San Jose Earthquakes vs. DC United | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

San Jose Earthquakes vs. D.C. United
2018 MLS Regular Season – Week 12
Avaya Stadium — San Jose
May 19 - 10:30 pm ET
WATCH: ESPN+, MLS LIVE on DAZN (Canada)

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After seven straight games without a win, the San Jose Earthquakes are now two games without a loss following a 2-2 draw with Vancouver Whitecaps FC Wednesday night at BC Place, while D.C. United head to Avaya Stadium on consecutive 3-2 losses.

D.C. United have won three of their last five meetings against San Jose (1L- 1D), including a 4-0 win last year at home.

San Jose Earthquakes

Mikael Stahre made one change to his starting XI from the side that defeated Minnesota United FC, 3-1, on Saturday, bringing Jimmy Ockford on for injured Jahmir Hyka in switching to a five-man backline.

After falling behind on a Cristian Techera goal on 19 minutes, Danny Hoesen scored his fifth goal of the season, matching his 2017 total, to level in first-half stoppage time.

Nick Lima followed with his first goal to put San Jose (2-5-2) in front, 2-1, in the 53rd minute, but Yordy Reyna scored 11 minutes later as the host Whitecaps rallied for a 2-2 draw on Wednesday night.

“It shows resilience from that squad, when we’re down we can pick ourselves up,” Lima said of garnering four points from two road matches. “We have to come together as a group and keep fighting. Now we go home and have an opportunity to get three points again. Guys are starting to pick their heads up. You can’t hang your head too low and you can’t hang your head too high. I think we’re learning that and it’s a long season. We’re in a real good spot.”

Suspended: None
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Yeferson Quintana (ankle injury), M - Eric Calvillo (knee injury), M - Jahmir Hyka (ankle injury)

Projected Starting XI
(5-4-1, right to left)
GK: Andrew Tarbell — Nick Lima, Jimmy Ockford, Harold Cummings, Florian Jungwirth, Shea Salinas — Magnus Eriksson, Jackson Yueill, Anibal Godoy, Vako — Danny Hoesen

Notes: Magnus Eriksson had five shots and none on target on Wednesday night, the fourth Earthquakes player since the start of last season to have such a game. … San Jose have gone winless in their last three home games (2W-1D). It is their longest streak since a five-game run from August 5th - September 24, 2016 (2L-3D).

D.C. United

Ben Olsen went with one change to his preferred 4-1-4-1 formation from the side that lost to the Philadelphia Union, 3-2, bringing on Paul Arriola, who played centrally in the midfield alongside Luciano Acosta, while Yamil Asad went to the bench.

Arriola gave D.C. United (1-5-2) an early lead, but Corey Baird leveled for Real Salt Lake, which played a man-up for 68 minutes after Joseph Mora was shown a straight red card. With his team trailing 3-1, Steve Birnbaum tried to pull D.C. United back into it with his first goal of the year in the 83rd minute, but the visitors fell 3-2 for a second straight game after beating Columbus Crew SC for their lone win of 2018.

“There’s going to be 15-20 minutes of games on the road where you have to grind and you have to figure out and dig in and make a play, or make a save, bail a teammate out to get a road result,” Olsen said

Suspended: D - Joseph Mora
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Taylor Kemp (groin injury), M - Junior Moreno (hamstring injury), M - Russell Canouse (knee injury), D - Chris Odoi-Atsem (calf injury), M - Ulises Segura (leg injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-1-4-1, right to left)
GK: Steve Clark — Nick DeLeon, Frederic Brillant, Steve Birnbaum, Oniel Fisher — Chris Durkin — Zoltan Stieber, Paul Arriola, Luciano Acosta, Yamil Asad — Darren Mattocks

Notes: The last time D.C. United played San Jose, Patrick Mullins set a MLS record by scoring four goals in the second half of the team’s 4-0 win. He has scored one goal in the 11 games since. … D.C. United have just one road win in their last 18 games (15L-2D). They have allowed 2.5 goals per game over this stretch.

All-Time Series

Overall: San Jose Earthquakes 17 wins, 57 goals … D.C. United 14 wins, 63 goals … 7 ties
At San Jose: Earthquakes 8 wins, 30 goals … D.C. United 4 wins, 26 goals … 7 ties
Last meeting at San Jose: San Jose Earthquakes 1, D.C. United 1 (April 2, 2016)