By Toby Dunkelberg
The new sights and sounds of Avaya Stadium will be where the Seattle Sounders go to work on Saturday night as they suit up to fight against the San Jose Earthquakes. Playing San Jose at home has been a recipe of doom for Seattle with their last win at San Jose coming in 2010, and their last draw coming in 2011. Since 2012 the Sounders have gone 2-8-1 against the Quakes despite putting up three playoff performances and winning the Supporters Shield. It seems not matter the season goes San Jose always manages to get the better of Seattle. This fact isn’t lost on the Sounders, and in post-practice interviews the respect is evident.
Brad Evans – “[The Earthquakes are] obviously a team that has our number especially down in San Jose, and obviously this year beating us twice at home. So they’re a difficult opponent. We’re both fighting for our playoff lives at this point … so it’s a difficult task but one that were up for. ”
Stefan Frei – “They’re very clinical. Both times they played up here against us they were clinical and they took care of their chances We’re going to have to be very tight [defensively], very connected and organized to limit their chances. Obviously they’re at home and need the points just as much as us, so they’re gonna come out on fire so we’re gonna have to be smart and ready to go.”
Watch below to hear these quotes and more.
There are two other main storylines surrounding Saturday night’s matchup.
The first was alluded to by both Evans and Frei, and that’s just how crucial points are in the west. As it sits right now there’s a three way tie for fourth place in the western conference with Seattle, Portland, and Sporting Kansas City all tied at 41 points. San Jose sits just below that in seventh place with 38 points but they also have a game in hand over Seattle and Portland. The way the playoff race is shaking out, only two of San Jose, Seattle, and Portland are going to be able to advance to the playoffs so the chance to get points off your main playoff competition is sure to energize both sides.
A win for the Sounders would put them six points clear from San Jose and go a long way towards locking down on of those two spots. For San Jose the situation is a little more dire, they need these points to stay level with Seattle and Portland and a second home loss in a row would be devastating to a side that’s only just recently started gotten enough momentum to put themselves in the playoff picture.
With both teams desperate for points, the referee will have his hands full as both teams are known to get scrappy if they’re chasing
The other big story of note is Sigi Schmid’s admission that he will not be traveling to San Jose. A health issue kept him out of last weeks matchup as well and will do the same this week as his doctors told him to stay in the Seattle area for another week. The bright side is that the Sounders head coach doesn’t appear to be worried, saying that he’s “very confident in Brian [Schmetzer] and the rest of the coaching staff.”
Without their head coach the Sounders are at a distinct advantage in the tactics department. Brian Schmetzer is very good for a head coach and was rumored to be a finalist for the FC Dallas head coach spot that ended up going to Oscar Pareja, but when your team has a history of underperforming against a team you need all the help you can get. Not to mention that Schmetzer’s going up against Dominic Kinnear who’s shown a willingness to adapt his squads composition and formations for each and every opponent.
In their last five games Kinnear’s utilized three different formations in a 4-4-2, 4-3-1-2, and 4-1-4-1 on their way to a 4-1-0 record.
However, in a turn of events it looks as though the Sounders are playing the Earthquakes at the exact right time. Two lynchpins to San Jose’s defense in hulking centerback Victor Bernardez, and midfield destroyer Anibal Godoy were both forced to come off early in their previous games due to injuries. The Sounders meanwhile have a whole host of the opposite news. With Torres back from Panamanian national team duties, Dempsey & Alonso fully recovered from hamstring injuries, Marco Pappa back in the squad, and new arrivals Andreas Ivanschitz & Nelson Valdez fully fit, Seattle finally has a full squad to choose from.
In their most recent matchup back in June, Seattle was forced into starting Kovar, Rose, and Roldan, none of whom feature in Seattle’s ideal 11. Now it’s time to see what a full strength Seattle can do against San Jose.
Unfortunately for the Sounders Torres coming back from a midweek game and all the roster turn is only going to amplify their inability to defend the second ball on set peices. With San Jose being so clinical with their chances, if the Sounders do slip up the Quakes will be sure to pounce on it. San Jose doesn’t have it much better on their side of the ball though as even if Bernardez and Godoy end up starting on Saturday, they’re sure to be a half step slower, and with a fully fit squad a half-step is all Seattle needs to score a goal and get a road result.
SCORE PREDICTION
Seattle Sounders 1 – 1 San Jose
Martins – 27′ (Friberg)
Wondolowski – 73′ (Cato)
Kick-off – 7:30 PDT Saturday, September 12that Avaya Stadium in San Jose
Broadcast – CSN Plus in San Jose & JOEtv in Seattle.
Sounders FC
San Jose Earthquakes
