For years the Los Angeles Galaxy had a bitter rival about 350 miles north in the San Jose Earthquakes. Two seasons ago, the Quakes were relocated to Houston and the rivalry had to be put on hold for a brief spell.
This season, San Jose has returned to the league and the Galaxy once again have a rival in northern California. The two sides met once already this season at The Home Depot Center. It was the first-ever game for the latest incarnation of the Earthquakes, and resulted in a 2-0 win for the Galaxy in Carson.
On Saturday, Los Angeles travels to Oakland's McAfee Coliseum to rekindle the rivalry. But a lot has happened since that first game. The Galaxy have moved into first place in the Western Conference on the strength of the league's best offense. San Jose, despite struggling at the bottom of the table, has emerged with the best defense in the Western Conference. On Saturday, something is going to have to give.
"In the defensive part, you need to do your thing. Attacking-wise, we always score goals, so therefore it's more about what you do without the ball," said Galaxy head coach Ruud Gullit. "That doesn't mean you play defensive, but the defensive tasks you have to do."
As in the Colorado game last weekend, the goals are going to have to come from unlikely sources. Landon Donovan and Carlos Ruiz are both away on international duty, while Alan Gordon will be serving a one-game suspension. Edson Buddle has picked up a lot of the slack, having found the back of the net five times already this season, including one last week in the 3-2 win.
"For me there's going to be a lot of pressure to win the aerial battles. We have a lot of speedy guys," said Buddle. "They have a good defense, but with the pace we have, we should be able to get behind them. It's a matter of what we do with our chances. Hopefully we can put one away early on their turf."
Buddle is a relatively recent addition to the Galaxy, having joined the team midway through last season. In fact, with all the personnel changes in Los Angeles the past two seasons, there are very few players on the roster that have any history with the old rivalry. Starting goalkeeper Steve Cronin is one player who has some experience on both sides of the rivalry though, having started his career in San Jose before being traded to Los Angeles.
"It's funny. I haven't been asked a question by the media since my first year with the Galaxy about the rivalry," said Cronin. "I'm glad it's back. I think it's something the league needs. I'm sure that Frank (Yallop) will have his team ready to play us. I think everyone is excited."
The Galaxy might be a bit shorthanded heading into the match, but there will be no shortage of emotion heading into their first match back in Bay Area. A big crowd at the McAfee Coliseum and the rivalry will guarantee that. The only question that remains is which will prevail: defense or offense?
Greg Daurio is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
