The San Jose Earthquakes return to the friendly confines of Buck Shaw Stadium after their most successful road trip of the season after securing 4 points in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. The Quakes will try to translate that road mojo into home success against a club that has struggled at times during the 2010 season after a very successful 2009. Yet despite those troubles, a road win would vault the Sounders above the Earthquakes in the standings, though the Sounders have played three more games thus far. A win would further cement San Jose's chances for their first playoff appearance since returning as an expansion club.
San Jose has had a quiet week since their thrilling tie in Los Angles, but Seattle has been active during the summer transfer window. They traded away one of their designated players, Swedish midfielder Freddie Ljunberg, to Chicago, but replaced him with another designated player - Uruguayan midfielder Alvaro Fernandez. Despite the turmoil, Seattle is coming in hot with recent wins over Los Angeles, DC United, Colorado and Isidro Metapan in the CONCACAF Champion's League. If either team can pull out three points today they'll feel very good about their playoff chances as the season moves into its 2nd half.
Players to Watch:
Kasey Keller - Sure, he's past his prime, but how often do you get to see a USMNT hero playing at the age of 41? Kasey has been just about everywhere, including England, Germany, Spain and four world cups. He's having a solid season for Seattle and can be counted on for his composure and experience.
Bobby Convey - Convey was the driving force in San Jose's offensive attack against Los Angeles, scoring the opening goal and threatening all day on the counter-attack. The Earthquakes will probably need another strong day from him as a creator and distributor if they want to earn three points tonight.
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