San Jose Earthquakes and LA Galaxy will meet again at PayPal Park for the 104th edition of the California Clásico, entering the match in completely different positions during the 2025 Major League Soccer season. San Jose sits in fifth place in the Western Conference with 26 points, while Galaxy is at the very bottom with only 8 points from 19 matches. The difference between the two teams, both in terms of performance and expectations, is hard to ignore.
The rivalry carries plenty of history, but right now there’s a clear favorite. San Jose is looking to keep its comeback season on track after missing the playoffs last year. Galaxy is feeling the pressure, still without answers, trying to avoid another blow despite having some big names in the squad.
San Jose on the rise and closing in on the playoffs
Under Bruce Arena, San Jose Earthquakes have shown real signs of progress. They’ve won seven of their 19 matches, drawn five and lost seven. After going two games without a win — one loss to St. Louis City and a draw with Portland Timbers — they bounced back in their last outing and now aim to keep the momentum going against their biggest rival.
The team has also delivered strong numbers in attack. With 39 goals scored so far, San Jose leads MLS in scoring this season. Much of that comes from the chemistry between forwards Josef Martínez and Chicho Arango, who have combined for 18 goals and 4 assists. On top of that, winger Cristian Espinoza leads the league in key passes and is among the top assist providers, with 11.
Collectively, the team has been solid. They’ve been competing well against direct playoff contenders in the conference and are now seriously in the mix for one of the top nine spots. A win against a struggling Galaxy side could push them even further and give the group a boost heading into the final stretch of the season.
LA Galaxy stuck at the bottom
While San Jose pushes to stay near the top of the Western Conference, LA Galaxy is stuck in a nightmare. They’ve won just once in 19 games, with 13 losses and five draws. That lone victory came in Round 17, when they beat Real Salt Lake 2-0. Since then, they managed a 3-3 draw away at St. Louis City but followed it up with a 2-0 loss to Colorado Rapids.
Even with experienced players like German veteran Marco Reus, who has 2 goals and 5 assists in his last six games, and Brazilian Gabriel Pec, who was named MLS Rookie of the Year in 2024, the team just hasn’t found a way to respond. Pec’s form has dropped off noticeably, with only 3 goals and 2 assists this season.
This poor run has Galaxy on course for the dreaded “Wooden Spoon,” the unofficial title for the league’s worst team, a fate that belonged to San Jose in 2024. The idea of MLS’s most successful club finishing the year in that spot is becoming more realistic with every match unless something changes fast.