Just three matches remain for LAFC at Banc of California Stadium in this inaugural season. On Saturday, the Black & Gold host the San Jose Earthquakes for the first time in Club history.
From a fan perspective, the last time these two teams met was an instant classic. Down a goal entering the 90th minute, LAFC converted what looked like a loss into three points thanks to João Moutinho's 90'+7' goal in Northern California.
Here's a look at Saturday's match between these two sides:
Where To Watch/Listen
LAFC vs San Jose Earthquakes, September 21 at 12:30p
TV: Univision and streaming live on Twitter
Radio: ESPNLA 710, KFWB 980
Opponent Form
The Earthquakes come into Saturday off the back of one of the stranger MLS matches of the season. Leading 3-1 at home against Supporters' Shield frontrunners Atlanta, San Jose took what looked to be a 4-1 lead thanks to Chris Wondolowski. Immediately after the ball hit the back of the net, the match referee got word of a VAR review. Earthquakes players were under the impression the review was for offside, but it turned out a handball in the San Jose penalty area had been missed prior to Wondo's goal. Not only would the goal be chalked off, but Atlanta would restart play from the spot. Josef Martinez converted the penalty to make it 3-2, and Atlanta would go on to win the match 4-3 in stoppage time.
What The Players Are Saying
Marco Ureña on getting his first MLS goal for LAFC: "It's nice always to score. Of course, as a striker, it is when you feel alive. I got it in the last game, and I hope this game I can score even more and keep going in this way. We need all the strikers going in the same way because we are almost close to the playoffs and we need strikers that are really focused on scoring important goals."
Steven Beitashour on being undefeated this season against his former teams: "It's definitely a team result, thankfully the team gets up for it. So hopefully tomorrow, the team will continue to get up for this games. They're important games. Especially, with the final stretch, six games to go. These points, we can't continue to drop like we did against New England. Hopefully, we can get a good result."
LAFC Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3): Tyler Miller; Jordan Harvey, Dejan Jakovic, Walker Zimmerman, Steven Beitashour; Eduard Atuesta, Benny Feilhaber, Lee Nguyen; Diego Rossi, Marco Ureña, Carlos Vela.
What To Watch For
Ureña Against His Former Side: The last time these two teams met, Marco Ureña was away on World Cup duty with the Costa Rican National Team. Selected by LAFC during the MLS Expansion Draft, Ureña played 25 matches for San Jose last season and scored five goals. Last week, the LAFC striker got over the hump with his first MLS goal for the Black & Gold. Brimming with that confidence, will Ureña take the opportunity to hurt his former side?
Three More Points For Beita: Another LAFC player will be up against his former team on Saturday. Steven Beitashour was drafted by the Earthquakes in the 2010 MLS Draft. Beita scored in LAFC's 4-3 comeback in San Jose, and in the three matches he's faced a former team this season, LAFC are undefeated (2-0 vs. Vancouver, 4-3 vs. San Jose, and 4-2 vs. Toronto). LAFC are still within striking distance of the top two spots in the Western Conference. But they can't afford to drop points at home like the did last week against New England. Now would be a good time for Beita to keep his perfect streak against his former teams intact - wouldn't hurt if he scored another goal against San Jose, either.
Playoff Implications: This time of year, every match matters. LAFC can't clinch a playoff spot with any kind of result on Saturday, but they can inch that much closer to assuring a playoff berth in the inaugural season. Beyond that, if LAFC get a result and the Houston Dynamo are only able to secure a single point, the Dynamo could be eliminated from playoff contention by the end of the weekend.
