There are few rivalries in professional sports as rich as the one between the San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy. Since 1996 the two clubs have met a total of 60 times, scoring nearly 180 total goals over that span. The teams have been anchored by some of the best coaches in MLS history, with current or past coaches Sigi Schmid, Bruce Arena, Dominic Kinnear and Frank Yallop headlining the all-time wins list for MLS managers. Current managers Arena and Kinnear have led their respective teams to a combined 7 MLS Cup championships.
The rivals are set to face off for the first time in 2016 this Saturday night in Los Angeles. San Jose are searching for their first win at the StubHub Center since 2013 and hope to ride the momentum from their most recent matchup, which culminated in a win over the reigning MLS Cup champions at Avaya Stadium on Sunday.
After opening the season with two home wins, the Earthquakes head out on the road for the first time in 2016. They had one of the better road campaigns in the MLS last year, amassing five wins and a pair of draws away from home. They found the net 24 times in their 17 road contests, marking the most road goals in the Western Conference and tied for second in all of MLS.
Quincy Amarikwa was the only Quakes player to notch multiple goals in the three games against the LA Galaxy last season. He’s currently on a three-game point streak dating back to last season’s finale after recording two goals and an assist in that timespan.
After opening a season 2-0-0 for the first time in club history, the Earthquakes are hoping to keep the streak going against their Southern California rivals. The last time the Quakes faced the Galaxy, they put a three-game win streak on the line and kept it alive with a 1-0 win in the teams’ first-ever regular season meeting at Avaya Stadium. The Quakes are one of three unbeaten teams remaining in the MLS this season (Montreal Impact, Sporting KC) and are seeking to remain unbeaten heading into Week 4.
