Earthquakes-Red Bulls Preview
The San Jose Earthquakes are coming off their first shutout of the season, but shutting out one player in their next match might prove to be the more difficult task.
Bradley Wright-Phillips has been as unstoppable as it gets on his home field over the past year, and New York Red Bulls fans could be treated to plenty more as the club opens a stretch of three home matches to close the month.
That begins Friday night against San Jose, which hasn't posted an away clean sheet during Wright-Phillips' furious home pace.
The league's top scorer from a season ago scored in New York's only home match this season - a 2-0 win over D.C. United on March 22 - and has five goals on a four-game home scoring streak. He's totaled 23 goals in his past 18 home matches, scoring in all but three since April 23, 2014.
That's a big reason the Red Bulls (2-0-2) are 13-4-4 at home since the start of last season. They're also the only unbeaten team in the Eastern Conference, in position to match their only five-game unbeaten streak to begin a season from 2007.
They didn't need a goal from Wright-Phillips to squeak out a 2-2 draw at D.C. on Saturday. Wright-Phillips has had attacking help this season from Lloyd Sam, who scored in the 90th minute after Damien Perrinelle got the Red Bulls within one in the 68th. Sam has three goals in four matches after scoring four in 37 league games a season ago.
It was the second time in four games they've collectively kept a cool head and come from behind to earn a draw.
"Certainly, I told them that I was very proud of them after the game, and we're going to have to draw on that belief and character again in the future," coach Jesse Marsch said. "I thought from the beginning that that would be a strength of ours as a team, and it's proven to be the case."
Such a deficit might be less likely if defenders Roy Miller (knee) and Ronald Zubar (hamstring) are able to play. Both have both been out since the first game of the season, and Marsch was hopeful they'd return in some capacity against San Jose.
The Earthquakes (3-3-0) won 1-0 at home over Vancouver on Saturday, ending a two-game skid behind Sanna Nyassi's first goal in six starts with the club.
"It was great to get my first goal because with that you get your confidence up," Nyassi told the club's official website. "I hope to get more goals throughout the season and just help the team win every game."
They could need more out of him if Chris Wondolowski isn't available. The veteran forward was with the U.S. national team for Wednesday's 2-0 friendly win over Mexico. He didn't play, but there was no word from the Earthquakes on whether he'd be joining them in New York.
San Jose plays its next four on the road, where it has gone 1-9-6 in its last 16 games - including a U.S. Open Cup match. The Earthquakes have gone 19 consecutive road games without posting a shutout since April 19, 2014.
The Red Bulls are 0-1-3 in the series since beating San Jose on April 16, 2011. Wright-Phillips scored in last season's only meeting, a 1-1 draw at Red Bull Arena on July 19.