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Walker Zimmerman shines for LAFC in 2-0 victory over San Jose Earthquakes

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LOS ANGELES — In Saturday’s 2-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes, LAFC won the game from the corners.

Despite the Quakes’ spot at the bottom of the Western Conference, the two teams were fairly evenly matched, earning similar amounts of possession time. But the difference came in corner kicks, with LAFC earning 12 to San Jose’s solo corner.

LAFC striker Carlos Vela began working his magic from the corners. As always, it was Vela drumming the beat of the offense, peppering the San Jose keeper with shots and badgering the backline as he bobbed, weaved and shimmied back and forth through the box. But Vela was frustrated in the opening of the game, sending a turn-around rebounding shot in the box just wide and missing several wide-open shots when the team was pressing high.

So instead, he settled into his second role for the team — distributor. As the LAFC leader in both goals and assists, Vela tallied two more assists from corner set pieces: a pair of balls that curled perfectly to connect with defender Walker Zimmerman.

“If you don’t get the ball delivered into the right areas, the rest doesn’t matter,” head coach Bob Bradley said. “The most important thing today was that we got good movement and the quality of those balls. … It made the difference.”

Zimmerman had never scored in an MLS game before, but the defender had a two-inch height advantage on the keeper, and standing 6-foot-3, he towered over much of San Jose’s backline. It made sense, then, to place him at the top of the box to let him take a running start into a vaulting leap toward the goal, jerking his freshly buzz-cut head skyward to catch a piece of the ball.

His first goal came in the 41st minute. LAFC had been gashing the San Jose defense, sending scorching shots on frame to force the keeper to make diving, highlight reel saves to keep the score at 0-0.

Off the corner, Vela curved the ball high and towards the center of the box, where Zimmerman launched above the defense to strike the ball with his head and send it streaking to the top left corner.

The goal gave LAFC a much-needed boost of confidence after San Jose began to find more creativity midway through the first half. Although the teams were evenly balanced, LAFC thoroughly controlled the pace of game from start to finish, holding San Jose to only four shots (only one on frame). All four of those shots came in a first-half flurry, when the Quakes pressured LAFC’s backline and lined up several scoring opportunities to leave LAFC rattled.

Zimmerman’s first goal settled the team, and his second hammered the nail into the win. It was the same situation — in the 68th minute, Vela set up on the right corner, with Zimmerman at the top of the box, ready to streak straight to goal. The ball was a little lower this time, and Zimmerman had to jerk his chin downwards to catch it squarely, but the result was the same.

The game was well-attended by fans and celebrities alike. Owner Will Ferrell was there with his whole family, cheering on the team in a Vela shirt and LAFC cap, along with Gerard Butler. Ferrell received thunderous applause when he was highlighted on the big screen.

With another clean sheet under its belt, LAFC continues its chase for the top spot in the Western Conference. Currently one point behind Sporting Kansas City, which sits at the top of the West, the team’s attention is constantly on making the final push toward a conference victory and a top spot to start the playoffs.

“We’re a good team,” Bradley said. “I think we’re a team that is still looking to improve. I believe in the quality of our club. I think there’s a part of games late in the season that involves mentality. For me, there’s a next level of intensity that I still think we can bring.”

To continue this quest for the conference, LAFC will hit the road to take on Chicago next Saturday.