FC Dallas vs. San Jose Earthquakes | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

FC Dallas vs. San Jose Earthquakes
2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 23
Toyota Stadium — Frisco
August 4 - 8 pm ET
WATCH: ESPN+, MLS LIVE on DAZN (Canada)

Two teams on opposite ends of the Western Conference standings square off Saturday night when FC Dallas attempts to extend a home unbeaten streak to 12 games, facing a San Jose Earthquakes side that hasn’t won since May.

FC Dallas is coming off a 3-2 win at Sporting Kansas City, which stretched their lead atop the Western Conference to six points over LAFC, while San Jose played Real Salt Lake to a 0-0 draw, and have scored just once in their last four games.

San Jose earned a 1-0 win in Dallas in the last meeting between the two teams, which ended an eight-game winless run against FC Dallas.

FC Dallas

It seems like every move Oscar Pareja makes turns to gold for FC Dallas (12-3-6), which defeated Sporting, 3-2, at Children’s Mercy Park on Saturday.

Pareja moved Michael Barrios to forward, and the Colombian struck for his first three goals of the season and first career MLS hat trick — on three shots, no less. He opened the scoring in the 23rd minute and, after Gerso Fernandes leveled in the 50th minute, struck two more times in a 12-minute span before Daniel Salloi struck deep in stoppage time.

“I’ve learned through the times that any team is not an easy one. We have such respect for San Jose and their coach and obviously the players,” Pareja said. “We have had moments as well when things haven’t bounced in our way and teams try, teams fight so we are taking this game like always, with a lot of professionalism and knowing they are a good side and the goal is the same, trying to get those three points.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: M - Santiago Mosquera (left hamstring strain)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Jesse Gonzalez — Reggie Cannon, Matt Hedges, Reto Ziegler, Marquinhos Pedroso — Carlos Gruezo, Victor Ulloa — Roland Lamah, Maxi Urruti, Tesho Akindele — Michael Barrios

Notes: Barrios’ hat trick last weekend was the third by a FC Dallas player since the start of the 2010 season. It also matches his goal total from his previous 28 appearances for the Toros . . . FC Dallas are unbeaten in their last 17 MLS home games (9W-8D), two short of the franchise record set from 2015 to 2016.

San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes (2-12-7) ended a three-match losing streak, but their winless run stretched to 12 games with a 0-0 draw against Real Salt Lake Saturday at Avaya Stadium.

Quincy Amarikwa had a golden chance to give the Quakes the lead in the 65th minute of that match, but his shot caromed off the crossbar.

“I think we were a little bit better, but I agree it was an equal game,” Mikael Stahre said. “Actually, from my perspective, it was one of the best performances for this season. I think we defended quite compact and solid, and we created enough chances to win this game. Of course, I can’t be happy with a tie at home, but I’m quite pleased with the performance in general.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Kevin Partida (right ACL reconstruction surgery and partial meniscectomy)

Projected Starting XI
(4-4-2, right to left)
GK: Andrew Tarbell — Nick Lima, Guram Kashia, Harold Cummings, Shea Salinas — Magnus Eriksson, Anibal Godoy, Luis Felipe Fernandes, Tommy Thompson — Quincy Amarikwa, Vako

Notes: Last weekend, San Jose snapped a streak of 25 consecutive MLS games without a clean sheet, tied for the longest streak in club history. It has been 45 games since they kept consecutive clean sheets in league play . . . The Earthquakes are winless in their last 12 league games (7L-5D), their longest such stretch since 2014-15. They have been held scoreless in their last three matches, their longest since a five-game span from October 8, 2014 through March 7, 2015.

All-Time Series

Overall: FC Dallas 20 wins, 71 goals … San Jose Earthquakes 26 wins, 91 goals … 15 draws
At Dallas: FC Dallas 12 wins, 38 goals … Earthquakes 11 wins, 41 goals … 7 draws
Last meeting at Dallas: FC Dallas 0, San Jose Earthquakes 1 (May 20, 2017)