CARSON, Calif. - As the LA Galaxy prepare for their California Clasico matchup with the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday afternoon (7:30 pm ET, FS1), LA midfielder and Bay Area native Sebastian Lletget had a confession for LA Galaxy fans about his childhood allegiances.
“All I remember was yelling out ‘Beat LA’,” Lletget recalled of his time as a young soccer fan. “Now the tables have turned, and all I want to do is beat San Jose. It’s funny how it’s all kind of changed.”
The 23-year-old was born in San Francisco, and grew up in Santa Clara, just outside San Jose, and even though he plays in LA, he still considers himself a Bay Area kid.
“Absolutely,” Lletget said. “The city is definitely in my heart, but LA is where I am now, and I couldn’t be happier.”
Lletget was playing for his youth club, Sporting Santa Clara, and the US Under-17 National Team, when scouts from Premier League side West Ham United spotted him. He moved to England in 2009 and signed with West Ham in 2010. He said he never considered signing with the Quakes, his hometown club.
“At the time, I just thought of Europe. That was my only option and that’s what I was focused on. Now that I’ve come back to the league, I couldn’t be happier where I am.”
Since joining the Galaxy in 2015 after five years with West Ham, Lletget has started all four matches against San Jose, notching a goal in LA’s 5-2 rout of their in-state rivals on July 17, 2015, and is looking forward to the rivalry atmosphere on Sunday at StubHub Center.
“It’s going to be a great game,” Lletget said. “It always is, it’s always aggressive, and we look forward to it. We’re aware of the rivalry, and it’s going to be a good game.”
The physicality between the two sides in California Clasico history is not lost on Lletget, and he’s prepared for that extra dimension of the upcoming match.
“The one thing that’s always stuck with me is that it’s always a very aggressive game, very physical, and I’m expecting the same on Sunday.”
