San Jose Earthquakes vs. Philadelphia Union | 2017 MLS Match Preview

Dave Zeitlin

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Philadelphia Union
2017 MLS Regular Season
Avaya Stadium – San Jose, California
August 19, 2017 – 10:30 pm ET
WATCH: MLS LIVE

The San Jose Earthquakes have been nearly unbeatable at home while the Philadelphia Union have struggled mightily on the road.

Such is the backdrop Saturday night at Avaya Stadium as the Quakes put their 7-1-4 home record to the test against a Philly team that's not only 1-7-3 on the road this year but coming off a brutal 3-0 home loss to the Montreal Impact.

And with looming road games against Toronto FC, t he New York Red Bulls, Atlanta United and Chicago Fire, the ninth-place Union have little margin for error if they hope to make a late charge into the playoffs.

The Quakes are in better position in the Western Conference, sitting just above the playoffs line in sixth place. But just like the Union, they're coming off a humbling 3-0 defeat, theirs at the hands of the Houston Dynamo last week in goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell's first MLS start.

San Jose Earthquakes

Suspended: D -- Andres Imperiale
International Duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: D - Harold Cummings (leg surgery), M - Marc Pelosi (left knee injury); QUESTIONABLE: D - Nick Lima (thigh)

Projected Starting XI (3-5-2, right to left): Andrew Tarbell – Florian Jungwirth, Victor Bernardez, Francois Affolter – Nick Lima, Anibal Godoy, Jahmir Hyka, Darwin Ceren, Shea Salinas – Chris Wondolowski, Marco Ureña

Notes: After winning four of their first six games against Philadelphia and only conceding three goals along the way, the Earthquakes are winless against the Union in their last three matches (2L-1D) and have conceded seven goals in those games. ... If the Earthquakes win against Philadelphia, it will be just the fifth time in franchise history that San Jose have won five consecutive home league games. The franchise record for consecutive regular season home wins is 12, set between August 25, 2001 and July 24, 2002. ... The Earthquakes conceded goals in the 86th and 94th minute against Houston last weekend. They have conceded 13 goals in the last 15 minutes of matches this season, the most of any MLS team.

Philadelphia Union

Suspended: none
International Duty: None
Injury Report: OUT: F - Fabian Herbers (sports hernia surgery recovery) QUESTIONABLE: M - Maurice Edu (left ankle/left tibia surgery recovery), GK - Andre Blake (right hand laceration), D - Oguchi Onyewu (left groin strain), M - Ilsinho (right adductor strain)

Projected Starting XI (4-2-3-1, right to left): John McCarthy – Raymon Gaddis, Joshua Yaro, Jack Elliott, Giliano Wijnaldum – Alejandro Bedoya, Haris Medunjanin – Chris Pontius, Roland Alberg, Fafa Picault – C.J. Sapong

Notes: A Philadelphia loss against the Earthquakes would equal the second-worst road league losing streak in franchise history at four games. The record is five, and was set in the Union’s first five road games in MLS, from March 26 to May 8, 2010. ... Haris Medunjanin has 1,745 touches so far this season, the eighth most of any player in the league in 2017.

All-Time Series

This will be the first meeting between the two clubs since April of last year — a 1-1 draw at Talen Energy Stadium. The last time the clubs meet at Avaya, the Union picked up a 2-1 win on Sept. 5, 2015 behind two late goals from Conor Casey.

Overall: San Jose 4 wins (10 goals) … Philadelphia 3 wins (10 goals) … Ties 2
At SJ: San Jose 2 wins (3 goals) … Philadelphia 1 win (2 goals) … Ties 1