2017 MLS Match Preview
Avaya Stadium – San Jose, Calif.
Saturday, May 27 – 7 pm PT
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The 2017 Cali Clasico opens Saturday in San Jose, where the Earthquakes host the LA Galaxy at Avaya Stadium with both teams on the rise. The Quakes enter 3-1-1 in their last five matches, with offseason acquisitions like Jahmir Hyka earning fan adoration and fun nicknames and the squad tagging FC Dallas with its first loss this season. The Galaxy ride a two-match winning streak, and are undefeated in four (2-0-2), with Mexico international Giovani dos Santos scoring in three straight.
San Jose Earthquakes
Head coach Dominic Kinnear says "It's always a good time to play LA," and we'll find out Saturday, when the Quakes take the field at Fortress Avaya to defend 2017's undefeated home mark (3-0-3), at a location unblemished by any Galaxy victories since the stadium debuted in 2015.
Nortec Collective founders Bostich + Fussible will be providing the Summer Beat during a pre-match concert, setting the stage for Chris Wondolowski, Florian Jungwirth and Co. to continue their strong play. Whatever happens Saturday night, these early returns might well prove only the beginning for audacious General Manager Jesse Fioranelli.
- Suspended: NONE
- Int’l Duty: NONE
- Injury Report: OUT: F Quincy Amarikwa (knee surgery), D Marvell Wynne (heart abnormality), M Marc Pelosi (left knee), D Harold Cummings (leg surgery), M Shea Salinas (knee), D Shaun Francis (hamstring injury); QUESTIONABLE: M Anibal Godoy (hip injury), Fatai Alashe (knee injury)
Projected Starting XI (4-4-2): GK: David Bingham — Kofi Sarkodie, Viktor Bernardez, Florian Jungwirth, Nick Lima — Jahmir Hyka, Anibal Godoy, Fatai Alashe, Simon Dawkins — Chris Wondolowski, Marco Ureña
Notes: David Bingham’s clean sheet against FC Dallas last weekend was his 25th in regular-season action since the start of the 2015 season, the most of any MLS keeper. .
LA Galaxy
Welp. Curt Onalfo says all that media criticism fell on deaf ears as he guided the transition out of Bruce Arena's eclipising shadow:
“I don’t listen to a word anybody says. That’s the complete, honest truth. I don’t read anything about myself or the team – in good times and bad – just for those reasons.
“The difference between winning and losing is so slight. I could look at every game we played this year, except for the Seattle game, and draw conclusions that we could have gotten a result.”
With the Galaxy pushing their first positive streak of the season to four games and counting, the strategy's seeming sound, as Onalfo has weathered a wicked slew of ever-multiplying injuries to find effective options all over the field, from freeing Gio to find the gaps to putting Joao Pedro in the right spot to succeed after a rocky start. And there was that time he benched his captain.
All told, the Galaxy seem to have caught up to the pace set by stud acquisition Romain Alessandrini, who has been finding all kind of ways to contribute. A sturdier backline paired with ever-more-electrifying play up top is a recipe for a run, and the Galaxy are primed to keep it moving … to the "Gio Beat."
- Suspended: NONE
- Int’l Duty: NONE
- Injury Report: OUT: D - Robbie Rogers (ankle), M - Sebastian Lletget (foot surgery), GK - Clement Diop (hip), M - Jermaine Jones (MCL sprain), M - Baggio Husidic (fractured fibula); PROBABLE: M - Joao Pedro (hamstring), D - Jelle Van Damme (knee)
Projected Starting XI (4-4-2): GK: Brian Rowe — Dave Romney, Daniel Steres, Jelle Van Damme, Ashley Cole — Romain Alessandrini, Joao Pedro, Jaime Villarreal, Ema Boateng — Giovani dos Santos, Gyasi Zardes
Notes: LA has scored 10 left-footed goals so far this year, tied with NYCFC for the most of any MLS team. They have scored three right-footed goals this year, the fewest of any team in the league.
All-Time Series
- Though the last two meetings between these clubs have ended in a pair of 1-1 draws at their respective home fields, the Galaxy hold a decided advantage overall at 29-20-14 in regular-season play, with a plus-26 goal differential.
- LA have built that record up in friendly confines (19 of the 29 wins came at home), but they're competitive in San Jose, with a 10-15-8 mark on the road.
Referees
Referee: Ricardo Salazar
Assistant Referees: Ian Anderson, Nick Uranga
Fourth Official: Baboucarr Jallow