Needing a victory to keep their slim playoff hopes alive, the San Jose Earthquakes travel to BC Place Stadium to battle the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.
The Quakes are dead last in the Major League Soccer (MLS) table with 17 points, losing their previous encounter 2-1 to Minnesota United, while the Caps are sixth in the West following a 0-0 draw with Dallas.
Match preview
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Another playoff spot is a realistic possibility for the Whitecaps, though they have yet to prove they are an MLS Cup contender.
Scoring has never been a problem for them in 2024, only being held goalless in five league contests this season, two of which occurred at home.
What has been an issue is a lack of consistency at home, winning just five regular-season fixtures at BC Place this year and currently on a two-match domestic home winless run.
That said, a top-four finish in the West, is more than attainable, with only two points currently separating Vanni Sartini's men from the Colorado Rapids in fourth, while they have a game in hand on the Burgundy Boys and two on the Seattle Sounders, who are fifth.
Since late August, they have been much stingier defensively, without a goal conceded in their last three matches played across all competitions.
Vancouver have not beaten the Quakes at BC Place Stadium since claiming a 3-0 triumph against them during the 2021 domestic campaign.
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With only seven matches remaining and 19 points to make up in the post-season race, it would take a miraculous set of circumstances for the Earthquakes to make the playoffs this year.
A change in management has done little to reverse their fortunes in this competition, with the Goonies winning just two matches since late June when Ian Russell took charge on an interim basis.
In their previous MLS away encounter, Russell collected his first victory outside of San Jose, as his side defeated Real Salt Lake 2-0, ending a five-match losing run as the visitors in this competition.
On Saturday, Russell can do something no Quakes boss has done in MLS since July 2020, win consecutive regular-season affairs away from home.
They need at least five points from their remaining seven games to move above the club record for fewest points in a 34-match MLS campaign set in 2018 (21 points).
San Jose have won three of their previous four league meetings against the Caps, including their last visit to BC Place in 2023 (1-0).
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Team News
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Leading goalscorer Brian White was forced out of the Whitecaps match with Dallas last weekend with a concussion, Levonte Johnson started despite previously experiencing calf tightness, while Sam Adekugbe came on as a substitute, having missed time earlier in the campaign through injury.
Five Caps could return to the lineup on Saturday, with Ryan Gauld (Scotland), Ali Ahmed (Canada), Pedro Vite (Ecuador), Fafa Picault (Haiti) and Andres Cubas (Paraguay) all missing the previous Vancouver encounter because of the international window.
The exclusion of so many regulars meant that Ralph Priso made his first MLS start as a Whitecap against Dallas, Belal Halbouni started for the first time in his MLS career, Deiber Caicedo made his first appearance of the campaign and Stuart Armstrong made his debut for his new club after signing from Premier League side Southampton.
In their previous outing, Jeremy Ebobisse sat out for the Quakes with an illness, while Carlos Akapo and Jamar Ricketts were sidelined due to lower-body injuries.
Also away in their previous game was Bruno Wilson because of a knee knock and JT Marcinkowski, who continues to rehab from a torn ACL.
Ousseni Bouda briefly levelled their match with Minnesota just beyond the half-hour mark, his first goal of the 2024 season.
Vancouver Whitecaps possible starting lineup:
Takaoka; Utvik, Veselinovic, Blackmon; Laborda, Cubas, Schopf, Raposo; Picault, Kreilach, Gauld
San Jose Earthquakes possible starting lineup:
Daniel; Kikanovic, Marie, Rodrigues, Costa; Gruezo, Yueill; Espinoza, Lopez, Pellegrino; Bouda
We say: Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose have the worst defence in MLS, conceding a league-high 63 goals, and we suspect the Caps' strong transitional game will enable them to find the back of the net several times this weekend.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
