Soccer
The 105th edition of the Cali Clásico is upon us when the San Jose Earthquakes host bitter rivals LA Galaxy at Stanford Stadium for Matchday 18’s Walmart Saturday Showdown.
How to watch & stream
When
- Saturday, July 25 | 10:30 pm ET/7:30 pm PT
Where
- Stanford Stadium | Stanford, California
Standings
- 2nd in Western Conference
- 32 points (10W-4L-2D)
Last game
San Jose suffered their worst defeat of the season in their return from the 2026 FIFA World Cup break, falling 4-0 to Orlando City at home on Wednesday night.
German star Timo Werner returned from injury and Scottish goalkeeper Angus Gunn made his MLS debut, but it was not enough to spark a result at PayPal Park.
Players to watch
- Timo Werner: The UEFA Champions League winner arrived as San Jose’s marquee signing ahead of the 2026 season, making an immediate impact.
- Preston Judd: Already notching a career-high goal total this season, Judd (11g/2a) is firmly in the Golden Boot presented by Audi race.
- Daniel Munie: The 26-year-old center back recently earned his first MLS All-Star selection, where he will be San Jose’s lone representative.
Need to know
Following a historically strong start to the season, San Jose have hit a rough patch either side of the World Cup break, losing three of their last four matches and notching only one league win since late April.
But with Werner back from injury and Judd enjoying a career year, the Quakes will be confident in returning to winning ways under legendary head coach Bruce Arena.
A 𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 agenda for the 𝙗𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 event of the summer 💥
it’s the 105th California Clasico at Stanford Stadium this Saturday and we’re celebrating America 🇺🇸
🥁 Fan Fest at Sam McDonald Mall
🍻 @coorslight Beer Garden, Precision Wall, Custom Trading Card Booth,… pic.twitter.com/KJnFdDLIAc— San Jose Earthquakes (@SJEarthquakes) July 23, 2026
Standings
- 10th in Western Conference
- 20 points (5W-7L-5D)
Last game
Things have not gone smoothly for the Galaxy since returning from the World Cup break, dropping consecutive home matches by an aggregate 6-1 scoreline.
It began with a 3-0 El Tráfico defeat against crosstown rivals LAFC before falling 3-1 to St. Louis CITY SC midweek. The Galaxy would love nothing more than finding the win column against their long-term California rivals.
Players to watch
- Marco Reus: The German playmaker leads active Galaxy players in goal contributions this season with 4g/5a.
- Joseph Paintsil: Recording 10 goals in each of the past two seasons for LA, the Ghanaian international has work to do to reach that tally again in 2026.
- Jakob Glesnes: A former MLS Defender of the Year, Glesnes will expectedly partner either Justin Haak or Maya Yoshida at center back with Emiro Garcés suspended (red card).
Need to know
The Galaxy are still searching for their creative spark following the club-record transfer (reportedly up to $13.5 million) of Brazilian winger Gabriel Pec to Cruzeiro in his home nation.
The 2024 Newcomer of the Year remains LA’s top goal contributor this season as Marco Reus and Joseph Paintsil aim to pick up the slack ahead of the arrival of newly acquired striker Kyōgo Furuhashi and the return of joint-leading scorer João Klauss.
With both teams looking to bounce back after midweek losses, the market appears to back hosts San Jose at just over 50% to win and 23% to draw. Can the Galaxy provide an upset?
Market insights shared are current as of Friday, July 24 at 11 am ET
Read MoreAnthony Michaud