Last week, The Earthquakes picked up a nervy 1-0 against a much improved Colorado side. While Colorado were much improved, the quality of the opponent definitely picks up pace here as the Earthquakes welcome defending MLS Cup Champions, Portland Timbers FC to Avaya Stadium. Here is the Scouting Report for this weeks matchup.
Goalkeepers: Kwarasey vs. David Bingham, Advantage Bingham
David Bingham is in his second full season as a starter and he looks to be in fine form. Bingham’s performance last week earned him his first of many Team of the Week honors this week. Bingham will look to put in yet another fine performance in hopes of solidifying his spot as the third goalkeeper for the USMNT. Adam Kwarasey was shaky at the beginning last year but has really come into form as well. While he is definitely in the upper echelon of netminders in MLS, Bingham is clearly the better keeper here.
The Backlines: Tie
I don’t really see any advantage on the backlines for either team. Last year they had and equal defensive record, allowing 39 goals a piece. There might be a slight advantage to San Jose’s backline just because Portland will be without Chris Klute. San Jose will also be without Shaun Francis or Jordan Stewart, so it will be up to Kip Colvey to fill in well. When Shaun Francis was substituted at halftime last week, Kip Colvey filled in admirably and threw his name in the hat to hold the permanent Left Back spot. This week, he’ll be going up against much better wing play than what Colorado had to test him with. He’ll have to be very disciplined and be efficient in his tackling. I just don’t see a real difference in quality for either of these backlines.
The Midfield: Advantage Timbers
Portland has a nasty midfield of Valeri, Nagbe, and Diego Chara. While Valeri somewhat drifts in and out of games, he and Nagbe complement each other well. The introduction of Chara as a roaming Box to Box midfielder was the difference maker for Portland last season. Normally, if San Jose was healthy I would consider this positional matchup to be a lot closer than it is now. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like Fatai Alashe will start. The addition of Anibal Godoy to the lineup for the quakes changed the course of their season and almost landed them in the postseason. Godoy’s freedom to roam the middle of the park, allows Alashe to stay deeper and provide cover for the backline. Hopefully, Kinnear won’t put Dawkins in the middle of the field again, wasting his attributes, and instead bump Shea Salinas to the bench and put on Matias Perez Garcia in the middle of the park, and Dawkins on the left. Unfortunately, no matter what San Jose does in the midfield, Portland will have a clear advantage. The experience that Chara, Valeri, and Nagbe have together trumps what San Jose will roll out today.
The Forwards: Advantage Quakes
PRODUCTION. That’s the key word for forwards. Production is the most important thing. It doesn’t matter how you bang in goals, just as long as you are actually banging in goals. While Fanendo Adi is clearly a top notch striker in this league, there is no production behind him. Lucas Melano is incredibly skilled but doesn’t bang in a whole lot of goals. The Earthquakes present Chris Wondolowki, the most productive DP striker in the history of MLS, (closing in on 4th all-time scoring, 110 career goals) as their top forward option. Behind him, the mid-season trade to acquire Quincy Amarikwa from Chicago was an absolute Coup. They tend to provide a bit of a fire and ice combo, with Quincy providing physicality that catches defenders off guard, and Wondo providing the incredibly difficult to track movement. Just because of the Depth of Production out of the striker position, I give San Jose Earthquakes the advantage at strikers.
Prediction: 1-1 Draw. San Jose and Portland have drawn more matches than they have had a match that produced a winner. They don’t really score a whole lot on each other either. Portland likes to play through the midfield, and San Jose is capable of playing well while bypassing the midfield. There are two different styles here, that combat each other well. Adi and Wondolowski each score on headers from within 12 yards and nobody else really makes an impact is my prediction.
Main Photo: Thearon W. Henderson, Getty Images
