Chris Wondolowski fires the ball into the box during a 0-0 draw against Sporting Kansas City on June 17th, 2017 at Avaya Stadium. Photo by Lyndsay Radnedge.
The first true test if this is really a “new era” for the San Jose Earthquakes comes this Saturday when they open their 2018 road campaign when they travel to Kansas City, Kansas to battle defending US Open Cup Champions Sporting Kansas City.
San Jose comes into the match off a bye week last week after holding off Minnesota United 3-2 in their season opener at Avaya Stadium. With this being the first road test of the season, the question for the Earthquakes is whether the confidence they’ve entered this season with will translate away from the friendly confines of Avaya Stadium, where they were abysmal in the second half of the season. Too often the Quakes would collapse after getting down and the floodgates would open. Keeping the team together through adversity on the road will prove to be one of the challenges San Jose has to overcome if they want to make some noise in the Western Conference.
Sporting Kansas City enters Saturday’s match having split their first two MLS matches, including a wild one in Chicago last Saturday that saw SKC lose a two goal lead before rallying with two goals in the final 10 minutes to take a 4-3 victory over the Fire. Newcomer Felipe Gutierrez bagged a pair of goals for SKC, including the game winner in the 86th minute. Gutierrez getting on the score sheet provides a sense of relief for the Sporting faithful who may be wondering what would become of their attack after Dom Dwyer was traded to Orlando and Benny Feilhaber and Latif Blessing departed for LAFC in the offseason. SKC returns last year’s Defender of the Year (and former Earthquake) Ike Opara anchoring a backline that includes stalwart Matt Besler and newly converted full time right back Graham Zusi. Tim Melia is back as well for another season between the sticks.
Tim Melia shouts instructions during a 0-0 draw between Sporting Kansas City and San Jose Earthquakes on June 17th, 2017 at Avaya Stadium. Photo by Lyndsay Radnedge.
The key to three points in this match will be how well the new look Quakes attack can stack up against SKC’s defense, which will present a far tougher test than what the Earthquakes saw in the preseason and in their season opener against Minnesota United. Goals may be tougher to come by for San Jose, while the SKC attack looks to be in good hands with Gutierrez and Daniel Solli, who assisted on two of SKC”s four goals last week. Managing the game on the road and not collapsing at the first sign of trouble will be key to a Earthquakes win, while Sporting will undoubtedly be looking to take advantage of the Quakes road woes and try to pull the wheels off the wagon with an early goal.
Sporting Kansas City took the first match between the two sides last season with a 2-1 early season win in Kansas City before getting a big road point at Avaya Stadium in a scoreless draw. More memorably the two teams met in the US Open Cup semi final in August, as SKC was able to outlast the Quakes in penalty kicks en route to their fourth US Open Cup title.
San Jose Earthquakes
Sporting Kansas City
