Match Preview: Motivated LA Galaxy begin road trip against San Jose Earthquakes
The LA Galaxy looks to get its first win of the season in the Cali Clasico
The LA Galaxy head to NorCal to face the San Jose Earthquakes in the 99th edition of the Cali Clasico on Saturday night. The Galaxy is coming off a 1-1 draw with Inter Miami that featured many promising sequences and moments of controversy.
Three members of the Independent Review Panel looked over Mark Delgado’s second yellow card against Inter Miami and rescinded the decision. Delgado will be available for selection for Saturday’s match instead of being suspended. Since the LA Galaxy’s appeal was successful, the club maintains its two unsuccessful appeals for the 2024 season.
San Jose will play their first home game of the season Saturday night. The Quakes lost 2-1 on the road to FC Dallas, Dante Sealy scored in stoppage time to get all three points.
With all the positive chatter about the LA Galaxy following Sunday’s match, a win at PayPal Park could turn the heads of those who are on the fence about LA. Here a three things I’ll be keeping an eye on during the Cali Clasico.
Striker v Striker
With back-to-back goals in season-opening matches, Dejan Joveljić is once again starting a season on the right foot. The Serbian attacker will be looking to haunt San Jose as he’s recorded four goals in six career games against Earthquakes.
Up until his goal on Sunday, Joveljić's performance was mundane and didn’t have much of an influence on the game. After the match, Vanney told reporters exactly what he is demanding out of the number nine this season.
“I don't think we have to use him too much in link-up play. I don't think that's going to be our primary use of him,” said Vanney. “I felt like he got into some good spots. I felt like his movements were good. I think he's going to find more opportunities.” Getting a goal in back-to-back matches is the ideal scenario for Joveljić and the Galaxy.
On the other end of the pitch, Jeremy Ebobisse has scored a career-high nine goals against the LA Galaxy as a member of the Portland Timbers and San Jose Earthquakes. He’s way more mobile than Suarez was last week which should give LA’s center backs a much different test on the night.
My friends over at La Cuna Galaxiana recorded an episode where they talked to former LA Galaxy striker and current Earthquakes player Preston Judd. They discussed his time with the LA Galaxy and how he’s adjusting to life in NorCal. Here is the episode:
Keeping the Defensive Intensity
I’m keeping a close eye on how the LA Galaxy performs following one of their best defensive performances in the last two years. From Edwin Cerrillo not backing down from Lionel Messi to the Galaxy’s center back pairing shutting down Luis Suarez, there were many good moments to build on as the season begins.
As mentioned earlier, San Jose has a different profile of forwards that could cause different problems than last Sunday. The Quakes will have a majority of their attacks come from the wings instead of through the middle.
Miki Yamane and Julian Aude will see more one-on-one moments and need to be aware of their opponent’s pace. This should be a good game to see how they hold up in these moments and what they can improve on. We’ll learn a lot more about the defense in this match compared to last week.
Who gets their first
Designated Players Joesph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec got the attention of LA Galaxy fans and MLS followers across the country for their eye-catching performances. Their levels of potential are off-the-charts on paper but this game is won on grass. Now that both players have a full week of training in the books, it wouldn’t be surprising to see one of the club’s new editions register their first goal contribution.
Paintsil showed his ability to be a direct threat and also play a part in the possession build-up when needed. Depending on what situation the team is in during games, he can adjust his playstyle to fit best what the Galaxy needs.
One area of improvement for Paintsil is his decision-making in the final third. I expect this to get better soon as the Ghanaian is still getting to know his teammate’s patterns of play and establishing himself in the attack.
20 minutes is a small sample size but Pec’s directness and blistering pace has you keeping a close eye on him. He played as an inverted winger and would run after long balls from Puig to attack Miami’s tired defense. The Galaxy has been lacking a player like that to chase down long balls and make the opponent’s defense respect his speed.
The Brazilian is capable of being a massive headache for San Jose if he comes off the bench again. Everyone wants to see Pec play more minutes and get involved in the game. With how direct he is, don’t be surprised if his first goal is a close-range tap-in.