The San Jose Earthquakes and Los Angeles Galaxy will be out to solve their post World Cup-break issues when they meet Saturday for the 105th California Clasico at Stanford, Calif.
It is the third consecutive season, and the 13th time overall, the Earthquakes (10-4-2, 32 points) will play host to the Galaxy (5-7-5, 20 points) at the larger Stanford Stadium instead of their regular home in San Jose.
San Jose, led by Preston Judd (11 goals), holds second place in the Western Conference but was crushed 4-0 at home by Orlando City on Wednesday following the two-month break.
The Earthquakes gave up a goal early in each half and allowed two goals off set pieces, including one on an unmarked header in the seventh minute.
“The start of the game hurt us,” San Jose coach Bruce Arena said. “Conceding the first goal in the manner in which we did, was disappointing. I don’t think we had given up a goal off a defensive restart in the first 15 games of the season, and we gave up two. We played poorly. No excuses.”
The defeat came in the Earthquakes debut of goalkeeper Angus Gunn, who started for Scotland in the World Cup.
The Galaxy were outscored 6-1 in a pair of home defeats after the break. They dropped below the playoff line with a 3-1 loss to St. Louis City on Wednesday after they were reduced to 10 men on a red card for Emiro Garces.
The lone LA goal came from Troy Elgersma, a 22-year-old forward who was playing for USL League Two side Ventura County earlier this season. It was Elgersma’s first career MLS goal.
It was a rare recent moment to savor for a club that continues to be without forward Joao Klauss (foot), while playmaking midfielder Gabriel Pec departed during the break in a transfer to Cruzeiro in Brazil.
“Yeah, got to keep battling,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “We’re going to be down to maybe 11 guys that are on our 20-man roster for (Saturday’s) game between guys who might be out with injuries, suspension (or are) not here. … (Wednesday) we were at 14.”
This week, the Galaxy signed Japanese forward Kyogo Furuhashi, a former Golden Boot winner in Scotland in 2022-23, but visa issues could delay his debut.
–Field Level Media
