Whitecaps FC-Earthquakes Preview
If the Vancouver Whitecaps are to record a franchise-record third straight road victory, they must finally win at San Jose.
They'll look to accomplish both while trying to hand the Earthquakes a third consecutive defeat Saturday night.
Off to the best start in the five-year history of the club, Vancouver (4-1-1) already set a franchise record with four consecutive overall victories before playing Columbus to a 2-2 draw on Wednesday.
"We're disappointed in a draw, but we turn the page to the weekend," Whitecaps midfielder Russell Teibert said. "We keep on a roll and keep taking as many points as we possibly can."
Vancouver has won two straight road matches in three consecutive seasons but faces a relatively short turnaround in this attempt to make club history. In addition, Teibert and defender Kendall Waston are both slightly banged-up and fellow defender Diego Rodriguez could sit with a quad strain suffered against the Crew.
Taking all that into consideration, Vancouver coach Carl Robinson expects to make some lineup changes to avoid fatigue.
"I've got confidence in my squad so other players will get chances now," Robinson said. "The ones that are banged-up will take a rest and others players will come in. ... It could be a tricky game for us but we'll go in with a lot of confidence."
Entering Friday, Vancouver's nine goals were the most in MLS but scoring has been harder to come by on the road. The Whitecaps managed only a pair of late Octavio Rivero goals to post consecutive 1-0 road victories over Chicago and Orlando City last month.
Rivero, who scored his fifth goal Wednesday, will certainly be on the field as Vancouver tries to extend a 5-0-3 run against the Earthquakes (2-3-0) that dates to its only defeat in the series, 3-1 at San Jose on April 7, 2012. The Whitecaps, however, are 0-1-4 on the road against the Earthquakes and have played to a scoreless draw in each of their last two trips to Northern California.
They'll get their first look at the state-of-the-art Avaya Stadium for the initial night match on the league's newest pitch.
Waiting will be a San Jose club that suffered its first defeat there, 1-0 to Real Salt Lake on Sunday.
"We just want to win," Earthquakes midfielder Cordell Cato told the team's official website. "If we win the game in the first half and the second half, we'll give ourselves a good chance to win. To do that in our first night game will be a great boost for us."
San Jose star and U.S. national team member Chris Wondolowski has scored half of his team's six goals but none at home. He scored seven in his first six matches against Vancouver but only two in his last five.
The Earthquakes will be without rookie forward Innocent Emeghara, who was suspended for one game and fined for committing a serious foul in the 41st minute against Salt Lake.