• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

L.A. tests unbeaten streak at San Jose

Jun 24, 2011 - 9:11 PM Santa Clara, CA (Sports Network) - Landon Donovan last played for Los Angeles in late May, but the Galaxy have not missed their star.

While Donovan has helped the United States advance to CONCACAF Gold Cup final, the Galaxy are unbeaten in their last three games without him to extend their overall undefeated streak to nine.

Donovan will be missing again Saturday night, when L.A. (9-2-7) visits the San Jose Earthquakes (5-5-4) at Buck Shaw Stadium in Major League Soccer.

And David Beckham could be absent again for L.A., too. He missed a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids last week with back spasms, and coach Bruce Arena was not expecting to have Beckham available this week either.

"I would think David is unlikely to play this week," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said after training Tuesday, according to the league's website.

Without Donovan and Beckham, L.A. is missing two players responsible for nine goals and seven assists, but Arena has grown accustomed to playing without the duo.

Arena said, we'll "bring (Beckham) back when he's ready to play. It it takes another week, it takes another week."

Another week should have Donovan back in an L.A. uniform, as the Gold Cup ends Saturday night when the U.S. plays Mexico, but on Saturday night Arena needs a goal or two from Chad Barrett (four goals) or Juninho (three goals).

And among the bad news of Donovan and Beckham, former American defender Gregg Berhalter made his season debut last weekend for L.A., providing Arena another option.

But, the Earthquakes (5-5-4) will try to take advantage of L.A. minus Donovan and Beckham, as it hopes to improve a 3-2-2 home record against a team that is 5-2-3 on the road.

But the silver lining is that L.A.'s two defeats this year are on the road, so Frank Yallop's club has a good shot at three points in the California Clasico, even though their six-game win streak ended last weekend.

Sporting Kansas City edged San Jose, 1-0, last Friday, but Yallop's squad had won four of its previous five during the unbeaten run and could return to form and gain confidence with a win over the Galaxy.

"We go to training and find out what we did well, what we didn't do well and you go from there. It?s only one game, there?s other games to go," Earthquakes midfielder Khari Stephenson said.

"You can't get down when you lose a game and you can't get too up when you win one. So we have to continue to work harder and try to get better."