Jack McBean scored two goals and Michael Stephens added one more as the LA Galaxy beat Isidro Metapan 3-2 on Thursday to grab the No. 4 seed in the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals. They will play Costa Rica's Herediano starting in early March.
Isidro Metapan vs. LA Galaxy: Jack McBean scores two goals to lead LAG
Jack McBean scores a pair of goals to lead the Galaxy to the No. 4 seed and a date with Herediano in the quarterfinals.
Bob Levey
The Galaxy used a lineup of almost entirely reserves, with Marcelo Sarvas the only regular starter to make the trip.
Those reserves showed a good deal of fortitude in twice seeing one-goal leads slip away and a fair amount of adversity. The Galaxy grabbed their first lead in the 38th minute on a McBean header that hit the underside the crossbar and was ruled to have just crossed the line. They appeared to score again a few minutes later, but Michael Stephens’ goal was waved off when it was ruled the goalkeeper had gained possession of the ball before it was kicked free.
Metapan was then able to equalize in the 55th minute when Paolo Suarez's shot deflected off defender Bryan Jordan and past goalkeeper Brian Perk.
It only took the Galaxy seven minutes to get the lead back on another McBean goal. McBean now has three goals in CCL play.
Metapan came right back and equalized again, though. This time it was Nicolas Munoz putting in a free kick from a tight angle in the 67th minute. It was Munoz’s CCL-leading sixth goal of the tournament. Metapan had a couple decent chances to actually pull ahead, but never quite broke through.
That opened the door for Stephens' winner. Pat Noonan started the play by sending in a cross that deflected off the far post and right back out to Stephens, who was able to put it past the goalkeeper.
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