San Jose Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy | 2020 MLS Match Preview

2020 MLS Regular Season – Week 15
San Jose Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy
Earthquakes Stadium – San Jose
October 3 – 10:30 PM ET

STREAMING: MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in US; MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada

LOCAL TV: Spectrum SportsNet, NBC Sports California

After their first post-MLS is Back Tournament win, the San Jose Earthquakes are hoping to ride that momentum into the latest chapter of the Cali Clasico against the LA Galaxy Saturday night at Earthquakes Stadium. 

The Quakes (3W-6L-5D) rallied to defeat LAFC Sunday night to snap an eight-match winless streak, while the Galaxy (4W-6L-3D) fell at home to the Seattle Sounders, their third straight defeat.

This is the third meeting this year in one of Major League Soccer's oldest rivalries. The Galaxy struck twice late to rally for a 3-2 victory at Dignity Health Sports Park on August 29 and the teams played to a 0-0 draw at Earthquakes Stadium Sept. 13.   

San Jose Earthquakes

Shea Salinas leveled in the 80th minute and Jackson Yueill scored the decisive goal in the third minute of stoppage time to lift the Quakes to a dramatic 2-1 win over LAFC at Banc of California Stadium.

“The only thing I ask of the players is that they double down against adversity,” Matlas Almeyda said after the match. “In life and football, whoever fights is not dead. We have a team with youngsters, a team with many injuries, and today we were able to give happiness to the group, to the fans, to the board — especially because of the opponent and the uncomfortable situation we have come from, conceding so many goals. The players gave their souls and we went back to what we had part of last year and during Orlando.”

• Updated team roster
• Injury Report:
  • OUT: Casey Walls (D) - thigh injury
  • OUT: Jacob Akanyirige (D) - thigh injury
  • OUT: Matt Bersano (GK) - ankle injury
  • OUT: Danny Hoesen (F) - thigh injury
• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: Florian Jungwirth (D)
• International duty:  None

LA Galaxy

The Galaxy looked sluggish and fell into a three-goal hole before a cosmetic Sebastian Lletget goal two minutes from time in a 3-1 home loss to the Sounders. A team that was red-hot just a few weeks ago has lost three straight and is below the playoff line in the West heading into the stretch drive of the season. 

"Every time we got the ball, we played back, and we gave the ball to the center backs or the goalie, and we made the games very slow," Guillermo Barros Schelotto said after the match. "That is a point we need to change, because we need to look to play face to face, one on one, give the pass forward and take some risks, and then the options will appear. When you try and try and some things happen, the options will come. But, if every time you get the ball and you play back, and that is not the idea, the game was very slow how you said in the first half.”

• Updated team roster
• Injury Report:
  • QUESTIONABLE: Danilo Acosta (M) - ACL injury
• Suspended: Julian Araujo (M)
• Suspended after next caution: None
• International duty: None

Series Matchup at Earthquakes

• Earthquakes: 17 wins, 58 goals
• Galaxy: 11 wins, 49 goals
• 10 draws

Officials

• Referee: Robert Sibiga
• Assistant Referees: Andrew Bigelow, Jose da Silva
• 4th Official: Michael Radchuk
• VAR: Ricardo Salazar