion by title bonuses in their players’ contracts.
The Galaxy’s leadership has declined to panic during this mammoth skid, even extending the contract of head coach Greg Vanney two weeks ago when the winless streak was at a mere 13 games.
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If the Galaxy don’t beat Salt Lake in Saturday or win at St. Louis on June 14, they could tie the MetroStars’ record June 25 at Colorado.
The Quakes face St. Louis on Saturday at 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time.
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