San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake | 2018 MLS Match Preview

Dylan Butler

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Real Salt Lake
2018 MLS Regular Season — Week 22
Avaya Stadium — San Jose
July 28 - 10:30 pm ET
WATCH: ESPN+, MLS LIVE on DAZN (Canada)

The San Jose Earthquakes’ winless streak is now at 11 games after a 1-0 home loss to the Seattle Sounders FC Wednesday at Avaya Stadium, their third straight defeat.

Real Salt Lake have lost just one of their last four games, but they have only one victory away from Rio Tinto Stadium this season. A second road win will keep them above the playoff line in the Western Conference.

San Jose Earthquakes

There were positives for San Jose (2-12-6), but ultimately the result was all too familiar for the Quakes, as they fell to the Sounders, 1-0, at home on Wednesday. It is the second straight game in which they were shut out, as newly-signed Raul Ruidiaz scored the game’s lone goal in the 62nd minute.

Luis Felipe, a 22-year-old midfielder from Long Island, performed well on his debut, and the Quakes threatened late, but to no avail.

“It was really a slow game in general, a few chances for both teams actually, it was more of a 0-0 game from my perspective,” Mikael Stahre said. “I think we came out quite well in the first part of the game with more intensity and quality than Seattle. Then we lost a bit of momentum in the last part of the first half. We talked in the dressing room to speed up the game a little bit more, more intensity in everything actually. We conceded a goal from out of the blue.”

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

Projected Starting XI
(4-4-2, right to left)
GK: Andrew Tarbell — Nick Lima, Jimmy Ockford, Harold Cummings, Shea Salinas — Vako, Florian Jungwirth, Anibal Godoy, Jahmir Hyka — Danny Hoesen, Chris Wondolowski

Real Salt Lake

Damir Kreilach and Joao Plata scored six minutes apart to put Real Salt Lake (9-9-3) in front, 2-0, in the 17th minute. Just when it seemed the Rocky Mountain Cup would go to RSL for a third straight year, referee Baldomero Toledo halted the game because of inclement weather in the 24th minute.

When play resumed 45 minutes later, the Colorado Rapids upped their intensity and pulled within a goal on a Jack McBean penalty kick before Dillon Serna netted the equalizer two minutes from full time.

“We opened up the game, dominated, break comes and the only thing they changed was a bit more bite,” Real Salt Lake coach Mike Petke said. “They were a bit more aggressive and we didn’t handle it well. When I say ‘we’, I mean the coaches, the players, and me sitting up top. We are all in this together. Two points slipped away and now we are obviously going to refocus and get ready for San Jose.”

Suspended: Mike Petke (head coach)
Suspended after next caution: None
International duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Tony Beltran (right knee surgery), M - Jordan Allen (knee surgery), GK - Alex Horwath (Achilles surgery), D - Shawn Barry (knee injury), M - Luke Mulholland (back injury), D - David Horst (Achilles surgery), F - Ricky Lopez-Espin (knee surgery), GK - Connor Sparrow (knee injury)

Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1, right to left)
GK: Nick Rimando — Brooks Lennon, Justen Glad, Nick Besler, Aaron Herrera — Damir Kreilach, Kyle Beckerman — Jefferson Savarino, Albert Rusnak, Sebastian Saucedo — Corey Baird

All-Time Series

Overall: San Jose Earthquakes 10 wins, 38 goals … Real Salt Lake 10 wins, 44 goals … 10 draws
At San Jose: Earthquakes 7 wins, 26 goals … Real Salt Lake 5 wins, 20 goals … 3 draws
Last meeting at San Jose: San Jose Earthquakes 2, Real Salt Lake 1 (June 24, 2017)