Houston Dynamo vs. San Jose Earthquakes | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Houston Dynamo vs. San Jose Earthquakes
2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 31
BBVA Compass Stadium — Houston
Sept. 29 — 8:30 pm ET
WATCH: ESPN+, MLS LIVE on DAZN (Canada)

Buoyed by winning the U.S. Open Cup for the first time, the Houston Dynamo host the San Jose Earthquakes Saturday night at BBVA Compass Stadium.

The Dynamo defeated the Philadelphia Union, 3-0, at home on Wednesday to win the title, while the Quakes are looking to end a four-match losing streak and hand interim coach Steve Ralston his first victory.

This is the second meeting this season with the sides playing to a 2-2 draw at Avaya Stadium on April 14. Tomas Martinez canceled out Magnus Eriksson’s opening goal. Mauro Manotas gave the Dynamo a 2-1 lead in the 63rd minute before Jahmir Hyka leveled for the Quakes five minutes from full time.

Houston Dynamo

Although there’s been struggles in league play, Houston (8-13-8) celebrated a historic moment in club history with a first-ever USOC title Wednesday night.

Alberth Elis set up Manotas for the opening goal in the 4th minute and again in the 25th minute to double the Dynamo’s lead. An own goal by Auston Trusty in the 65th minute sealed the result for Houston.

“This is for the sacrifice, the pain, and the difficulties that our players are going through. It’s a reward for them,” Wilmer Cabrera said.

“It’s a reward and something that they needed because the team, since a year and a half that we’ve been together — most of the team, staff, and coaches — we’ve been able to work for something important.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: M - Boniek Garcia, M - Adam Lundqvist, M - Darwin Ceren
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: F - Mac Steeves (hip surgery), D - Philippe Senderos (hamstring injury), M - Eric Alexander (left hamstring injury), D - Jared Watts (right hip injury); QUESTIONABLE: D - Leonardo (right adductor injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Joe Willis — Andrew Wenger, Kevin Garcia, Alejandro Fuenmayor, DaMarcus Beasley — Juan Cabezas, Boniek Garcia — Alberth Elis, Tomas Martinez, Romell Quioto — Mauro Manotas

Notes: Fifteen of Houston’s goals this season have come from set pieces. Only three teams have more set piece goals in league play. … Houston’s 4-1 win against Portland on Sept. 15 snapped a five-game home winless run (3L-2D), their longest such streak since July-Aug. 2016.

San Jose Earthquakes

San Jose (4-18-8) fell to LAFC, 2-0, Saturday at Banc of California Stadium, the Quakes fourth straight loss.

The Quakes were done in by a pair of set pieces, two corner kicks served in by Carlos Vela that defender Walker Zimmerman latched on to and headed home to lift the hosts.

“The performance I thought was actually OK, obviously the result disappointing,” Ralston said. “I don’t want to lose the game, but I think for us coming off the game on Wednesday on short notice, early game in the heat and me asking them to do the things I asked them to do was going to be hard. I knew that and maybe it was a mistake to do that, but I feel like for this club going forward, it’s what we need to do.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: M - Luis Felipe
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Kevin Partida (right ACL reconstruction surgery and partial meniscectomy)

Projected Starting XI
(4-1-4-1, right to left)
GK: James Marcinkowski — Nick Lima, Guram Kashia, Harold Cummings, Shea Salinas — Florian Jungwirth — Vako, Jackson Yueill, Anibal Godoy, Danny Hoesen — Chris Wondolowski

Notes: San Jose has conceded 48 goals from open play, the most in the league. Only two teams conceded more goals from open play last season. … The Earthquakes have won just two road games this season. Since 2010, they have won less than three road games in a MLS season twice (2014 and 2016).

All-Time Series

Overall: Houston Dynamo 11 wins, 31 goals … San Jose Earthquakes 8 wins, 26 goals … 3 draws
At Houston: Dynamo 7 wins, 18 goals … Earthquakes 2 wins, 8 goals … 1 draw
Last meeting at Houston: Houston Dynamo 3, San Jose Earthquakes 0 (August 12, 2017)