San Jose Earthquakes Look to Bounce Back over FC Dallas | OneFootball

There’s no rest for the San Jose Earthquakes, as they return to PayPal Park for a Saturday night match against FC Dallas.

Earthquakes Hope to Recover from a Tough Loss

San Jose traveled up to Seattle on Wednesday for a mid-week battle against their coastal rivals where they were seeking revenge for their Week 4 1-0 loss. The Sounders were hoping to lock down a conference double over the top ranked team in the league, and claim the Heritage Cup for the season.

It was Seattle who got their wish via a 90th minute winner, bringing the final score to 3-2 in their favor. Such a high goal tally went against the grain for both clubs. Coming into this tie, Seattle had scored the third fewest goals in the Western Conference (14), while allowing the fewest (6). San Jose’s defense was right behind them, having allowed only 8 over 11 games. 

But one thing Seattle had on their side was schedule. They have played two fewer games than San Jose, who were coming into their 5th game in 15 games. Exhaustion certainly played a factor. San Jose’s passing lacked its usual crispness, runs weren’t quite as fast, and marking got a little spotty – particularly in the final goal as Osaze De Rosario was left unmarked to head the ball into the net. 

San Jose doesn’t truck in excuses, however. Their “never say die” attitude was on display from the opening whistle, and instrumental in their 2nd minute goal resulting from a ferocious high press. Now the Quakes faithful will see how their side bounces back from a stinging defeat.

FC Dallas

Dallas is 7th in the Western Conference, 11th overall, with a solid 5-4-4 record. Three of their four losses have come in the past five games, however, so their form is somewhat fragile. Each of those losses has been by a single goal.

Until Lionel Messi’s hat-trick masterclass against FC Cincinnati, Dallas’ Petar Musa was the Golden Boot leader.

The Czech striker has notched 11 this season, good enough to get a likely call-up for the World Cup. He’s failed to score in the past two matches, and will undoubtedly be hungry to test the tired legs of Earthquakes’ back line. 

Dallas may be one of the better teams defensively, with 19 goals conceded, but they’ll have their hands full stopping San Jose’s Preston Judd. Judd has six goals in the past five games, and is looking to tie Chris Wondolowski’s record of scoring in six consecutive matches, a feat Wondo accomplished twice.

How It Should Play

The Earthquakes have scored in the opening ten minutes of the past three games. Don’t expect that intensity and high energy to drop in the slightest. Scoring first matters to both teams, but particularly to Dallas. Los Toros are 3-0 when leading at halftime, 5-1-2 when scoring first, and 0-3-1 when conceding first.

After their first loss to Seattle, San Jose went on a run of ten straight games undefeated – eight of those wins. If they respond with similar ferocity, then it could be a long night for Dallas.