Tired Quakes Draw In The Clasìco

QOBC, S5, E5 - July 3, 2025

source: Joshua Glenn

Josh: So I got to attend my first Cali Clasìco Spectacular and it was a pretty good experience! Seeing my favorite team in a larger venue as the home team was interesting and cool. It was sort of a middle ground from seeing them away at The Gillette with you.

Matt: Congratulations, I bet it really was spectacular! I know from my time at Penn State that having a huge crowd adds another layer to the experience of being at a game. 

Josh: They started the evening with skydivers, multiple singers, and a whole lot of hype, which you know I love. Many other Quakes fans, as you might see on social, were disappointed by Stanford holding on to the NCAA tradition of no alcohol for sale inside the stadium. And I believe the beer garden ran out before kickoff. But hopefully that meant more people were in their seats to watch the Black & Blue face off for 96 minutes.

Matt: Did they not allow tailgating beforehand? I haven’t been to Stanford Stadium, so I don’t know if they have the kind of parking space needed for tons of fans to have a little pregame party.

Josh: There was tailgating for sure, and the Faultliners were in full celebration mode. It looked like people were enjoying themselves, but coming from the World’s Largest Outdoor Bar at PayPal Park to “no drinks at halftime” affects some people’s experiences. 

source: Joshua Glenn

Matt: A shock to the system, I’m sure. But the crowd was plenty hyped at the beginning of the game, and the first half played out as expected. Apart from a shockingly early yellow card, the ref let the teams play bang ‘em up soccer about 90% of the time, as befits a rivalry. The Quakes were up 1-0 at the end of the half, which also fit the statistical narrative that the Quakes were riding a 60% chance to win that night. My big takeaway from the first half was that the Quakes were a much more dynamic team, and while the Galaxy were dangerous given openings or a quick counterattack, the momentum was almost all San Jose. Near the end of the first half, we started to see some of the Galaxy players get under Judd’s skin, which put us on notice that the mind games were underway and Galaxy wasn’t going to go quietly.

Josh: And I’m sure Judd coming from the Galaxy system means they weren’t letting him get away with anything. I was happy to have not too much to watch on the defensive end of the stadium… during the first half!

source: Joshua Glenn

Josh: The halftime performance was built for you and me. The World Champion Drum Corps, The Blue Devils, from nearby Concord, put together a community marching band playing Bay Area hits! Did you know Smashmouth was from San Jose? And Don’t Stop Believin’ was recorded in Berkeley? It looked like 200 young people marching and playing their hearts out.

Matt: I had no idea Smashmouth was from San Jose! What a coincidence, a fav band from your past was from your future home! I am jealous - it’s been a long time since I’ve been to a drum corps show, which is all my fault, and maybe this is a sign it’s time for me to go again. I will always remember going to a show in Erie, Pennsylvania, watching the top corps compete. There is NOTHING like the sound of a large group of high-quality brass players working together. Recommend.

source: Joshua Glenn

Josh: Seconded - now that we’ve attended a Quakes & Revs match, drum corps show is on the list! Unfortunately for the San Jose faithful, the second half left a lot to be desired. Clearly, Los Angeles dominated possession, and the Great 408 showed that they had hustled out in Dallas just a couple days before. And sure enough, even though Daniel held strong with 6 great saves, a run-through rebound put Reus on the scoreboard, and tied up the match.

Matt: A tale of two halves can be painful, and that was the case here. When all was said and done, I think the stats show that the Galaxy accomplished their minimum goal, to come away with at least one point. They had more shots on target (7-3), more corners (7-3), and more fouls (16-9). On the flip side, the Galaxy had an xG of 2.8 compared to the Quakes xG of 0.9, so the final score of 1-1 is to the Quakes’ credit.

source: Joshua Glenn

Josh: Although the crowd left feeling defeated, a few minutes later, the stadium dimmed the lights and a 100-foot Earthquakes logo was animated in the sky above by 1000 drones. Then they made other Quakes-friendly pictures in an impressive feat! I’ve never seen a drone show like that before, and it was impressive. They’ve figured out how to make a spectacle worthy of being a fireworks-alternative.

Matt: I’ve never even heard of a drone show. That must have been amazing. Not only are you getting more visual variety, but possibly less environmental fallout, as in, no ash and cinders falling everywhere.

Josh: And in California, you know we’re mindful of our fire risk. So our Earthquakes are in a good place in the standings after Matchday 20 - 6th place. Had they found a second goal, or had the stamina to hold back the Galaxy, they’d be in 4th, passing Portland on the Goal Differential (+8).

Matt: All of those stats are good signs for the Quakes. To be first in xG and to have Espinoza first in MLS Key Passes and second in Assists is fantastic. Arango is where I think many people would say he should be: third in shots, tied for eighth in goals. Arango brings so many intangibles related to pressure, intensity, and winning duels, and I’m sure he doesn’t mind rookie Leroux getting in on the goal-scoring action. In addition to playing quick counterattack and set piece ball, Galaxy had some success pushing in on the left side. I’d like to see that left D firm up a bit more for the next match.

Josh: There was a lot lost in transition in midfield, so there’s some support needed there - maybe some balance for our attacking midfielders. Wrapping up June was the amazing conclusion of Pride Month in the US, and the MLS did not disappoint this year. The Love Lifts Us Up warmup looks pretty great. Will your panel of experts be hoping to find one in their size this year?

source: mlsstore.com

Matt: I think this year’s Pride Kit is a 100% win, and the rate that they are selling backs me up. In recent years there has usually been a decent amount of stock after the Pride Month game, and this year there was very little, with people walking to the Pro Shop registers with sometimes 3 or 4 of them. If you go on the MLS soccer website, most of them are marked “ALMOST GONE!” I don’t know if we’ll have one in our stock at the end of the season, but I wouldn’t be shocked.

Josh: Thanks to their success in the US Open Cup, San Jose is next playing five matches in 14 days, including a brief trip to Minnesota and a pop up to Seattle. The MLS Season Western Conference matches (MNUFC, Dallas, Seattle) are right in the pocket where it can change the playoff picture. Do you think Coach Bruce will risk the US Open Cup to prioritize the MLS rankings?

Matt: Four games in 12 days is kind of ridiculous, to be honest. I think the sequence all hinges on the first game against the Red Bulls. If the Quakes take 3 points against the Red Bulls, which they should, Arena could rotate out a little of the Starting XI against Austin and hopefully focus most of his firepower for this four-game stretch on Minnesota. 

Josh: While you know I’d love to say 12 points, I’ll blend a little humility and say 8 for this run, especially because the fatigue and the fitness has been an ongoing challenge for the Quakes. Coach Bruce said Noel Buck and Niko Tsakiris are working their way back to health, so maybe we’ll see them sub in and get some minutes to return to fighting shape. We’ll definitely be watching! Vamos SJ!

Quake-o-meter for Match 20 (Richter goes to 9, OURS goes to 10)

Category	Matt	Josh	Average
Offense	7.5	7.5	7.5
Midfield	7.25	6.5	6.85
Defense	7.5	8	7.75
GK	8	9	8.5
Strategy/Coaching	8	8	8
Team Composure	7	6	6.5

Final Score on the Quake-o-meter Richter Scale: 7.52 / 10 - might be enough to make it into the Playoffs, but no homefield advantage, and no rest for the weary.

Current % chance of a San Jose/New England MLS Cup Final: 55% - Gotta get those Revs up a little bit to have a chance to join SJ in the postseason!

Twitter/X and Instagram: @QuakesCoasts

#Quakes74 #MLS #soccer #BayArea #SanJose #sanjoseearthquakes #paypalpark #sjearthquakes