I do wonder what these MLS scheduling folks are on, and where I can score some, cause they certainly have a curious way of placing fixtures. Tonight’s marquee Western Conference matchup between the San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo is a great example.
Tight Turnaround
Only two short weeks ago these two faced off in Houston. I trumpetted the fixture as a potential goal-fest; and was wrong. It turned out to be a taut, tense affair that ended with a 0-0 draw, keeping both clubs fixed in their 2nd and 5th places in the Western Conference standings.
For Houston, the result was a letdown. After a humbling defeat to St. Louis the week before, Houston was looking for a boomerang. Even more frustratingly, they drew Charlotte FC with the same 0-0 scoreline in their following tie. This mini “slump” allowed Vancouver to take and keep a three-point lead in the top position. Things improved on Wednesday with a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake whose scoreline doesn’t accurately portray how well they played.
The Quakes post-World Cup break form had been awful up to that point, with five losses and draw and an abysmal -12 goal differential. So the draw definitely felt like a win. The squad’s play also showed improved fluidity and urgency, and of course any clean sheet is welcome after conceding 18 in the past six games. Quakes would play Austin FC the following week, scoring early and holding a 1-0 lead right up until the seventh minute of stoppage time when Guilherme Biro would snatch an equalizer. On Wednesday San Jose travelled down to San Diego, where they once again struck quickly, building a 3-0 lead by the 35th minute. They would have to grit their teeth and grind out the victory, as San Diego surged in the second half and ultimately brought the scoreline to 3-2.
Saturday’s Fixture: What’s at Stake
So this reverse fixture is nearly a mirror image of the first. Houston is still in 2nd; San Jose is still in 5th. This time, the momentum is slightly favoring San Jose. After three straight road games without a loss, the Quakes faithful will pack PayPal Park and should offer lusty support to spur on their side. A win puts them on 41 points, possibly into 3rd place if LAFC and FC Dallas lose. Head coach Bruce Arena, in his typical deadpan style, summed up the Quakes position after the match: “Our team is very close to turning the corner and becoming a good team.“
The visiting Houston Dynamo will be hungry, however, knowing full well that a victory puts them level on points with Vancouver, at least for a few hours until they kickoff Sunday against Austin. The Whitecaps’ superior goal differential ensures they’ll be #1 in the West at least one more week.
San Jose: Who To Watch
After missing a number of weeks due to groin surgery, Niko Tsakiris returned to the line-up after the World Cup break. But it’s been slow going for the young midfielder, as he’s needed to re-establish himself back into the position. That was, until Wednesday. Tsakiris was involved in all three goals, scoring the first and assisting the other two. The final assist to Ousseni Bouda was particularly sublime: an outside of the foot curving pass that met the Burkinabé forward’s perfectly timed run. It should also be noted that goalkeeper Angus Gunn, whose adjustment after signing in July has been choppy, made some big time saves to keep his team in it. No word at this time whether Preston Judd will be available. He exited the match in the 30th minute after appearing to strain a leg.
San Jose: Possible Line-Up
There should be a few changes from Wednesday’s match, particularly in the middle. Note that if Judd is injured, Bouda will start up top in the no.9 and Aussie Luka Jovanovic in his outside slot.
Angus Gunn;
Daniel Munie, David Romney, Reid Roberts;
Jack Jasinski, Eduard Löwen, Beau Leroux, Ronaldo Viera;
Niko Tsakiris, Ousseni Bouda;
Preston Judd
Houston: Who To Watch
It’s all about the attack for Houston. Under coach Ben Olsen, the Dynamo play a somewhat old-school 4-4-2 formation with two strikers up top. Brazilian Guilherme has 13 goals already, but his most impressive statistic is that total is nearly double his 6.94 xG. So he scores from impossible angles. He may trail in numbers, but Guilherme’s Polish counterpart Mateusz Bogusz is finally heating up. He struck a banger on Wednesday to seal Houston’s win, and could be very dangerous for San Jose to deal with. Ignore him at your peril!
Houston: Possible Line-Up
Expect to see versatile player Lawrence Ennali make a start. This versatile player has slotted into right wing, left midfield, right back, left wing and left back this season and appeared in every match.
Jonathan Bond;
Franco Negri, Antônio Carlos, Lucas Halter, Lawrence Ennali;
Aliyu Ibrahim, Artur, Héctor Herrera, Agustín Bouzat;
Mateusz Bogusz, Guilherme
