The San Jose Earthquakes will be missing two center-backs against the Philadelphia Union on Sunday due to the Andres Imperiale suspension, which could cause problems for a tattered Quakes defensive line.
Andres Imperiale Suspension, Godoy Fine
Center-back Andres Imperiale was suspended one game for his dangerous tackle on Dom Dwyer at the 32nd minute mark, a tackle which many thought should have resulted in a yellow. Imperiale had been playing for injured starter Clarence Goodson, who is not expected to be ready by Saturday’s game in Philadelphia. There are few options.
Marvell Wynne could be moved from right-back to right-center-back, with Victor Bernardez moving to left-center-back, and Kofi Sarkodie taking Wynne’s right-back position. Wynne has experience at center-back, even though it’s not his forte.
A second option is to play a 3-5-2 formation with Wynne, Bernardez, and Shaun Francis anchoring the back line, and using Anibal Godoy and Fatai Alashe as a drop-back midfielders. Midfielders Tommy Thompson, Simon Dawkins, and Alberto Quintero could be used on the attack, with Thompson using his pace to drop back defensively as needed.
A third option is for the Quakes to utilize their USL affiliation with Sacramento Republic FC and promote Derek Foran or Chris Christian for Saturday’s match. Both players have been seeing regular minutes for SRFC, and could perform at the MLS stage.
Another option from Sacramento could be the potential return of defender/midfielder J.J. Koval. Koval had been playing defensive midfield for the Quakes, but was experimented at center-back due to the abundance of midfielders. Unfortunately Koval lost the competition, was cut by San Jose, and signed with Sacramento earlier this year. It would be an amazing full circle journey should Koval return to his old team, if only for one game.
Anibal Godoy was also on the Disciplinary Committee radar for his early yellow card, second foul within two minutes of the match, and his hand-to-head contact with Sporting KC forward Dom Dwyer. The Imperiale suspension and Godoy fine were not surprising, as noted in the GBU Report for Sporting KC.
Head Coach Dom Kinnear has his plate full. Not only must he make tactical decisions to fill the center-back hole, but he should also address the dangerous play of Imperiale and Godoy to prevent recurring instances of these types of plays that could derail a potential playoff run.
