San Jose Earthquakes vs. Sporting Kansas City | 2018 MLS Match Preview

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Sporting Kansas City
2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 29
Avaya Stadium — San Jose
Sept. 15 — 10:30 pm ET
WATCH: ESPN+, MLS LIVE on DAZN (Canada)

Sporting Kansas City can move into first place in the Western Conference when they take on a San Jose Earthquakes side that has won just once since May.

Sporting rebounded from a loss to Seattle Sounders FC by beating Orlando City SC, 1-0, last Saturday, while the Quakes lost to the Vancouver Whitecaps for the second time in a week.

This is the second meeting this season with Sporting winning 3-2 at Children’s Mercy Park with Graham Zusi and Felipe Gutierrez opening up a 3-1 lead after Vako cancelled out Ilie Sanchez’searly goal. Chris Wondolowski struck in stoppage time for the visitors.

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San Jose Earthquakes

San Jose (4-15-8) couldn’t build off a second win of the season over FC Dallas, falling to the Whitecaps, 2-1, at BC Place on Sept. 1.

Vako scored the lone goal in stoppage time, but it came after Alphonso Davies and Nicolas Mezquida scored back-to-back goals for the Caps.

“I think mentally and physically we all needed a few days off and we got that so coming back in training on Monday we were all sharp and looking forward to this game Saturday,” Jimmy Ockford said. “We can expect a good soccer team, working the ball around really well, they’ve got good players all around. It’s going to be a tough one.”

• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: None
• International duty: None
• Injury Report: OUT: D - Kevin Partida (right ACL reconstruction surgery and partial meniscectomy); QUESTIONABLE: D - Harold Cummings (thigh injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-4-2, right to left)
GK: Andrew Tarbell — Nick Lima, Guram Kashia, Florian Jungwirth, Shea Salinas — Magnus Eriksson, Anibal Godoy, Luis Felipe Fernandes, Chris Wondolowski — Danny Hoesen, Vako

Sporting Kansas City

Sporting (14-7-6) moved within a point of first-place FC Dallas by defeating Orlando City SC, 1-0, Saturday at Children’s Mercy Park.

Gutierrez scored the lone goal, his first since the end of March, in the 53rd minute and Tim Melia twice denied former teammate Dom Dwyer to make sure the lead held up.

“We view this as any other match, it’s a big game for us, San Jose is a good team, they have some very strong aspects to their game we have to be really concerned with,” Peter Vermes said. “That’s an important aspect — if you want to get a result, you have to make sure you understand and respect your opponent’s strengths and that’s what we have to do against San Jose.”

• Suspended: None
• Suspended after next caution: None
• International duty: None
• Injury Report: OUT: D - Jimmy Medranda (knee surgery); F - Kharlton Belmar (knee sprain), M - Cristian Lobato (quad injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3, right to left)
GK: Tim Melia — Graham Zusi, Ike Opara, Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic — Roger Espinoza, Ilie Sanchez, Felipe Gutierrez — Johnny Russell, Daniel Salloi, Yohan Croizet

All-Time Series

• Overall: San Jose Earthquakes 24 wins, 69 goals … Sporting Kansas City 25 wins, 68 goals … 8 draws
• At San Jose: Earthquakes 16 wins, 38 goals … Sporting KC 5 wins, 21 goals … 7 draws
• Last meeting at San Jose: San Jose Earthquakes 0, Sporting Kansas City 0 (June 17, 2017)

Officials

Referee: Dave Gantar
Assistant Referees: Adam Garner, Corey Parker
4th Official: Ismail Elfath
VAR: Alex Chilowicz