Time is running out for the San Jose Earthquakes and Vancouver Whitecaps in the MLS playoff race, as they both find themselves outside the postseason picture when they square off on Sunday at PayPal Park.
With seven matches remaining, the Quakes are dead last in the Western Conference, while the Whitecaps' playoff hopes took a hit last week, losing 3-0 versus Nashville SC, as they find themselves five points back of seventh-place.
Match preview
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Their postseason aspirations may be nearly over, but to their credit, San Jose are not going down without a fight, as five of their previous six fixtures have been decided by a goal or fewer.
While the playoffs are still a mathematical possibility, interim manager Alex Covelo would need a lot of things to go right in their final seven matches for that dream to become a reality.
They trail the Portland Timbers by seven points for that last playoff position in the Western Conference with seven teams to catch.
Regardless of how they end the regular season, incoming manager Luchi Gonzalez, who will take over when this campaign is over, has a massive job ahead of him, with the Goonies capturing just six victories so far in 2022, their fewest since the end of 2018 when they had four.
Their 1-0 defeat last Saturday at Sporting Kansas City means that this team have now conceded 55 goals on the year, the most in the regular season for them since 2019 (55).
San Jose have accumulated at least a point in two of their previous three home matches, defeating the current Supporters' Shield leaders Los Angeles FC, 2-1 in their last encounter at PayPal Park.
Even though the Earthquakes have been among the worst teams for goals conceded, allowing the most or second-most tallies in the Western Conference in three of the past four MLS campaigns, they have done well to contain the Caps' on their home field, conceding a goal or fewer against the Canadians in four successive matches played in the Capital of Silicon Valley.
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In a match that many are calling make or break, the Vancouver Whitecaps head to Southern California without a road victory in five successive encounters.
Almost everything that could have gone wrong for this team last weekend did as they were beaten by three or more goals for a fifth time this season, dropping a 3-0 decision at home to Nashville SC and losing their top goalscorer as well.
Vanni Sartini has often been able to resurrect this team when all hope looked lost, and his side will be up against it on Sunday, winning only once in their regular season history at San Jose.
Sartini has called on his side to focus squarely on what lies ahead as they begin the month of September with back-to-back road fixtures versus the Quakes and Colorado Rapids.
The Caps have conceded the opening goal in four of their previous five road games, capturing only two matches all year when allowing the opposition to score first.
Vancouver have only tallied first in five road fixtures up to this stage of the 2022 campaign, claiming at least a point in three of those games.
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Team News
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Jamiro Monteiro made his 100th career MLS appearance, playing the entire 90 minutes for San Jose last Saturday, and rookie Oskar Agren collected his third career cap.
Niko Tsakiris saw the field for the fifth time as a professional a week ago, replacing Jan Gregus in the 73rd minute.
JT Marcinkowski made a season-high seven saves in a losing effort to SKC, leading goalscorer Jeremy Ebobisse had a brace in a 3-3 draw at Vancouver back in May, with Cristian Espinoza picking up a pair of assists on that day and Cade Cowell setting up a goal as well.
The Quakes will be missing Casey Walls, who has a problem with his left upper leg, Ousseni Bouda has a left foot injury and Gilbert Fuentes remains out for personal reasons.
Ryan Gauld has been involved in at least one goal for the Caps in three of his last four games, Cristian Dajome leads them with four assists in 2022, while Julian Gressel notched the equaliser in their previous road fixture, his first in a Vancouver uniform.
Caps' leading goalscorer Lucas Cavallini will be suspended for this encounter after the Canadian international was red-carded because of violent conduct versus the Boys in Gold.
Deiber Caicedo (right knee, meniscus surgery) is the only injury concern at the moment, while Sartini brought in four new faces to his opening lineup last weekend as Javain Brown, Gressel, Sebastian Berhalter and Brian White started in place of Jake Nerwinski, Russell Teibert, Dajome and Cavallini.
San Jose Earthquakes possible starting lineup:
Marcinkowski; Marie, Beason, Nathan, Thompson; Yueill, Gregus; Cowell, Monteiro, Espinoza; Ebobisse
Vancouver Whitecaps possible starting lineup:
Hasal; Godinho, Veselinovic, Blackmon; Gressel, Cubas, Teibert, Raposo; Schopf, Gauld; White
We say: San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver still have a lot of fight left in them, but they struggle away from home, losing five matches versus teams currently below the playoff line heading into this weekend, and it seems as though the weight of expectations have finally got the better of them.
With the stakes not quite as high for the Quakes given their current standing, we anticipate they will play with a lot more poise on Sunday against a team that the Goonies have fared well against at home.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
