Beau Leroux scored a goal just before halftime, leading the San Jose Earthquakes to a 1-0 win against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night.
Goalkeeper Daniel made six saves, securing his fourth shutout of the season, with only one goal allowed so far for the Earthquakes (4-1-0, 12 points).
The Whitecaps (4-1-0, 12 points) had outscored their first four MLS opponents 14-1 before this match.
For Vancouver, Yohei Takaoka made one save.
Leroux’s goal came in the second minute of stoppage time in the first half, following a corner kick. Emmanuel Sabbi of the Whitecaps tried to clear the ball, but Leroux, positioned outside the box, seized it and shot a strong right-footed ball into the top-right corner.
This was Leroux’s first goal of the season; he scored five times as a rookie last season.
Vancouver’s best opportunity came during the six minutes of stoppage time in the second half when Kenji Cabrera fired a shot wide right of the net in the second minute.
The Whitecaps outshot the Earthquakes 11-7, with six shots on target compared to San Jose’s two.
Former Germany World Cup teammates Thomas Muller (Whitecaps) and Timo Werner (Earthquakes) faced each other for the first time in MLS, but neither managed a shot on goal.
Daniel made critical saves in the first half, stopping Aziel Jackson’s strong shot in the 29th minute, and a close-range header from Brian White a minute later.
In the second half, Daniel denied White again with a left-footed attempt in the 68th minute.