Los Angeles Galaxy (MLS) at San Jose Earthquakes (MLS)

Monday, July 10 – 10:30 p.m. EST

Avaya Stadium – San Jose, CA

BROADCAST: ONLINE VIDEO



Winner will play Sporting KC / FC Dallas winner (Site / Date TBD)

San Jose Earthquakes Open Cup records

Overall: 13-10-6 (3-3 PK) | Home: 6-5-2 (1-1 PK) | Away: 7-5-3 (2-1 PK) | vs. MLS: 1-7-3 (0-3 PK)

Last entry: 2016 (Lost 2-0 at Portland Timbers of MLS in Round 4)

Best finish: 2004 Semifinals (Lost 1-0 at Kansas City Wizards of MLS)

Leading goalscorer: Four players tied with 1 (Cordell Cato, Danny Hoesen, Shea Salinas, Jackson Yueill)

Los Angeles Galaxy Open Cup records

Overall: 30-14-1 (1-0 PK) | Home: 21-3-0 | Away: 9-11-1 (1-0 PK) | vs. MLS: 12-10-1 (1-0 PK)

Last entry: 2016 (Lost 2-1 in OT vs. FC Dallas of MLS in Semifinals)

Best finish: 2001, 2005 US Open Cup champions

Leading goalscorer: Ariel Lassiter (2)

The California Clasico will decide the first of four US Open Cup semifinalists in 2017. The San Jose Earthquakes will host long-time rivals, the Los Angeles Galaxy, at Avaya Stadium in the Quarterfinals on Monday, July 10. The LA Galaxy has never lost to San Jose in Open Cup play, currently holding a 4-0-1 (1-0 PKs) record over their rivals in this competition. Only two other matchups (Seattle Sounders vs. Portland Timbers / New England Revolution vs. Rochester Rhinos with 7 each) in the Modern Era are more common than the Galaxy and the Earthquakes will face off for the sixth time on Monday night.

The two California MLS clubs have already met twice this year in league play with each side winning one game. On July 1, in the annual match between the two clubs at Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto, the home fans were treated to an epic last-minute winner from long-time Earthquake player, Shea Salinas. This was after the captains of both sides, Jelle Van Damme and Chris Wondolowski, had each hit the back of the net to make the score 1-1 heading into stoppage time.

In the first match between the two sides back on May 27, the Galaxy won 4-2 at Avaya Stadium in San Jose. Giovani Dos Santos led the way for LA with two goals that night, while Emmanuel Boateng scored as well. The host got goals from Wondolowski, who always seems to score against the Galaxy, and Daniel Hoesen, who also scored the match winner in the last round of the Cup for San Jose.

The Earthquakes come into the Open Cup match off of a tough road loss in Atlanta. This was the team’s first loss under new head coach Chris Leitch. San Jose took the lead early through Tommy Thompson’s first-ever goal for the club, but then went down to 10 men when Kofi Sarkodie got a second yellow in the first half. Wondolowski scored for the Quakes in the second half to level the match at two before Atlanta United scored twice more late in the game to win the match 4-2.

San Jose reached the Quarterfinals of the Open Cup by knocking off the NASL’s San Francisco Deltas 2-0 in the Fourth Round at home. They then got by a 10-man Seattle Sounders in the Round of 16 off of a late winner from Daniel Hoesen in a 2-1 win at Avaya. This was the Earthquakes’ first-ever win over a MLS side in their history in the Open Cup proper rounds (1-7-3, 0-3 PKs). With a victory over LA, the San Jose would equal its best-ever run in the Cup when they reached the Semifinals back in 2004. That year, they featured players like Landon Donovan, Brian Ching, Dwayne De Rosario, and Jeff Agoos.

The Earthquakes currently sit in fifth place in the MLS Western Conference standings and are currently 2-1 in all competitions under new head coach Chris Leitch. Leitch picked up his first-ever win as a head coach in the last round of the Open Cup and his first loss against Atlanta United on July 4. Leitch won the Cup as a player for the Columbus Crew back in 2002. The key player for the Earthquakes will be Wondolowski, who has a knack for scoring in big games against the Galaxy. He has scored twice against them already this year.

Their opponent, the LA Galaxy, are coming off of a tough period that has seen them battle through multiple player injuries and absences. Following the heartbreaking California Clasico loss, the Galaxy were beaten down by Real Salt Lake at home in their annual 4th of July match, 6-2. At the time, Real was in last place. The Galaxy won just one game in the month of June outside of US Open Cup play and have yet to win in July.

The Galaxy, a two-time champions of the US Open Cup (2001, 2005), reached the Quarterfinals of this year’s tournament without playing a MLS side in their first two rounds of action. They beat Orange County SC (USL) at Stubhub Center Track and Field Stadium, 3-1. Both Jack McBean and Jose Villarreal, two former Galaxy Academy products, found the back of the net. They then got by another USL team, the Sacramento Republic, by a score of 2-0. Ariel Lassiter scored his 2nd goal in as many Open Cup games for LA, while another Galaxy Academy product, Bradford Jamieson, added the second goal.

The Galaxy have a 30-14-1 (1-0 PKs) all-time record in the tournament, the seventh-most wins of the Modern Era. However, last year, the Galaxy reached the Semifinals of the tournament for the first time since they won it all in 2006. From 2007-2014, they failed to qualify twice, were one-and-done to a lower division team three times, and lost to a lower division team in the second game three times.

The Galaxy have dropped out of the playoff spot in the MLS Western Conference and into 7th place following the losses this past week. The return of a few Galaxy leaders will be key as LA looks to bounce back from this rough patch. Giovani Dos Santos has returned to the Galaxy following his time with Mexico at the Confederations Cup, while Jelle Van Damme looks set to return after a red card suspension stemming from the end of the July 1 California Clasico. This kept him out of the match against Real Salt Lake on July 4.

The winner of this Open Cup match will earn a ticket to the semifinals against the winner of the match between Sporting Kansas City and FC Dallas on the following night. The hosting scenarios will be decided following the conclusion of all four games to be played in the quarterfinal round.