California Clásico
The California Clásico is the name given to the soccer rivalry between the LA Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes. This Major League Soccer rivalry reached its zenith from 2001 to 2005, during which time the Earthquakes and the Galaxy combined to win four MLS Cup titles. The term "Clasico" is commonly used to refer to other rivalries in Spanish-speaking countries, most prominently, the Spanish Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid, or the Argentine Superclásico between Boca Juniors and River Plate.
San Jose Earthquakes
| |
| Location | California, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Teams | LA Galaxy San Jose Earthquakes |
| First meeting | April 28, 1996 MLS regular season LA 2–1 SJ |
| Latest meeting | March 2, 2024 MLS regular season SJ 1–3 LA |
| Next meeting | April 21, 2024 MLS regular season LA v SJ |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 99 |
| Most wins | LA Galaxy (47) |
| Top scorer | Landon Donovan |
| All-time series | LA: 47 Drawn: 19 SJ: 33 |
| Largest victory | LA 0–4 SJ MLS regular season (October 14, 2020) |
Los Angeles and San Jose is considered to be one of the most historical rivalries in American soccer. The British daily newspaper The Guardian rates "the California Clasico is perhaps the most historic and intense rivalry the league has." Todd Dunivant, the retired U.S. national team and MLS player, when asked about the rivalry stated "I think it's the best rivalry in MLS, I think it's got the most history, it's got the most meaningful big games".
The rivalry originated from the historical Northern California vs. Southern California sporting and cultural rivalries, as well as from the relative proximity of the cities, which are about 360 miles (580 km) apart, which allows rival fans to attend each other's games.