Preview: Stumbling LA host Quakes in California Clasico

LA GALAXY vs SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
THE HOME DEPOT CENTER, Carson, Calif.
May 23, 2012 (WEEK 12, MLS Game #111)
10:30 p.m. ET (KDOC/KWHY; CSN-CA; MLS Live)

The first meeting in the original California Clasico is ahead on Wednesday evening at The Home Depot Center when the San Jose Earthquakes travel south to face the LA Galaxy. The home side is looking to shed a five-game winless slide, now in last place in the West following a first loss to Chivas USA in five seasons. The Quakes are coming off back-to-back dramatic ties, another 90th-minute goal giving them a 1-1 home draw with Columbus last weekend.   

REFEREE: Jair Marrufo. SAR (bench): Frank Anderson; JAR (opposite): Adam Garner; 4th: Fotis Bazakos MLS Career: 132 games; FC/gm: 24.2; Y/gm: 3.2; R: 29; pens: 41    

DOWNLOAD FULL GAME GUIDE (PDF)

INJURY REPORT: LA GALAXY - OUT: DF Andrew Boyens (L sports hernia surgery); DF Omar Gonzalez (L knee surgery); QUESTIONABLE: DF A.J.DeLaGarza (R heel bruise); DF Leonardo (R knee surgery)...SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES - OUT: MF Joey Gjertsen (R knee surgery); MF Shea Salinas (L clavicle fracture); DF Tim Ward (L non-specific soft tissue injury); QUESTIONABLE: DF Victor Bernardez (L knee MCL sprain); MF Marvin Chavez (L hamstring strain)   

INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: LA: Landon Donovan (USA), Robbie Keane (Ireland)... SJ: Chris Wondolowski (USA) 

SUSPENDED: LA: David Junior Lopes (through May 23)  WARNINGS:SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: SJ: Steven Lenhart, Ramiro Corrales  SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: LA: David Beckham, Juninho, Landon Donovan   

HEAD-TO-HEAD 

ALL-TIME (48 meetings): Galaxy 25 wins (4 shootout), 73 goals ...  Earthquakes 15 wins (1 shootout), 60 goals… Ties 8 AT LA (23 meetings): Galaxy 16 wins (2 shootout), 43 goals Earthquakes 4 wins (0 shootout), 27 goals... Ties 3

FUTURE MATCHES: 6/30: San Jose Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy, 10 p.m. (ESPN2/Deportes); 10/21: San Jose Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy, 7 p.m. (Galavision)   

LAST YEAR (MLS):  6/25: SJ 0, LA 0  8/20: LA 2, SJ 0 (Keane 21; Magee 90) 

• The Quakes have not defeated the Galaxy at The Home Depot Center since 2005. Since San Jose returned to the league in 2008, the Galaxy have won three of the four meetings at home, with one draw. 
  
• The Galaxy have never won at Buck Shaw Stadium, with the Quakes having two wins in three all-time meetings in Santa Clara (with a draw). The first three northern California meetings between the teams after the Quakes return were all in Oakland. 
  
• The Earthquakes have a five-game unbeaten streak alive at home against the Galaxy. The streak started Aug. 3, 2008, the second of the three meetings at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. 
  
• Coaches record: Bruce Arena vs. SJ: P15 W7 L5 D3 ... Frank Yallop v LA: P20 W7 L8 D5  

LA GALAXY 

The LA Galaxy saw their winless slide stretched to five games, Chivas USA winning a SuperClasico match for the first time since 2007 in a 1-0 win Saturday at The Home Depot Center. The Galaxy are in ninth place in the Western Conference with 11 points from 11 games.

HIGHLIGHTS: CHV 1, LA 0
LAST MATCH

• The game's only goal came after the 70th minute, when a deflected cross fell perfectly for Jose Erick Correa, whose shot hit the outstretched arm of Galaxy defender David Junior Lopes, resulting in a penalty for Chivas and a straight red card for the defender for denying a goalscoring opportunity.

• Correa’s first spot kick attempt was called back for encroachment, but the Colombian buried his second try for his second goal in two matches. 
  
• Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena made four changes to the team that came back for a 1-1 draw with the Montreal Impact at Olympic Stadium. David Junior Lopes came into the back four for Dan Keat, Mike Magee and Marcelo Sarvas started in midfield for Michael Stephens and David Beckham, and Pat Noonan came in up top for Robbie Keane. 
  
• LA GALAXY (4-4-2): Brian Perk - Sean Franklin, David Junior Lopes (sent off 70), A.J. DeLaGarza, Todd Dunivant - Mike Magee (Chad Barrett 78), Marcelo Sarvas, Juninho, Kyle Nakazawa (David Beckham 74) - Pat Noonan (Edson Buddle 60), Landon Donovan. 

       TEAM NEWS 

The Galaxy were shut out for a third time in the last four games, and still have yet to keep a clean sheet this season in league play. “I think the difference in the game is we did poorly with the chances we created. And in a game like that someone has to take advantage of it,” said Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena. “Goal scoring opportunities, we had a couple of real good ones, certainly in the second half, and did poorly with them.”

The Galaxy lost a SuperClasico game to Chivas USA for the first time since 2007 and saw their six-game winning streak in the series put to an end. 

RED CARD: Lopes gives away PK for handball
“I think on the season our record is probably not real precise in terms of how we’ve played,” Arena said. “I think we’ve played a little bit better than our record indicates. But tonight the difference in the game was taking a chance. We didn’t do it and give them credit.” 

Pat Noonan made his first start of the season, partnering Landon Donovan in attack after Robbie Keane was unavailable after experience tightness in his right hamstring during the week.

“Pat hasn’t played a whole lot for us but we thought he’d be a good combination with Landon,” said Arena. “I don’t think that Landon was comfortable playing up top tonight, I don’t think he did well in terms of holding the ball in situations where needed it held. I thought he did better in the midfield in the second half. I thought Pat was solid.” 

David Beckham, who arrived in LA on Saturday afternoon after fulfilling commitments to the London Olympic Games, came on for the final quarter-hour. Marcelo Sarvas and Juninho made their second start of the season together in central midfield.

“I thought they did a good job tonight. They both had good games. It was a good game. It was a pretty even game for sure,” Arena said. “The Galaxy have now conceded three penalty kicks this season and a different goalkeeper has seen each one. Josh Saunders stopped an Omar Cummings (Colorado) spot kick on April 21 and Brek Shea (FC Dallas (beat Bill Gaudette on April 28.

Brian Perk has now faced a penalty in two of the three regular season games that he has started in his MLS career.

“It’s kind of been the same old story,” said Landon Donovan. “I thought we played really well in the beginning of the second half, and had some chances to score and didn’t. And then one kind of weird play and that determined the game and that’s kind of how it’s been all year.”

The Galaxy will be without both Donovan and Robbie Keane, who have joined the U.S. and Ireland national teams, respectively. “It's not as much an issue as it is for the team to play better as a group. That's the challenge," Arena said to the (LA) Daily News. "We haven't won with those players, so I don't think it's going to hurt us.”

"It's always difficult when you lose players. But we have to realize we can't rely on individuals and can't rely on the talents of Robbie and Landon or whoever steps out of games,” said Beckham. "Last year one of the reasons we won a championship is we had a lot of strength and depth, a lot of character throughout the team. We had a lot of character with the players that actually weren't starters. That's one of the reasons we won the championship. We have to instill that in our team now and get moving."   

SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES

The San Jose Earthquakes once again left it late, again scoring a dramatic equalizing goal for a 1-1 draw with the Columbus Crew on Saturday evening at Buck Shaw Stadium. The Quakes are in second place in the Western Conference with 24 points from 12 games.

LAST MATCH
HIGHLIGHTS: SJ 1, CLB 1

• The Crew took the lead in first-half stoppage time. Justin Meram cut inside from the left and beat veteran San Jose 'keeper Jon Busch with a superb finish, finding the far side netting from just inside the left corner of the box. 
  
• But the Quakes once again head some late magic. Alan Gordon took a quick layoff from Chris Wondolowski in the area and hammered a rising drive. The ball crashed off the crossbar, but Gordon was able to acrobatically hook it back into the goal for the 90th-minute leveller. 
  
• Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop made one change to the team that got a late goal for a 1-1 draw with Chivas USA at Buck Shaw Stadium. Rafael Baca came into the midfield in place of Tressor Moreno. 
  
• SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-3-1-2): Jon Busch - Steven Beitashour, Jason Hernandez, Justin Morrow, Ramiro Corrales - Rafael Baca (Tressor Moreno 70), Sam Cronin, Simon Dawkins - Khari Stephenson (Sam Garza 56) - Steven Lenhart (Alan Gordon 60), Chris Wondolowski. 

TEAM NEWS

For a second consecutive match, Alan Gordon provided late dramatics, his 90th-minute goal giving San Jose a 1-1 draw with Columbus last weekend. Since being acquired from Toronto FC last July, all four of Gordon’s goals with San Jose have come after the 70th minute. 

“Alan has been terrific for us this year. He is everything you want in a player, a great person and a hard-worker who wants to do well for his team,” said Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop.

“He is a great teammate. We have relied on him the past two games and he has had two outstanding finishes the past two matches that have gotten us some important points. I am very happy for him right now.”       

It was the fourth time in the last six matches San Jose has scored the tying or winning goal in the 88th minute or later. 

“This team has a ‘never say die’ attitude as is, but when you have the fans behind you it makes the difference in most of these matches,” Gordon said. “We had plenty of opportunities, and missed a penalty kick, but we kept fighting and ended up with a hard-earned point. It’s important to get these points at home if you want to be a true playoff threat."

Chris Wondolowski was held without a goal for a second consecutive game for a first time this season, but did record his third assist of the season on the Gordon goal. “That was all Chris (Wondolowski). He brought it down and laid off a great ball for me. I didn’t do well putting it away on the initial shot, but luckily I got to the rebound and was able to finish,” said Gordon. “Once I saw I had a chance to follow up my shot, I knew I had to have it.”

The Quakes have scored more than half of their 23 goals (12) on the season after the 60th minute - with six coming in the final quarter-hour (tied for most in MLS with Colorado).

“You can look at it as a negative, but I look at it as a positive,” said Yallop. “You can’t buckle once you get scored on. Our guys this year have not buckled when they have been scored on.”   

GOAL: Gordon’s scissor kick ties it up
The Earthquakes extended their unbeaten streak at Buck Shaw Stadium to five games. The Quakes now have their next four games on the road; they next play a league game in Santa Clara on June 30 (their second match against the LA Galaxy). 

“We find a way to make it interesting. Unfortunately, the goals haven’t been coming for us the last couple of matches, but this team knows how to scratch and claw for every point and you saw that,” said defender Jason Hernandez. “We stayed confident and positive throughout and we are finding ways to win. The heart and character of this team has shown in the early part of this season.”

The Quakes will now be without Wondolowski, at least for this week, after he was called into the U.S. national team in advance of the World Cup qualifying opener.

“We’ve talked going into these middle 10 or 11 games that we need to grind points,” said goalkeeper Jon Busch. “Gordo has saved us twice here the last couple of weeks.”