LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes
2017 MLS Regular Season - Week 25
StubHub Center - Carson, Calif.
Sunday, August 27 – 7 pm ET
WATCH: FS1, FOX Deportes in USA; MLS LIVE in Canada
The LA Galaxy (6W-13L-5D, 23pts) still have some small measure of satisfaction they can extract from a difficult 2017 season if they can somehow put a massive dent into the playoff hopes of their California Clasico rivals. The Earthquakes (9W-11L-6D, 33pts) are in the scrap for that sixth and final playoff spot in the West, but they are currently on the outside looking in.
San Jose have lost every road match under new head coach Chris Leitch, but they will be encouraged to face a Galaxy team with the worst home record in MLS (1W-7L-4D) and on a downward spiral with eight losses in their last nine games.
And the Galaxy frustrations have only continued to mount: After new head coach Sigi Schmid called out his forwards after a home loss, this week he was calling for a few leaders to step up, referencing "a little bit of a void [in leadership] especially down the middle of the field." Meanwhile, the Quakes are also asking questions of their locker room:
“I’m hoping we have some fighters in the locker room," San Jose captain Chris Wondowlowski said, while noting his team had their backs against the wall. "If we do, we’re going to come out swinging on Sunday and if not we have some other problems.”
LA Galaxy
- Suspended: DF Ashley Cole (red card suspension)
- Suspended next yellow card:MF Romain Alessandrini, MF Jermaine Jones
- International duty:None
- Injury Report: OUT — DF Robbie Rogers (ankle - out for season), MF Sebastian Lletget (foot surgery), MF Baggio Husidic (fractured fibula), MF Jermaine Jones (toe injury)
Projected Starting XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): Jon Kempin — Pele Van Anholt, Daniel Steres, Hugo Arellano, Dave Romney — Jonathan Dos Santos, Joao Pedro — Ema Boateng, Giovani Dos Santos, Romain Alessandrini — Gyasi Zardes
San Jose Earthquakes
- Suspended: MF Anibal Godoy (red card suspension)
- Suspended next yellow card: MF Fatai Alashe, MF Anibal Godoy
- International duty:None
- Injury Report: OUT — DF Harold Cummings (leg surgery), MF Marc Pelosi (left knee injury), DF Marvell Wynne (heart abnormality); QUESTIONABLE — DF Nick Lima (thigh), DF Florian Jungwirth (shoulder), DF Francois Affolter (hamstring)
Projected Starting XI (5-3-2, right to left): Andrew Tarbell — Kofi Sarkodie, Victor Bernardez, Andres Imperiale, Fatai Alashe, Shea Salinas — Jahmir Hyka, Darwin Ceren, Jackson Yueill — Chris Wondolowski, Danny Hoesen
All-Time Series
Sunday's will be the third and final time the two teams will see each other in league play in 2017. Both previous meetings took place in the Bay Area with the Galaxy winning at Avaya Stadium on May 27 (4-2) and the Earthquakes claiming a dramatic stoppage-time victory at Stanford Stadium on July 1. The Earthquakes also claimed a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal knockout win on July 10.
- All-Time (65 matches): LA 30W-21L-14D (105 GF / 88 GA); SJ 21W-30L-14D (88 GF / 105 GA)
- In LA (30 matches): LA 19W-5L-6D (59 GF / 36 GA); SJ 5W-19L-6D (36 GF / 59 GA)
Referees
Referee: Chris Penso
Assistant Referees: Eric Boria (bench side), Corey Rockwell (far side)
Fourth Official: Ricardo Salazar
Video Assistant Referee (VAR): Baldomero Toledo
