Seeking to snap their run of three back-to-back defeats, San Jose Earthquakes go head to head with Seattle Sounders at PayPal Park on Saturday night.
Having failed to win the last seven meetings between the two teams, the Sounders will head into the weekend looking to get one over the hosts and secure their first away win of the campaign.
Match preview
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San Jose Earthquakes failed to stop the rot as they suffered a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Charlotte FC when the two sides squared off at the Bank of America Stadium last weekend.
In a game where Andrew Privett received his marching orders, Pep Biel, Ashley Westwood, Brandt Bronico and Kerwin Calderon Vargas all hit the target to put Charlotte into a commanding four-goal lead before Christian Arango pulled one back from the penalty spot in the 77th minute.
Having kicked off the season with back-to-back victories over Real Salt Lake and Sporting Kansas City, San Jose Earthquakes have now lost three games on the bounce, conceding seven goals and twice in that time.
Coming off the back of a forgettable 2024 campaign, where they finished rock-bottom in the Supporters' Shield standings, Bruce Arena's men have picked up six points from the first 15 available to sit 10th in the Western Conference table, one point and two places above this weekend's visitors.
Seattle Sounders, on the other hand, continue to struggle for results in the new campaign as they were held to a goalless draw by Houston Dynamo whe the two sides met at Lumen Field last weekend.
A total of 19 shots were fired in the game, but with both teams failing to make the most of their chances, neither goalkeeper would end up picking the ball out of the back of the net, with a draw being a fair result upon reflection.
Seattle Sounders have now failed to taste victory in three back-to-back games across all competitions, claiming one draw and losing twice, including a 4-1 hammering at the hands of Mexican outfit Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions Cup on March 12.
Having reached last year's Western Conference final, where they fell to a 1-0 loss against Los Angeles Galaxy, Brian Schmetzer's men have managed just one win from their opening five MLS matches this term — which came on March 8 when they hammered Los Angeles FC 5-2 on home turf — while losing twice and claiming two draws so far.
Next up for Seattle Sounders is the stern challenge of taking on an opposing side, whom they have failed to get the better of in any of their last seven encounters, losing five and claiming two draws since a 3-1 victory in September 2021.
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Team News
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San Jose Earthquakes remain without the services of Benjamin Kikanovic and Argentine midfielder Hernan Lopez, who have been sidelined through hip and shoulder injuries respectively.
Brazilian defender Bruno Costa missed the game against Charlotte last time out and the 30-year-old is also out of contention for this weekend's matchup.
Josef Martinez was also a notable absentee in the aforementioned game after being called up to the Venezuela national team but the 31-year-old should return to the fold this weekend.
Meanwhile, Seattle Sounders will have to cope without the attacking trio of Pedro De la Vega (thigh), Paul Arriola (knee) and Jordan Morris (hamstring), who continue their spells on the sidelines.
Reed Baker-Whiting has been out of action since coming off with a hamstring injury in November's playoff quarter-final clash against Los Angeles FC and the 19-year-old will also play no part for this weekend's visitors.
San Jose Earthquakes possible starting lineup:
Daniel; Lima, Wilson, Romney, Ricketts; Harkes, Kaye, Espinoza, Arango, Bouda; Martinez
Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup:
Frei; Andrade, Ragen, Bell; A Roldan, Leyva, Paulo, Rothrock; C Roldan, Ferreira, Rusnak
We say: San Jose Earthquakes 1-1 Seattle Sounders
San Jose Earthquakes and Seattle Sounders have struggled to get going this season and will be looking to secure a morale-boosting result this weekend. However, we predict that both sides will cancel out each other's efforts and settle for a share of the spoils at PayPal Park.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
