Three takeaways from MLS' 100th California Clasico
The California Clásico — the matchup between the Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes — is Major League Soccer's most storied rivalry. It stretches to MLS' founding season in 1996 when San Jose set a city sporting attendance record as more than 31,000 fans turned up to watch the teams play.
Many of the league's top players, from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Chris Wondolowski and Dwayne de Rosario, made their mark on the Clásico over the years. Landon Donovan, one of the top players in U. S. soccer history, played for both sides at different times in his career.
On Sunday, the Galaxy and the Quakes met to contest the 100th Cali Clásico in Los Angeles. The Galaxy entered the match as the top team in MLS West while the Quakes entered as the worst, but records mean little in games this intense. The teams played out a frantic and fascinating match, with the Galaxy earning a 4-3 win.
The Galaxy and the Quakes remain two of the winningest teams in MLS history. So, what did we learn about their 2024 MLS hopes from this matchup?
1. The Quakes still have some fight in them
Rock bottom of MLS West. A goal difference of -11. Just one win in nine attempts. The stats look rough for the San Jose Earthquakes. But the team's performance against the Galaxy shows that all is not lost for the Northern Californian side — it's capable of real grit and its bench is deeper than people think.
The Galaxy went 3-0 up on the Quakes in the first half. Most bottom-ranked MLS teams would have switched into damage-limitation mode upon conceding that many early goals. Not the Quakes, though. They struck back almost immediately, with Brazilian defender Rodrigues slamming a powerful header into the Galaxy's net.
From there, it was all Quakes, but second-half substitute Jeremy Ebobisse did his part to make the Galaxy sweat.
2. The Galaxy's 'Three Ps' will storm the Western Conference
Riqui Puig, Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec. Remember their names. The Galaxy's three attacking stars are easily the top strike force in MLS West this season. The Cali Clásico marked the first time that all three scored in the same game.
That means something to the Galaxy because the three could not be more different and many wondered if they'd work together in the same setup.
Spaniard Puig is an indefatigable runner who stays behind a main striker. Ghanaian Paintsil balances physical strength and delicate ball skills on the far wing. Meanwhile, Brazilian Pec is a set-piece specialist.
Galaxy coach Greg Vanney has managed to unite them behind Serbian striker Dejan Joveljic, and the effect is nothing short of dazzling.
3. A great central midfielder can make all the difference
The Galaxy took the first half of the Clásico; the Quakes took the second. It was an evenly-matched game that could've been won by either team.
What sealed the deal for the Galaxy was Uruguayan midfielder Gastón Brugman. He was everywhere against the Quakes, disrupting their flow, changing the pace to better suit the Galaxy and dropping in as an extra defender when needed.
The Galaxy lost a man when Eriq Zavaleta was sent off in the 70th minute, but it hardly mattered when Brugman was playing well enough for two.
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