Quakes go young as LAFC tries to get rolling

The San Jose Earthquakes look to leave greater Los Angeles with at least one win when they face Los Angeles FC on Wednesday night.

The Earthquakes (2-2-2, eight points) won three games and scored 12 goals in a surprise run through the MLS is Back tournament in July, but they were eliminated in the quarterfinals. Their first game in four weeks was against the LA Galaxy, a 3-2 loss Saturday in Carson, Calif.

San Jose was to have played last Wednesday at home against the Portland Timbers, but the game was postponed amid players' protests of the police shooting of Jacob Blake and racial inequality. So the Earthquakes are set Wednesday for their second game of six matches in 20 days, with the postponed game rescheduled.

Some young Quakes earned valuable experience in the Galaxy game, notably 16-year-old Cade Cowell, who started and scored his first MLS goal.

"Based on what I saw in training, I thought it was time to use the youngsters, especially in these types of games which will develop them as good professionals," coach Matias Almeyda told the San Jose Mercury News. "With the remaining time in the season, I'm going to try things out."

LAFC's 16 goals in seven matches are the second most in the league, with Diego Rossi the MLS leader in goals with seven. But LAFC (2-2-3, nine points) have also conceded 15 goals, and they enter Wednesday's game with consecutive losses.

The most recent setback was by a 3-1 count to the Seattle Sounders on Sunday.

"We have a lot of guys who are not in good form, and mentally they're just not where they need to be," coach Bob Bradley said soon after the loss at Seattle.

Bradley said the team's performance level has slipped some in training since LAFC's return from the MLS bubble in Florida.

--Field Level Media