San Jose Earthquakes vs. Vancouver Whitecaps – Game Preview
Saturday, October 3rd, Avaya Stadium, San Jose, CA. 10:30 ET
Hosts San Jose have fallen on hard times lately. Starting September with a 2-1 loss at home to Philadelphia Union, moving onto two home 1-1 draws against Seattle Sounders and then Montreal Impact, and followed by a 3-2 loss at NYCFC. The quakes ended a 4-game winless streak last Sunday, with a 1-0 win at home over Real Salt Lake.
And so, San Jose are currently ranked seventh in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference (12-12-7) with 43 points, just below the red line, and 1 point below sixth-placed Portland Timbers. Accordingly, there is still a slim chance for a playoff position if all goes the Quake’s way.
Visitors Vancouver Whitecaps started September with a 2-0 win at home over Colorado Rapids, followed by a 3-0 loss at home to Seattle Sounders and another 2-1 home loss to NYCFC last Saturday.
Despite the 2-game losing streak, Vancouver is still in a more comfortable position for the playoff prospects. It is ranked second in the MLS Western Conference with 48 points (15-12-3).
San Jose’s top scorer for this 2015 MLS season is Chris Wondolowski with 15 goals, compared to Vancouver’s Octavio Rivero with 10 goals.
This is the third meeting this MLS season between the teams, with the Earthquakes winning 1-0 at home in April, and the Whitecaps winning 3-1 at home in July.
