Final: Galaxy at Earthquakes

San Jose Earthquakes 1 Los Angeles Galaxy 0

A step behind: Galaxy goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts hesitated Saturday and the Galaxy lost to goalscorer Chris Wondolowski and the Earthquakes (AP Photo).

Spotting the Earthquakes an early lead doesn’t help at a sold out Buckshaw Stadium.

And yet, the Galaxy could have taken home a point had Edson Buddle converted a sitter with the goal yawning with less than 10 minutes in regulation left.

Mike Magee, starting at forward, displayed an atrocious first touch.

And Rickets, whose eccentricities have not been anywhere near as visible as fans at his English clubs apparently witnessed, made a hash of things on the first goal and then spent the game making questionable decisions, seemingly charging out of his penalty box at every opportunity.

Galaxy Coach Bruce Arena summed things up:

“That’s certainly a game that we gift-wrapped for them. No question about that. Our start of the game was poor and it cost us in the end. That’s a game we really should have gotten three points out of. But we didn’t, and there is nobody else to point the finger at but ourselves. We didn’t play well, and I like I said I feel that we gift-wrapped the three points for San Jose today”.

Galaxy lineup: Donovan Ricketts Sean Franklin, Omar Gonzalez, Leonard, A.J. DeLaGarza (Bryan Jordan 77′); Chris Birchall, Michael Stephens (Alex Cazumba 67′), Juninho, Landon Donovan Edson Buddle, Mike Magee (Eddie Lewis 59′)

Leonardo sprawls, the Galaxy falls in the Bay Area.