San Jose Earthquakes vs. Portland Timbers – Match Preview
By Owen Dillon
The San Jose Earthquakes take on the Timbers today; read our match preview to get you ready for the big match, and find out everything you need to know.
The San Jose Earthquakes will take on defending MLS Champions Portland Timbers today at Avaya Stadium in San Jose. The match figures to be a good one. San Jose looked great last week in their season opener, grinding out a 1-0 win against the Colorado Rapids thanks to a Chris Wondolowski goal. An interesting story line to watch will be whether or not midfielder Matias Perez Garcia will get any minutes for the Quakes, as he was suspended for the opening game last week. In his place, Alberto Quintero stole the show, notching the only assist of the game, and putting in a solid shift both offensively and defensively.
The Quakes will need their midfield to be very solid in defence today, as the San Jose back-four is not as sturdy as one would hope, and the Timbers have quite a potent attack. Stopping Portland attacks before they begin will be imperative throughout the match, and that responsibility lies in the midfield, namely in the wingers that manager Dominic Kinnear will name in his starting lineup.
The Portland Timbers are a very solid side, the best in the MLS last year, so the Quakes certainly have their hands full today. The lineup from last week’s victory over the Rapids looks to change a bit. Usually, Kinnear is reluctant to rotate his side after a win, but left back Shaun Francis exited the match against Colorado at half time, citing a quad injury. Look for rookie Kip Colvey to get the start if Francis can’t go. This would serve as Colvey’s first MLS start, and he is not starting off easily. It is hard for any defender to slow down Portland, let alone a rookie making his first start.
Forward Chris Wondolowski will look to continue his goal-scoring form this week, and the striker usually plays very well against Portland. In fact, his six goals against the club, including three in his past three games against the Timbers, trails only Robbie Keane’s eight as the most goals scored against the Timbers.
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When/Where:
Avaya Stadium, Santa Clara. Stadium opens at 2:00, kickoff is scheduled for 4:00.
How to watch/listen:
TV: Fox Sports 1 (USA), streaming at foxsportsgo.com
Radio: 1590 KLIV, 1370 KZSF
Last minute tickets:
Tickets can still be purchased through the Earthquakes official website, or on secondary markets such as StubHub.com