California Clasico

California Clasico

The California Clásico is a soccer rivalry between two Major League Soccer teams, the Los Angeles Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes, which existed from 1996 to 2005 and was resumed in 2008. The rivalry reached its peak from 2001 to 2005, during which time the Earthquakes and the Galaxy combined to win four MLS Cup titles in a five-year period. The term "Clásico" is commonly used to refer to other rivalries in Spanish-speaking countries, most prominently, Spain's El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid or Argentina's Superclásico between Boca Juniors and River Plate. Los Angeles and San Jose is considered to be one of the most historical rivalries in American soccer. British daily newspaper, The Guardian rates "the California Clásico is perhaps the most historic and intense rivalry the league has." The rivalry originated from the historical Northern California vs. Southern California sporting and cultural rivalries, as well as from the relative proximity of the cities, which are about 360 miles (580 km) apart, which allows rival fans to attend each other's games. They are sometimes identified with opposing political positions, with Los Angeles (Southern California) viewed as representing conservatism and San Jose (Northern California) viewed as representing liberalism. SB Nation claims that the California Clásico may be the most important rivalry in MLS. This rivalry is considered to be the only top American soccer rivalry in the world.