LA Galaxy vs San Jose Earthquakes: Predicted Starting XI

We were already going to see a different lineup against the San Jose Earthquakes tonight, than the one that Curt Onalfo threw out during midweek.

But then a yellow card picked up by Smith against the Sacramento Republic (and his DisCo suspension), means changes to the back line too.

Without further ado, here is our predicted starting XI for Saturday night.

Goalkeeper: Diop

After his horror match against Sporting Kansas City, Clement Diop will be chomping at the bit to get back to action. What better way to get his confidence back up than getting a clean sheet on the road against the most bitter of rivals?

Defense: Cole, Van Damme, Romney, Diallo

After a few weeks off with an injury, expect Bradley Diallo to slot into the right back position. If he isn’t quite ready, Dave Romney will be there with Hugo Arellano sliding next to the Captain.

Midfield: Pedro, Garcia

How rested are these two? They both played during the U.S. Open Cup, with Pedro going 84 minutes on Wednesday night. With a quick turnaround against Real Salt Lake Tuesday night, how long is the Portuguese man going to last?

Attacking Midfielders: Boateng, Alessandrini, Villarreal

Romain Alessandrini has played the number 10 role quite well in Giovani dos Santos’ absence. His form has not dipped and he is an absolute handful for all MLS defenses. Can San Jose stop him? Probably not.

Forward: McBean

With Jack McInerney getting the start last Wednesday, you should expect Jack McBean to get the start against the other Northern California club.