SAN JOSE, Calif. -
The Quakes return home to Avaya Stadium Friday night to face off against Western Conference foe Houston Dynamo. After defeating Houston 1-0 back in May, the Quakes look to make it two in a row against the Dynamo to keep pace in a crowded West. In what promises to be an exciting match, here’s a look at the top three match storylines heading into #ViernesDeFutbol!
OMG! MPG:
Offensive catalyst Matias Perez Garcia missed last weekend’s match against Portland due to injury, but Quakes head coach Dominic Kinnear left the door open for his possible return to the lineup on Friday. MPG had the tidy assist on a quick restart in a 1-0 win over Houston at BBVA Compass Stadium on May 5. Adam Jahn scored the winner with a quick burst behind a stunned Dynamo defense. Perez Garcia also tormented the LA Galaxy in the California Clasico, dishing off two assists in a 3-1 win. The Quakes are coming off a gut-wrenching 1-0 loss to the Portland Timbers at Providence Park, courtesy of a Jack Jewsbury goal in the 91st minute. Thus, if he returns, the Quakes will turn to MPG to dictate tempo, carve up the defense and display his trademark slurving free kicks. Sanna Nyassi, who sat out the Portland game on a yellow-card suspension, should liven up the attack on the right teaming up with right back Marvell Wynne, which should, in turn, make Shea Salinas even more effective on the left. It was Nyassi and MPG who scored in a 2-0 win over Seattle at CenturyLink Field on June 20. Expect a spirited attacking effort from the Quakes.
Possession nine-tenths of law:
The Quakes need to possess the ball against a discipline Dynamo club. The Quakes haven’t allowed a goal at Avaya Stadium in three straight MLS games, and the back line doesn’t figure to get any easier to break down on Friday night. The Quakes have rolled out the same starting back line (Marvell Wynne, Victor Bernardez, Clarence Goodson, Jordan Stewart, and goalkeeper [David Bingham) for the past nine matches, going 4-2-3 over that span. The club allowed more than one goal just once in those matches and has had four shutouts. Houston scored its first goal in three matches in a 1-1 draw with Chicago last time out, so Friday’s matchup looks favorable to San Jose, even with Chris Wondolowski away at the Gold Cup.
Turning the tide:
The Quakes have won the last two meetings in the series against Houston, their first wins against the Dynamo since 2011. Perhaps San Jose can channel its Wondo-free effort in a 3-0 win over the Dynamo last year at Buck Shaw Stadium. Wondolowski watched that game from the grandstands because it took place during World Cup preparations. He saw quite a show. Khari Stephenson had two goals, and Shea Salinas, back from a one-game suspension, sparked the offense. The Quakes and Dynamo have been rivals since the Quakes returned to the league in 2008, after the club moved to Houston from San Jose in 2006. Each team has won six meetings, with one draw. The Earthquakes (2001, 2003) and Dynamo (2006, 2007) each have a pair of MLS Cup championships, with only D.C. United (4) and the LA Galaxy (4) having earned more MLS titles. Kinnear coached the Dynamo for nine seasons.
