RECAP: Golden Glimmer at Stanford; Tie 1-1 with LA Galaxy

PHOTO: San Jose Earthquakes

Golden rays bathe through the arches adorning the upper concourse, covering the field in a summer haze. Ultras and fans thundered from the first minute, sending seismic waves through the stands.

On the pitch stood the Quakes’ barometer, the player who controlled the match, Beau Leroux.

With another goal scored in back-to-back games, Leroux’s stock continues to rise. A player that no one expected to play a large role now represents the successes of Arena’s project.

While his thundering goal stole the headlines, this edition of the Cali Classico gave viewers a look at the importance of Leroux to the system. Popping up everywhere, his combinations with Espinoza powered this team’s offense. Especially in recent weeks, Arena has clearly trusted the youngster to play with such a high level of freedom.

Usually paired with Harkes, Arena opted to play the Bay Area native alongside Mark-Anthony Kaye. The two fit each other seamlessly, with both playing different roles to manage the team’s game. Interestingly, against this Galaxy side, Arena’s team struggled once Kaye was removed from the fray.

There are certain players who you don’t necessarily notice when you watch the game, but when you watch them, you see the game.

Leroux continues to be that for the team, the ultimate glue guy who propels this team.

Having grown up going to these Claiscos, fans saw what that goal meant to the former Spartan. It represents another crowning moment in what has become an incredible breakout season.

One of the most underrated parts of Leroux’s game lies in his quick passing and reading of a situation. Throughout the first half, all the team’s threats came through the quick interchange with Espinoza. With his back to the goal, hovering outside the 18-yard line, he operated as a wall for the winger to dump the ball to and retrieve it in the box.

The Galaxy, unable to correctly mark Leroux, struggled to stop this, and with a more prolific striker, the Quakes may have scored more. By playing in a quasi-number ten role, interchanging with Espinoza, he thrived in the space vacated by Arango and Judd. The latter’s impact on Leroux’s freedom should be highlighted, as his bullying of the Galaxy defense helped Leroux get more open.

Constantly, when he received the ball, Leroux sought to move the ball out wide to pull apart the Galaxy’s weak backline. The wingbacks, especially Costa, were able to put immense pressure on the Galaxy via these passes.

In this free role that Arena gave him, Leroux pops up everywhere on the pitch, playing almost every role possible. When Espinoza drifted inward and Jones pushed up to replace him on the wing, Leroux dropped back in the right-back role.

All the Galaxy defenders shifted their attention away, leaving him wide open on the right. 

His goal came from the freedom allotted to him, as he saw an opening with the forward line crashing into the box to pick up the ball from Kaye.

Leroux felt empowered to take control of the moment from Arango, who was lurking behind him.

That dynamism and confidence are something that the team lacked in their midfield for almost a decade. 

Think of Leroux as the hub through which the Quakes are built around. Not necessarily the best player, but he shows what a competent midfielder offers to this team.

Playing alongside Kaye gave Leroux another dimension on the defensive side. Typically, alongside Harkes, the box-to-box midfielder is handed a different role to the one he played on Saturday. 

Arena essentially played two types of defenses in the midfield. Kaye man-marked Reus for the majority of the game, shadowing the Galaxy’s captain. Leroux, on the other hand, played as a disruptor, pestering any other Galaxy player with the ball. 

On the right side of the field, especially, Leroux’s impact really came through. In the second half, as the Galaxy ramped up the pressure, he covered up the space between Jones and Floriani. With Kaye behind him, any Galaxy attack avoided the right side.

To no one’s surprise, the moment Kaye came off and Harkes replaced him, Reus found himself free and equalized. Playing Kaye and Leroux together in this instance

Another aspect of the team’s poor second half was their transition defense. As the Quakes lost control of the game, the Galaxy quickly countered through Reus, who pushed the team ahead. Leroux tried to come back every time and defend, but without Kaye, there was no one to provide cover. 

Arena’s choice to play this duo was the result of the midweek game in Texas, but there’s enough to suggest that Kaye should play with Leroux more often. Against teams with a productive number ten, having Kaye to man-mark them opens things up for Leroux to be a pest. Even when Harkes gets the start, Arena needs to be more willing to get Kaye involved off the bench.

Surprisingly, the partnership between the MLS stalwart, Kaye, and the youngster provided the team with a solid defensive base.

Both players complement each other so well and offer the team a totally different look.

Stanford remains a special place in the Quakes’ history. Countless exciting moments forever ingrained into the team’s DNA, the arena feels like the Quakes’ second home.

After this edition of the Cali Clasico, Leroux etched his name into the Valhalla of the Stanford games.

PHOTO: San Jose Earthquakes