Preview: D.C. United at San Jose Earthquakes
MLS MATCHDAY 10
D.C. United at San Jose Earthquakes
Wednesday, May 2 - 10:30 PM ET
TV: CSN+ | Channel Finder
When D.C. United travels to play San Jose onWednesday night, two of the hottest teams in Major League Soccer will be jammedinto the tight quarters of Buck Shaw Stadium. The Earthquakes haven't lost since March 17 and are unbeatenover their last six matches dating back to a 1-0 defeat against Houston during theseason's second week. Buck Shawhas been particularly kind to San Jose, who haven't dropped a single point attheir home in all of 2012.
"It is pretty difficult to play them thereand San Jose is playing really well right now,"D.C.'s Dwayne De Rosario said of the team he played for between 2001 and2005. "But we are going thereto get three points. I think it'sa great matchup for us."
De Rosario'sconfidence is understandable. United boasts Major League Soccer's longest unbeaten streak, a run which- now at seven games - has catapulted Ben Olsen's side into second place in theEastern Conference. Individually,D.C.'s captain has tallied five goals and three assists against his formerclub, including a pair of strikes in a 2-0 D.C. win in San Jose last year.
“Front to back I thinkit is going to take a team effort from our part because there is no one or twoplayers that we can really pin point,” said Earthquakes leading scorer ChrisWondolowski of Wednesday's match. “That is what has made both D.C. and SanJose good teams this year. [Both teams] aredeeper than just one person. I thinkthat is what is going to make it a good battle.”
Thanks in largepart to an attack that has seen twelve different players contribute with eithera goal or an assist, the Earthquakes have plenty of momentum of their ownentering the mid-week tilt. Witheight goals in eight matches, Wondolowski sits behind only Thierry Henry atopthe MLS scoring chart. NewcomersMarvin Chavez and Tressor Moreno have been particularly dangerous for FrankYallop's side, providing five assists while helping unlock San Jose's talentedforward corps.
After allowing lessthan a goal per match during the club's current unbeaten streak, D.C.'s defenseseemed to be finding its form just in time to face such a lethal attack. But with central back Emiliano Dudar sidelined with a hamstring injury, United will once again be forced toshuffle personnel at the back. Though Ben Olsen has multiple options to replace the Argentine defender, Wednesday’s match-up now figures tobe a more complicated one.
"It's notideal," Olsen admitted after Saturday's win against Houston. "Dudar has been a stud and we'llbe missing him and obviously Dejan [Jakovic] is out, so we'll have to makeadjustments. But again, I thinkthere is some spirit to this team and I don't think a little adversity is goingto scare them."
Wednesday night'skickoff is scheduled for 10:30 Eastern Standard Time. Dave Johnson and John Harkes will have the call on ComcastSportsNet Plus.
» ANALYSIS: Breaking down San Jose Earthquakes
» Create and share your starting XI
REFEREE: Allen Chapman. MLS Career: First game.
SAR (bench): C.J. Morgante; JAR (opposite): Anthony Vasoli; 4th: Ricardo Salazar
INJURY REPORT:
- SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES - OUT: DF Victor Bernardez (L knee MCL sprain); MF Joey Gjertsen (R knee surgery); FW Alan Gordon (L hamstring strain); MF Shea Salinas (L clavicle fracture); DF Tim Ward (L non-specific soft tissue injury)
- D.C. UNITED - OUT: DF Ethan White (R knee surgery); MF Lance Rozeboom (L knee ACL tear); DF Emiliano Dudar (L hamstring strain); QUESTIONABLE: MF Kurt Morsink (L foot neurectomy); FW Josh Wolff (L hamstring strain); DF Dejan Jakovic (L ankle sprain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: SJ: Steven Lenhart
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: DC: Maicon Santos
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
- ALL-TIME (32 meetings): Earthquakes 15 wins (3 shootout), 48 goals … United 11 wins (0 shootout), 52 goals … Ties 6
- AT SAN JOSE (16 meetings): Earthquakes 7 wins (1 shootout), 23 goals … United 3 wins (0 shootout), 20 goals … Ties 6
- LAST YEAR (MLS):
- 6/11: DC 2, SJ 4 (Najar 13; Brettschneider 34 — Lenhart 15, 22, 60)
- 7/30: SJ 0, DC 2 (De Rosario 57, 67)
- This is the only league meeting between the clubs this season.
- United’s 2-0 win last July 30 at Buck Shaw Stadium snapped a six-game winless streak vs. San Jose, their first win in the series since 2008. The Quakes had won four of the six games, with two draws.
- The Earthquakes have won on each of their last three visits to RFK Stadium, including a 4-2 win last year, outscoring United 7-3 in those three games.
- Coaches record: Frank Yallop vs. DC: P19 W9 L5 D5 Ö Ben Olsen vs. SJ: P3 W1 L2 D0
