Lineups

Clement Diop; Rafael Garcia, Dave Romney, Jelle Van Damme ©, Hugo Arellano; Jaime Villarreal, João Pedro; Bradford Jamieson IV, Jose Villarreal, Emmanuel Boateng; Jack McBean

Bench: Jon Kempin, Josh Turnley, Raul Mendiola, Ariel Lassiter, Jack McInerney

Loaned up from LA Galaxy

Lineup notes

• The LA Galaxy will head north for the 65^th MLS Regular Season California Clásico matchup against the San Jose Earthquakes in a contest at Stanford Stadium.
• Curt Onalfo will be without 12 (!!!) players Saturday night through injuries, suspension and players representing their national team:
  • Injury: Brian Rowe, Sebastian Lletget, Robbie Rogers, Daniel Steres, Jermaine Jones, Baggio Husidic, Bradley Diallo, Ashley Cole, Romain Alessandrini; Suspension: Nathan Smith; International Duty: Gyasi Zardes, Giovani dos Santos
• Note: the LA Galaxy lineup will feature five Homegrown Players, which is tied for the most in league history. The lineup overall features eight players that were either signed directly from LA Galaxy II or have spent significant time with LA Galaxy II: Clement Diop, Rafael Garcia, Dave Romney, Hugo Arellano, Jaime Villarreal, Bradford Jamieson IV, Jose Villarreal and Jack McBean.
• In net, Clement Diop will continue in net and look to rebound from last Saturday’s loss to Sporting KC. The athletic Frenchman has been one of the most talented goalkeepers in USL over the past few seasons and has produced some spectacular saves during his time in MLS thus far.
• On the right, veteran Rafael Garcia will slide back into the right back position – a position he played throughout the preseason and beginning of the year – to fill in for the suspended Nathan Smith. Garcia has become a crucial player on the field this season after years of contribution when called upon.
• In the center of the defense, fellow LA Galaxy II product Dave Romney will make the start, marking his sixth of the season and the 18^th of his MLS career. Romney has been an extremely valuable member of the backline this season, playing in numerous positions in excelling in all of them.
• He’s big, bald, beautiful and Belgian: Jelle Van Damme will once again captain the side Saturday night at Stanford Stadium. Van Damme is having a repeat performance from last year, which saw him earn honors as MLS Best XI.
• On the left side, the young and talented defender Hugo Arellano will slide out wide to fill in for Ashley Cole, who picked up a knock in training this week after a busy schedule in recent weeks. Arellano is an Academy and LA Galaxy II product that has captained youth USMNT sides during his development.
• In the center of midfield is the talented Portuguese midfielder João Pedro, who will make his 16^th start of the season, the most of any player on the LA Galaxy. João has been lights out good over the past month.
• After making his MLS debut last month, Jaime Villarreal will make his third MLS start after becoming an extremely reliable player in central midfield. Saturday will mark the third time that he and his brother, Jose, will start a match together.
• On the right side of the midfield, Bradford Jamieson IV will make his first MLS start this season and the seventh of his MLS career. Bradford is coming off a big week that saw him score the team’s second goal in a 2-0 Open Cup win over Sacramento Republic FC on Wednesday.
• In the center of the midfield, Jose Villarreal makes his third MLS start of the season. Jose has looked solid in recent performances, including a U.S. Open Cup goal and a game-tying MLS assist two weeks ago.
• On the left, he is oh-so-small-and-oh-so-fast, Emmanuel Boateng will make his 14^th start of the season. Once again, he will be the fastest player on the field Saturday night.
• Up top, Jack McBean will make his sixth start of the season. The 22-year-old striker has already made 14 MLS starts and scored four goals and added three assists during his MLS career.

Game notes:

• The Galaxy will play the San Jose Earthquakes Saturday in what will mark the second California Clásico of 2017.
• LA won the first contest 4-2 at Avaya Stadium behind a brace from Giovani dos Santos and goals from Romain Alessandrini and Bradley Diallo.
• All time, LA have gone 30-20-14 against SJ, scoring 104 goals in the 64 previous contests.
• The match will mark the sixth-straight season the Galaxy have faced San Jose at Stanford Stadium, with the Galaxy going 1-3-1 in their previous five.
• This season on the road, the Galaxy have gone 5-2-1 and scored 17 goals while conceding just 12 for a +5 goal differential.
• The Galaxy’s road record is the best in Major League Soccer.

Escape – Rupert Holmes Lyrics

I was tired of my old club, we´d been together too long

Like a worn-out recording, of a favorite song

So while San Jose lay there sleeping, I read the paper in bed

And in the personals column, there was this letter I read

If you like Piña Coladas, and Galaxy games in the rain
If you’re not into NorCal, if you have half a brain
If you like scoring goal in extra time, in the dunes of the pitch
I´m the love that you´ve looked for, write to me, and escape

I didn’t think about old club, I know that sounds kind of mean

But me and my old club, had fallen into the same old dull routine

So I wrote to the paper, took out a personal ad

And though I´m nobody´s poet, I thought it wasn´t half bad

Yes, I like Piña Coladas, and Galaxy games in the rain
I’m not much into health food, I am into champagne
I’ve got to meet you by tomorrow noon, and cut through all this red tape
At the StubHub Center, where we’ll plan our escape

- Rupert Holmes (1980)