California Clasico

MATCH PREVIEW: Earthquakes return home for third California Clasico of 2020

chris wodolowski goal celebration

The San Jose Earthquakes will seek to keep the good vibes going following the team’s 2-1 victory over LAFC last weekend when they host the LA Galaxy on Saturday night, presented by Sutter Health.


Let’s dive into the Quakes’ upcoming opponent:


Standings

The LA Galaxy are in 11th place in the Western Conference, just one point ahead of San Jose, with a 4-6-3 record and -5 goal-differential.


Recent Form

The Galaxy are in a bit of a tailspin at the moment. After winning each of their first four matches since returning from the MLS is Back Tournament, the Galaxy are now winless in four (0-3-1) and have scored just one goal in that span – a consolation at the end of their most recent 3-1 loss to Seattle.


Key Players

LA’s offense has almost entirely come through two players, and neither of them is Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez. Dangerous Argentine winger Cristian Pavon is the club’s biggest threat while American midfielder Sebastian Lletget, a native of San Francisco, remains a staple in their attack. Pavon and Lletget have scored six and five goals, respectively, while no one else on the team has more than one. Chicharito has more than 500 minutes played over seven appearances and his lone goal was way back on July 13 in Orlando.


History

The rivalry between LA and San Jose is among the fiercest and longest lasting in Major League Soccer. The two teams have met 72 times in the regular season and another 10 in the MLS Cup Playoffs, including the 2001 MLS Cup Final, which San Jose won in overtime. Saturday’s match is their third meeting of the year, with the Galaxy prevailing 3-2 on Aug. 29 and a scoreless draw on Sept. 13.


The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast live on NBC Sports California, KNBR 680 and 1370 KZSF.