Orlando City SC vs. San Jose Earthquakes | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

Orlando City SC vs. San Jose Earthquakes
2018 MLS Regular Season - Week 8
Orlando City Stadium — Orlando
April 21 - 7:30 pm ET
WATCH: ESPN+, MLS LIVE on DAZN (Canada)

Getting healthier and more confident, Orlando City SC is rolling, returning to Orlando City Stadium having won three consecutive matches.

The San Jose Earthquakes are winless in their last four games, but rallied for a 2-2 draw with the Houston Dynamo Saturday night, their second consecutive draw.

Speaking of ties, all three of the previous three meetings between the two teams have ended in a draw.

Orlando City SC

Orlando head coach Jason Kreis made four changes to his starting XI from a 3-2 win over the Portland Timbers the previous weekend. Amro Tarek replaced an injured Jonathan Spector, RJ Allen started at right back for Scott Sutter, Stefano Pinho made his first start since returning from an ankle injury and rookie Chris Mueller started for Justin Meram.

Dom Dwyer opened the scoring in the 38th minute, his fourth goal in three games since returning from injury, and Mueller scored for the second consecutive game in what Kreis called his team’s most complete game of the year.

“Tonight we saw, kind of for the first time, a collective mindset that we weren’t going to give anything away defensively,” Kreis said. “That led to us being very balanced, very well organized and shut them down pretty well.”

Sacha Kljestan was named to the MLS Team of the Week presented by Audi for Week 7.

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: GK - Mason Stajduhar (Localized Ewing Sarcoma), D - RJ Allen (hamstring); QUESTIONABLE: D - Scott Sutter (lower body), D - Jonathan Spector (concussion)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2–3-1, right to left)
GK: Joe Bendik — Will Johnson, Lamine Sane, Amro Tarek, Mohamed El-Munir — Oriol Rosell, Yoshimar Yotun — Chris Mueller, Sacha Kljestan, Justin Meram — Dom Dwyer

Notes: Since trading for Dwyer late last July, Orlando averages 1.7 goals per 90 in 1,292 minutes with him on the field (0.6 goals per 90 in 558 minutes with him off). … The Lions have won their last two home matches, scoring seven goals. They had two wins and 14 goals in their previous 14 league home games (6L-6D).

San Jose Earthquakes

It was a strange sight indeed, but at kickoff last Saturday there was Chris Wondolowski on the substitute’s bench, ending a stretch of 56 consecutive games in the starting XI with Quakes coach Mikael Stahre giving midfielders Fatai Alashe and Jackson Yueill their first starts of the year in a changed 4-1-4-1 formation.

“It was a really hard decision,” Stahre said. “We talked about it within the coaching staff and decided to play with only one striker and add another midfielder.”

As for Wondolowski, he said he understood and accepted Stahre’s decision.

“It’s one of those things,” Wondolowski said. “It’a a part of the game. We wanted to make a tactical change and add another guy in the midfield and try to possess it. Coach talked to me about that. It’s the role he asked me to play and going forward, I’ll try to take that the best I can.”

There was a late equalizer off the bench, but Wondo didn’t score it. Coming on a sub for the first time this season, Jahmir Hyka leveled dramatically five minutes from full time.

Now the question is if Stahre will utilize the same formation and keep Wondolowski on the bench in Orlando?

Suspended: D - Harold Cummings
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: Tommy Thompson (illness)

Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3, right to left)
GK: Andrew Tarbell — Florian Jungwirth, Yeferson Quintana, Francois Affolter, Nick Lima — Fatai Alashe, Jackson Yueill, Anibal Godoy — Magnus Eriksson, Danny Hoesen, Vako

Notes: Hyka’s goal last weekend was his fourth in 31 league appearances and snapped a 17-game regular season goalless streak. … The Earthquakes have won just one of their last 12 road games (9L-2D) and have been held scoreless six times.

All-Time Series

Overall: Orlando City SC 0 wins, 4 goals … San Jose Earthquakes 0 wins, 4 goals … 3 ties
At Orlando: Orlando City SC 0 wins, 2 goals … Earthquakes 0 wins, 2 goals … 1 tie
Last meeting at Orlando: Orlando City SC 2, San Jose Earthquakes 2 (June 18, 2016)