As the San Jose Earthquakes head into TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, their opponent Minnesota United FC will likely look considerably different than they did during the season opener on March 3.
The Quakes took care of business in Week 1, jumping out to a commanding 3-0 lead before conceding a pair of late goals to Kevin Molino. Minnesota is the first team San Jose will face for the second time in 2018 and represent the first challenge of having to adjust to roster and tactical changes from one meeting to the next.
The most notable change for the Loons is the acquisition of Colombian midfielder Darwin Quintero. Quintero tallied two goals and an assist in his first three MLS matches and has provided the team with a spark.
The 30-year-old began his career with teams in Colombia and Russia before establishing himself in Mexico. The bulk of his playing career was spent with Santos Laguna and Club America, where he tallied 108 goals and 99 assists in 296 appearances across all competitions. He has also earned 14 caps for the Colombian National Team, scoring his lone international goal in Dallas, Texas against Mexico in 2009. Quintero is Minnesota’s first-ever Designated Player.
Another player San Jose will likely need to prepare for on Saturday is Miguel Ibarra. Ibarra played just 15 minutes in Week 1, but helped breathe life into a match that was seemingly done and dusted. He has established himself as a starter every match since Week 3 and has one goal and three assists to his credit in 2018. In the four matches he has tallied a point, the Loons are a perfect 4-0-0. When he fails to do so, the team is a paltry 0-6-0.
In total, only three players that started against San Jose on March 3 also started in their most recent match against LAFC on Wednesday. The 2-0 road loss could either be a sign of significant changes, mixing the lineup to stay fresh or some combination of the two.
The match will be broadcast live on NBC Sports Bay Area, KNBR 1050 and 1370 KZSF at 11 a.m. PT.
