The San Jose Earthquakes will try to extend a five-match unbeaten run on Saturday night when they host a Portland Timbers team missing both of its starting center backs.
After losing four in a row to begin August and continue a midseason tailspin, the Quakes (12-8-6, 42 points) have rebounded to reclaim their status as Western Conference contenders.
Manager Bruce Arena’s group enters the weekend in fifth in the West, but only two points off the pace for second. And after one-goal wins over San Diego and second-place Houston, San Jose rallied from two goals down at home to a 2-2 draw against 10-man LAFC last Saturday night.
Preston Judd came off the bench to score his team-leading 13th goal before Reid Roberts leveled in the eighth minute of second-half stoppage time.
It was the kind of performance that suggested whatever was ailing the Quakes in the summer is behind them.
“Through that bad stretch, it almost felt like we would’ve probably lost that game,” Judd conceded. “But I think we’ve turned it around and we have that never-say-die attitude back. And we need every point we can get. Whether it’s to make the playoffs or to get home-field advantage, we need every point.”
Despite a 1-0 home defeat to Atlanta United last Saturday, the Timbers (9-12-5, 32 points) begin the weekend with a tenuous hold on the ninth and final West playoff spot, ahead of rival Seattle on the first tiebreaker of total wins.
But manager Marti Cifuentes will have to replace center backs Finn Surman and Joel Waterman.
Surman suffered an MCL sprain in training Tuesday and is expected to miss four to six weeks, while Waterman will serve a one-match suspension for yellow-card accumulation.
Cifuentes appeared to suggest he would consider dipping into the reserve Timbers 2 team in MLS Next Pro, or potentially changing defensive shapes.
Portland has played a back four in every match this season.
“I don’t like the mentality about feeling sorry for ouselves. I don’t like the mentality of thinking everything is dark,” Cifuentes said. “We’re going to check all of the solutions inside the club, not only on the first team, but as well in the (reserves) and then make a decision.”
–Field Level Media
