Another weekend, another road game.
The Earthquakes head to Texas this Saturday to take on FC Dallas for the second and final time this season. Ahead of the 61st matchup between these two MLS originals, we take a look at what to watch for this weekend:
Can the Quakes be the first?
If the Quakes are to leave Texas on Saturday with three points, they’ll have to do something no other team has been able to do this season: defeat FC Dallas. Oscar Pareja’s side is currently 5-0-4 in 2017 and is the only undefeated team remaining in the league. It won’t be easy, and in order to pull this feat off, the Quakes are going to have to put an end to another streak first…
Déjà Vu
When these two sides faced each other last month, Dallas nearly came away from Avaya Stadium with a win. Kellyn Acosta put the visitors ahead in the 78th minute, seemingly dooming the Quakes to their first home loss of the year. But as the match entered its final minute of stoppage time, San Jose’s newest Pokemon Hykachu saved the day with his first goal in MLS.
Besides heart palpitations, the result also likely induced feelings of déjà vu to those watching. It was the fourth encounter out of the past six between San Jose and Dallas that ended in a draw. Adding to the chances of a repeat scenario, FCD has drawn three of its past five league matches, including its last two home games.
One more interesting trend? The Quakes’ past four wins against Dallas have all been by a score line of 2-1.
The Monkey is Off
On Wednesday night, midfielder Tommy Thompson came on against Orlando City in the 82nd minute with the Quakes trailing 1-0. With his first touch of the match, the Homegrown Player set up Chris Wondolowski to tie the game, recording his first career assist in MLS. After the match, Thompson expressed his contentment at finally getting the weight off his shoulders:
“It’s been a long time coming, but I’m glad it fell to Wondo tonight. I’m hoping to build on that and get more assists moving forward. There have been a couple of opportunities where I thought I would get an assist, but soccer isn’t always fair. It felt good to get the monkey off my back tonight, and now it’s time to prepare for Dallas on Saturday.”
With the pressure to get on the board off now, Quakes fans will be hoping Thompson will continue to make an impact with the team. There won’t be a better time to start than on Saturday against Dallas.
You can catch the Quakes in action on Saturday, May 20, by tuning into NBC Sports California, KNBR 1050 or 1370 KZSF. Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. PT.
