The California Clásico — the matchup between the Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes — is Major League Soccer’s most storied rivalry. It stretches to MLS’ founding season in 1996 when San Jose set a city sporting attendance record as more than 31,000 fans turned up to watch the teams play.
Many of the league’s top players, from David Beckham and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Chris Wondolowski and Dwayne de Rosario, made their mark on the Clásico over the years. Landon Donovan, one of the top players in U. S. soccer history, played for both sides at different times in his career.
On Sunday, the Galaxy and the Quakes met to contest the 100th Cali Clásico in Los Angeles. The Galaxy entered the match as the top team in MLS West while the Quakes entered as the worst, but records mean little in games this intense. The teams played out a frantic and fascinating match, with the Galaxy earning a 4-3 win.