COLUMBUS CREW STADIUM
COLUMBUS, Ohio
7:30 pm ET (FSC; FSN-BA)
Two teams heading in seemingly opposite directions face off as the Columbus Crew welcome the San Jose Earthquakes to their own private house of horrors. The Crew are currently in a four-game winless skid, and have won just two games over nearly the past three months to leave them at the foot of the Eastern Conference. The Earthquakes meanwhile are one of the hottest teams in the league, on a six-game unbeaten string that has pulled them into second place in the West. But the Quakes haven't won in Columbus since their first-ever trip here - in 1996.
REFEREE: Andrew Chapin. SAR (bench): Rob Fereday; JAR (opposite): Jorge de la Bandera; 4th: Jeff Mellen
MLS Career: 6 games; FC/gm: 28.0; Y/gm: 5.2; R: 2; pens: 1
Games involving Crew: P1 W0 L1 T0; FC/gm: 24.0; Y/gm: 3.0; R: 0; pens: 0
Games involving Earthquakes: P1 W0 L0 T1; FC/gm: 34.0; Y/gm: 6.0; R: 1; pens: 0
INJURY REPORT: COLUMBUS CREW - OUT: GK Matt Jordan (lower back strain); MF Duncan Oughton (R knee surgery); MD Ross Paule (post-concussion syndrome); GK Jon Busch (R knee); QUESTIONABLE: DF Stephen Herdsman (L groin strain); PROBABLE: MF Danny Szetela (concussion) ... SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES - OUT: DF Craig Waibel (R knee torn ACL/LCL); DF Troy Dayak (L knee torn ACL); FW Brian Ching (R hamstring strain); DOUBTFUL: DF Eddie Robinson (R hamstring strain); PROBABLE: DF Ryan Cochrane (L ankle sprain)
INTERNATIONAL ABSENCES: CLB: DF Frankie Hejduk (USA; CONCACAF Gold Cup); FW Cornell Glen (Trinidad & Tobago; CONCACAF Gold Cup) ... SJ: MF Brad Davis (USA; CONCACAF Gold Cup); MF Dwayne De Rosario (Canada; CONCACAF Gold Cup) SUSPENDED: CLB: Kyle Martino (through July 9) ... SJ: Danny Califf (through July 9) WARNINGS: CLB: Robin Fraser (20 CP)
HEAD-TO-HEAD
ALL-TIME (25 meetings): Crew 15 wins (2 shootout), 48 goals ... Earthquakes 9 wins (3 shootout), 38 goals ... 1 draw
IN COLUMBUS (12 meetings): Crew 11 wins (2 shootout), 25 goals ... Earthquakes 1 win (0 shootout), 13 goals ... 0 draws
COLUMBUS CREW
The Columbus Crew saw their winless streak extended to four, losing for the third time in that span though under unlucky circumstances, an own goal giving D.C. United a 1-0 victory on Saturday night at Crew Stadium. The Crew find themselves in last place in the Eastern Conference with 14 points from 15 games, seven behind fifth-place MetroStars, eight out a playoff spot and fully 18 behind joint leaders Chicago Fire and New England Revolution.
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SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
The San Jose Earthquakes extended their unbeaten run to six matches, twice immediately answering FC Dallas goals as the teams played to a 2-2 draw on Saturday evening in the final match ever at the Cotton Bowl. The Earthquakes remained tied with the Los Angeles Galaxy for second place in the Western Conference with 25 points from 16 matches, nine points behind MLS overall leader FC Dallas.
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