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San Jose Earthquakes - FC Dallas: Head To Head Preview
By Nick Rosano and Greer Wilson-Chavez
On Form
San Jose Earthquakes: The 'Quakes got back on track last weekend with a 2-1 away victory in Houston. Although the team was second best throughout most of the came, they were lethal on the break and came away with two goals and three points. Geovanni engineered the first goal by streaking down the right flank and setting up Khari Stepehnson before scoring the second after San Jose undid the Dynamo defense with a quick passing move. Jon Busch was solid in goal once again, coming up with an answer for nearly everything Houston threw at him.
FC Dallas: Former FC Dallas Academy star Ruben Luna made his professional debut against Toronto last weekend, and the young forward nearly notched his first career goal. Had it not been for a controversial offside call, Luna's perseverance in the box would have received the reward it deserved. A second half appearance was given to the Dallas native, and he was lively in his time on the field. Credit must be given to coach Schellas Hyndman for having the courage to test a new player in such a close game.
Off Target
San Jose: Although they won on Sunday, the Earthquakes struggled to keep possession and were lucky on some occasions that Houston did not finish their chances. Arturo Alvarez struggled in the midfield, giving balls away, while Jason Hernandez and Tim Ward did not have the best of games in defense. Cornell Glen continued to disappoint, getting only one shot off the whole game. Lastly, Sam Cronin was shown red for his studs-up challenge in the 84th minute, leaving his team a man down while the Dynamo poured forward.
Dallas: The Dallas depth chart got a real test last weekend against a determined Toronto side, albeit without its two biggest stars, Dwayne De Rosario and Julian de Guzman. Despite the win, FC Dallas certainly looked a shadow of its true self, especially with the absence of captain Daniel Hernandez. That Dallas managed to win without its starters is good for the team, but they were on the back foot for most of the match and barely looked as dangerous as they have in the weeks prior.
Tactics
San Jose: The 4-4-2 diamond is the name of the game for Frank Yallop. The Canadian veteran will be without the suspended Sam Cronin and Brandon McDonald is likely to move back into the defensive midfield role, leaving Bobby Burling and Jason Hernandez to partner up in the center of the defense. Bobby Convey is back from suspension and will move back to his favored left wing role should Tim Ward be fit enough to feature on Saturday. The extent of Khari Stephenson's injury is unknown as of Wednesday, but should he not be fit, Geovanni would most likely take up the attacking midfield role with Cornell Glen and Chris Wondolowski up front.
Dallas: Getting Atiba Harris and Daniel Hernandez back from yellow-card suspension will greatly boost the Dallas midfield. Jackson Goncalves partnered well with Eric Alexander against Toronto last week, but the fluid possession game Dallas usually plays was nowhere to be found. Dax McCarty is back to regular training but probably won't see the field against San Jose, which may still benefit FCD, as they'll have him fully fit for playoffs.
Should George John's hamstring injury prevent him from playing this weekend, Goncalves may again fill in for him alongside Zach Loyd. Hernandez is another option at center back, having spent some time there when he played in Mexico, but Hyndman will probably slide him back into the holding midfield role.
Intangibles
San Jose: Injuries continue to play a role in San Jose's season, with Khari Stephenson and Tim Ward the latest players to land on the treatment table. Although it would seem their injuries are minor ones, Frank Yallop must continue to effectively juggle a rotating cast of players in order for his team to hold on to its playoff spot.
Dallas: Dallas are just four points back from the league leading Los Angeles Galaxy, and in a game they should win, will hope to close the gap and make a push for the top spot. San Jose are coming off a strong performance in Houston, though, and need to finish the regular season strong if they want to see the post-season.
Prediction
San Jose: The Earthquakes are confident, but Dallas' streak probably won't end on Saturday, so 1-1.
Dallas: Dallas seem to win at home and tie on the road, expect that trend to continue this weekend at Buckshaw Stadium. 1-1 draw.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
San Jose Earthquakes: The 'Quakes got back on track last weekend with a 2-1 away victory in Houston. Although the team was second best throughout most of the came, they were lethal on the break and came away with two goals and three points. Geovanni engineered the first goal by streaking down the right flank and setting up Khari Stepehnson before scoring the second after San Jose undid the Dynamo defense with a quick passing move. Jon Busch was solid in goal once again, coming up with an answer for nearly everything Houston threw at him.
FC Dallas: Former FC Dallas Academy star Ruben Luna made his professional debut against Toronto last weekend, and the young forward nearly notched his first career goal. Had it not been for a controversial offside call, Luna's perseverance in the box would have received the reward it deserved. A second half appearance was given to the Dallas native, and he was lively in his time on the field. Credit must be given to coach Schellas Hyndman for having the courage to test a new player in such a close game.
Off Target
San Jose: Although they won on Sunday, the Earthquakes struggled to keep possession and were lucky on some occasions that Houston did not finish their chances. Arturo Alvarez struggled in the midfield, giving balls away, while Jason Hernandez and Tim Ward did not have the best of games in defense. Cornell Glen continued to disappoint, getting only one shot off the whole game. Lastly, Sam Cronin was shown red for his studs-up challenge in the 84th minute, leaving his team a man down while the Dynamo poured forward.
Dallas: The Dallas depth chart got a real test last weekend against a determined Toronto side, albeit without its two biggest stars, Dwayne De Rosario and Julian de Guzman. Despite the win, FC Dallas certainly looked a shadow of its true self, especially with the absence of captain Daniel Hernandez. That Dallas managed to win without its starters is good for the team, but they were on the back foot for most of the match and barely looked as dangerous as they have in the weeks prior.
Tactics
San Jose: The 4-4-2 diamond is the name of the game for Frank Yallop. The Canadian veteran will be without the suspended Sam Cronin and Brandon McDonald is likely to move back into the defensive midfield role, leaving Bobby Burling and Jason Hernandez to partner up in the center of the defense. Bobby Convey is back from suspension and will move back to his favored left wing role should Tim Ward be fit enough to feature on Saturday. The extent of Khari Stephenson's injury is unknown as of Wednesday, but should he not be fit, Geovanni would most likely take up the attacking midfield role with Cornell Glen and Chris Wondolowski up front.
Dallas: Getting Atiba Harris and Daniel Hernandez back from yellow-card suspension will greatly boost the Dallas midfield. Jackson Goncalves partnered well with Eric Alexander against Toronto last week, but the fluid possession game Dallas usually plays was nowhere to be found. Dax McCarty is back to regular training but probably won't see the field against San Jose, which may still benefit FCD, as they'll have him fully fit for playoffs.
Should George John's hamstring injury prevent him from playing this weekend, Goncalves may again fill in for him alongside Zach Loyd. Hernandez is another option at center back, having spent some time there when he played in Mexico, but Hyndman will probably slide him back into the holding midfield role.
Intangibles
San Jose: Injuries continue to play a role in San Jose's season, with Khari Stephenson and Tim Ward the latest players to land on the treatment table. Although it would seem their injuries are minor ones, Frank Yallop must continue to effectively juggle a rotating cast of players in order for his team to hold on to its playoff spot.
Dallas: Dallas are just four points back from the league leading Los Angeles Galaxy, and in a game they should win, will hope to close the gap and make a push for the top spot. San Jose are coming off a strong performance in Houston, though, and need to finish the regular season strong if they want to see the post-season.
Prediction
San Jose: The Earthquakes are confident, but Dallas' streak probably won't end on Saturday, so 1-1.
Dallas: Dallas seem to win at home and tie on the road, expect that trend to continue this weekend at Buckshaw Stadium. 1-1 draw.
For more on Major League Soccer, visit Goal.com's MLS page and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
Field Report
Reader's Predictions
Top 3 Predictions
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San Jose 3-0 FC Dallas
- 37.5 %
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San Jose 2-1 FC Dallas
- 25 %
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San Jose 1-2 FC Dallas
- 12.5 %
| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Oct 22, 2011 | San Jose 4 - FC Dallas 2 |
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| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Mar 26, 2011 | FC Dallas 0 - San Jose 2 |
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| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Sep 11, 2010 | San Jose 0 - FC Dallas 0 |
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| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Jun 5, 2010 | FC Dallas 2 - San Jose 0 |
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| USA - Major League Soccer (MLS) | Oct 8, 2009 | San Jose 1 - FC Dallas 2 |
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San Jose
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| May 27, 2012 | Sporting Kansas City 2 - San Jose 1 | MLS |
| May 23, 2012 | Los Angeles Galaxy 2 - San Jose 3 | MLS |
| May 19, 2012 | San Jose 1 - Columbus Crew 1 | MLS |
| May 13, 2012 | San Jose 1 - Chivas USA 1 | MLS |
| May 5, 2012 | Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2 - San Jose 1 | MLS |
FC Dallas
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| May 26, 2012 | Real Salt Lake 3 - FC Dallas 2 | MLS |
| May 23, 2012 | Chicago Fire 2 - FC Dallas 1 | MLS |
| May 19, 2012 | FC Dallas 1 - Philadelphia Union 1 | MLS |
| May 12, 2012 | Columbus Crew 2 - FC Dallas 1 | MLS |
| May 9, 2012 | FC Dallas 0 - Seattle Sounders FC 2 | MLS |
| 18 | Jon Busch | Goalkeeper |
| 20 | Tim Ward | Defender |
| 14 | Brandon McDonald | Defender |
| 33 | Chris Leitch | Defender |
| 8 | Geovanni | Midfielder |
| 5 | Brad Ring | Midfielder |
| - | Cornell Glen | Striker |
| 21 | Jason Hernandez | Defender |
| - | Bobby Convey | Midfielder |
| 10 | A. Álvarez | Striker |
| 8 | Chris Wondolowski | Striker |
| - | Alex Horwath | Goalkeeper |
| - | Bobby Burling | Defender |
| 33 | Steven Beitashour | Defender |
| 22 | Omar Jasseh | Midfielder |
| 17 | Joey Gjertsen | Striker |
| 23 | Eduardo | Striker |
| 9 | Ryan Johnson | Striker |
| 1 | Kevin Hartman | Goalkeeper |
| - | Heath Pearce | Defender |
| 5 | Jair Benítez | Defender |
| 19 | Zach Loyd | Defender |
| 2 | Daniel Hernández | Defender |
| 20 | Brek Shea | Defender |
| 24 | Eric Alexander | Midfielder |
| 9 | Atiba Harris | Striker |
| 6 | Jackson | Defender |
| 10 | David Arturo Ferreira | Midfielder |
| - | Jeff Cunningham | Striker |
| - | Dario Sala | Goalkeeper |
| 8 | Eric Avila | Midfielder |
| 8 | Bruno Guarda | Midfielder |
| - | M. Rodríguez | Striker |
| - | Marvin Chávez | Midfielder |
| 15 | Kyle Davies | Defender |
| 34 | Ruben Luna | Striker |
| Geovanni | |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Squad Number: | 8 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daniel Hernández | |
| Position: | Defender |
| Squad Number: | 2 |
| Games | Goals | YC | RC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
18 
20 
14 
33 
8 
5 
0 
21 
0 
10 
8 
1 
0 
5 
19 
2 
20 
24 
9 
6 
10 
0
Results
Times In EST
Match News
Top Scorers
| Player | Goals | Penalties | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Kenny Cooper
Striker NY Red Bulls |
11 | 2 |
|
Chris Wondolowski
Striker San Jose Earthquakes |
11 | 1 |
|
Thierry Henry
Striker NY Red Bulls |
9 | 0 |
|
Saer Sene
Striker New England |
7 | 1 |
|
Maicon Santos
Striker D.C. United |
7 | 0 |