Download the game guide >SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES v LOS ANGELES GALAXY
Sat., Oct. 29, Spartan Stadium
7 p.m. PT; FSC/E; HDNet; FSN-W2
LEAGUE HEAD-TO-HEAD: LA 21 wins, 58 goals; SJ 12 wins, 51 goals; 5 ties
2005 HEAD-TO-HEAD: LA 1 win, 4 goals; SJ 3 wins, 9 goals; 0 ties
AT SPARTAN STADIUM:
6/25: SJ 3 - LA 0 (Moreno 37; og 65; og 68)
8/27: SJ 2 - LA 1 (Moreno 23, Califf 75 - Donovan 37)
MLS CUP PLAYOFFS: LA 4 wins, 12 goals; SJ 3 wins, 9 goals
REFEREE: Alex Prus. SAR (bench): Craig Lowry; JAR (opposite): George Vergara; 4th: Ricardo Salazar
MLS Career: 96 games; FC/gm: 30.6; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 21; pens: 34
2005: 15 games; FC/gm: 29.8; Y/gm: 2.9; R: 3; pens: 5
INJURY REPORT: SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES - OUT: DF Craig Waibel (R knee ACL/LCL tear); DF Troy Dayak (L knee ACL tear); MF Brad Davis (L groin strain); PROBABLE: FW Alejandro Moreno (R ankle sprain) ... LOS ANGELES GALAXY - OUT: DF Ben Benditson (sports hernia); PROBABLE: MF Cobi Jones (R abdominal strain)
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS: SJ: Wade Barrett (5 CP); Ricardo Clark (5 CP); Eddie Robinson (4 CP) ... LA: Chris Albright (4 CP); Todd Dunivant (5 CP); Herculez Gomez (3 CP); Paulo Nagamura (5 CP)
EARTHQUAKES TEAM NEWS
The Earthquakes have been here before. Holding the No. 1 seed in the West, down two goals after the first leg to the Los Angeles Galaxy and heading home. But unlike the epic 2003 semifinal match - when San Jose fell two goals further behind before their miraculous comeback, it's last year's conference semifinals that the Earthquakes are really remembering. "You try not to get caught up in [two years ago], because that was a glorious day," said Kinnear. "It's one that will probably never happen again. I think back more to Kansas City. But we know [coming back] has been done before and we know it's been done at Spartan."
A year ago, the Quakes won 2-0 in the first leg at home, but the Wizards chipped away until Jack Jewsbury's stoppage-time goal ultimately condemned San Jose to a 3-2 aggregate defeat.
Just a week ago, the Quakes put three goals past the Galaxy in Carson in the season finale. "I'm not relying on the past," said De Rosario. "All I know is that we're a good team and we're better than [Los Angeles]. I know we can score two goals with the guys we've got. There is no reason why we can't." Added Kinnear: "We are in a bit of a hole now, but we have to forget about today and just go for it (Saturday) and score goals."
Landon Donovan was, of course, a key to that comeback two years ago - but then in Earthquakes blue. After he hit for two goals for the Galaxy in the first leg, the Quakes defense felt he had too much room to operate - something that will certainly change in the tight confines of the smallest field in MLS. "He won't have as much room to run,'' center back Eddie Robinson said. "I don't think he'll be as big a factor next weekend."
But the Quakes also know they can't press for goals from the start. "We can't just rush [L.A] and leave our backs exposed," said Dwayne De Rosario. "We have to be conscious that we can't let them score and dig a deeper hole for ourselves."GALAXY TEAM NEWS
While it was the Earthquakes that scored five goals over the final 75 minutes or so in their epic comeback of 2003, it's the Galaxy who think they have an opportunity to strike for a load of goals as they head to San Jose with a two-goal advantage again.
"We have to look at it as a 0-0 game. We have to do all the hard work and not think about protecting the lead or sitting on the lead," said Todd Dunivant. "You talk about the prevent defense and how that never works. We have to continue to attack and put them on their heels. If we're sitting back and trying to weather the storm, it's going to be a long, long night for us."
While Landon Donovan has scored just a goal in his return to Spartan Stadium as a visitor, he knows what games there can bring. "The proximity means you can hit a ball from anywhere and it can be dangerous, he said to the San Jose Mercury News. "When you put the ball in front of the net, people are going to challenge for it and you can get a chance. You can get 15 chances like that in a game."
Moving Donovan back to a forward role was certainly a key to the Galaxy success. "In the first half, Eddie (Robinson) and Danny (Califf) backed off quite a bit and I had a lot of time to turn and run at them," said Donovan to the San Francisco Chronicle. "It was just killing them to let me turn and run."
But equally important was the service he received, and the play of Peter Vagenas and both Paulo Nagamura and Marcelo Saragosa - whose departure to injury after just 21 minutes didn't affect the Galaxy flow. "If the guys in the middle don't keep the ball and don't move the ball, then it's pointless," Donovan said. "They were great. They kept the ball and they got myself and Herculez (Gomez) the ball in good positions. That made the difference." DISCIPLINARY INFORMATION:
All players will start the Playoffs with zero caution points. A players who then accumulates EIGHT (8) or more caution points in the first TWO (2) Playoff Games in which he appears will be suspended for his team's next Playoff Game (Conference Championship game or MLS Cup) and fined $250. Any suspension for caution points received in a player's last Playoff Game will not carry over into the next League Season. A player who receives a yellow card in THREE (3) consecutive Playoff Games in which he appears, where the caution points attributable to such yellow cards equal TEN (10) or more caution points, shall be suspended for his team's next Playoff Game (MLS Cup) and fined $250. A player who receives yellow cards during the playoffs (including MLS Cup), where the caution points attributable to such yellow cards equal TWELVE (12) or more caution points shall not be suspended from his team's next regular season game in the upcoming year. However, a player accumulating TWELVE (12) points throughout the playoffs shall be fined $250. The only way to accumulate TWELVE (12) or more caution points in the playoffs would be by being awarded a caution in MLS Cup.
