SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES vs. SPORTING KANSAS CITY
Avaya Stadium | San Jose, Calif.
Saturday, September 24 | Week #29 | MLS Game #300
10:30 pm ET (MLS LIVE, CSN-CA, KMCI-38)
A crucial meeting between teams just on either side of the red line in the Western Conference is ahead when the San Jose Earthquakes and Sporting Kansas City meet in the first of two meetings down the stretch when the clubs face off Saturday evening at Avaya Stadium. The Earthquakes come into the game six points below the red line – but with two games in hand – returning home after a scoreless draw at the Colorado Rapids last weekend. Sporting are right on the red line, sitting in sixth place in the conference, hitting the road after back-to-back draws at Children’s Mercy Park, last a 2-2 result with the LA Galaxy last Sunday afternoon.
- The Quakes had their winless run extended to five games with a second consecutive draw, reaching a scoreless result with the Colorado Rapids on Saturday evening at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
- Sporting extended their home undefeated streak to eight games, playing to a second draw, coming back for a late 2-2 result with the LA Galaxy on Sunday afternoon at Children’s Mercy Park.
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Chris Wondolowski scored the game’s lone goal from a penalty kick in the 59th minute as the Quakes claimed the victory on April 24 at Avaya Stadium. San Jose has won the last three meetings between the teams, including both encounters a season ago.
- The first-meeting victory for San Jose was the first win for the road team in the series since 2004, when San Jose won at Arrowhead Stadium. The Quakes victory also snapped an eight-game home winning streak for Sporting vs. the Quakes.
- Kansas City has not won in San Jose since Aug. 16, 2000. The Quakes have won 10 of the 15 meetings since in northern California, with five draws.
REFEREE: Edvin Jurisevic. AR1 (bench): Adam Garner; AR2 (opposite): Jeffrey Greeson; 4th: Alex Chilowicz
MLS Career: 102 games; FC/gm: 22.8; Y/gm: 3.5; R: 23; pens: 20
SUSPENDED: none
WARNINGS:
SUSPENDED NEXT YELLOW CARD: SJ: Fatai Alashe, Anibal Godoy, Jordan Stewart … KC: Matt Besler, Roger Espinoza, Jimmy Medranda
SUSPENDED AFTER TWO YELLOW CARDS: KC: Dom Dwyer, Lawrence Olum
DISABLED LIST: none
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: none
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (52 meetings): Earthquakes 24 wins (3 shootout), 65 goals…Sporting 21 wins (4 shootout), 59 goals…Ties 7
AT SAN JOSE (26 meetings): Earthquakes 16 wins (1 shootout), 37 goals … Sporting 4 wins (2 shootout), 19 goals … Ties 6
FUTURE MATCH: 10/23: Sporting Kansas City vs. San Jose Earthquakes, 3 p.m. CT
- The teams are meeting for the second time this season. Chris Wondolowski scored the game’s lone goal from a penalty kick in the 59th minute as the Quakes claimed the victory April 24 at Avaya Stadium. San Jose has won the last three meetings between the teams, including both encounters a season ago.
- The first meeting victory for San Jose was the first win for the road team in the series since 2004, when San Jose won at Arrowhead Stadium. The Quakes victory also snapped an eight-game home winning streak for Sporting vs. the Quakes.
- Kansas City has not won in San Jose since Aug. 16, 2000. The Quakes have won 10 of the 15 meetings since in northern California, with five draws.
- Coaches record: Peter Vermes vs. SJ: P11 W4 L6 D1 … Dominic Kinnear vs. KC: P29 W12 L7 D10 LAST MEETING
(MLS):
4/24: SJ 1, KC 0 (Wondolowski 59)
- The game's lone goal came after SKC goalkeeper Tim Melia took down Simon Dawkins in the box, and referee Jair Marrufo pointed to the spot. Chris Wondolowski converted the resulting penalty just before the hour mark.
- Quakes goalkeeper David Bingham was credited with five saves in keeping the clean sheet.
- SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES (4-4-2): David Bingham - Marvell Wynne, Victor Bernardez, Andres Imperiale, Shaun Francis - Alberto Quintero (Tommy Thompson 90), Fatai Alashe, Anibal Godoy, Simon Dawkins (Shea Salinas 77) - Chris Wondolowski, Quincy Amarikwa (Adam Jahn 71).
- SPORTING KANSAS CITY (4-1-2-3): Tim Melia - Saad Abdul-Salaam, Nuno Andre Coelho, Matt Besler (Ike Opara 75), Amadou Dia (Diego Rubio 86) - Lawrence Olum - Benny Feilhaber, Roger Espinoza - Brad Davis, Dom Dwyer, Graham Zusi.
