The Portland Timbers and host San Jose Earthquakes will both look to build on impressive victories when they meet on Saturday night.
The Timbers (5-7-5, 20 points) defeated visiting FC Dallas 1-0 last Sunday in a match that was not as close as the score indicated.
Franck Boli tied a team high with his fourth goal of the season in the 35th minute of a dominant first half for Portland.
Although that placed the onus on Dallas to try to level the game, the Timbers looked more likely to score the next goal in a match where they outshot the visitors 14-5 overall and 8-2 in efforts on target.
“We’re coming from a game that I felt we played very well, probably one of our best games this season,” coach Giovanni Savarese said this week. “A phenomenal first half and three points that we really needed. And now we need to continue to build from that. We need to make sure that we continue to get better in the details.”
Portland will be seeking its first back-to-back wins of the season without goalkeeper Aljaz Ivacic and defender Juan Mosquera, who are away on international duty. Ivacic missed Sunday’s victory with a minor injury anyway, as David Bingham deputized.
San Jose (7-5-5, 26 points) is coming off its own impressive 2-1 win last Saturday night over a Philadelphia Union side who had carried a nine-game unbeaten run and four-match win streak to the West Coast.
The Union created more chances that evening, but could not find a second equalizer after Miguel Trauco’s ferocious, long-range strike put San Jose ahead for a second time in the 57th minute.
Jeremy Ebobisse also scored his seventh goal of the season for the Quakes, who remained unbeaten through eight home games.
“At the end of the day, we put away our chances, and that’s what is most important,” San Jose coach Luchi Gonzalez said.
The Quakes will also be hit by international absences, with attacker Jamiro Monteiro, holding midfielder Carlos Gruezo and Trauco among those missing out.
–Field Level Media