This story was originally published by Dead Spin
The San Jose Earthquakes will try to earn rare consecutive victories on Saturday night when they host a Sporting Kansas City side facing a quick turnaround following a midweek triumph in the U.S. Open Cup.
The Earthquakes (4-16-2, 14 points) enter the weekend at the bottom of the Western Conference table, with Sporting KC (5-3-5, 20 points) one slot above them.
After San Jose lost its first two matches following the dismissal of manager Luchi Gonzalez, interim boss Ian Russell switched to a three-center-back shape in a 1-0 win over the Chicago Fire last Sunday.
Hernan Lopez scored four minutes after halftime on a chance set up by Cristian Espinoza, and goalkeeper William Yarbrough and his beleaguered defense kept its first clean sheet of the season.
“We’re all getting used to kind of a new system,” Russell said. “I was super proud of the guys for grasping the concepts in really only a day. To go out and get a result in a new system, I was very happy with that.”
San Jose’s MLS-worst defense has still allowed 56 goals and is on pace to concede 86, which would shatter the previous MLS record of 75 allowed by FC Cincinnati in 2019.
Kansas City’s 48 goals conceded are the second most in the league.
SKC has lost eight consecutive away games and has conceded two or more goals in six consecutive away matches stretching back to mid May.
And Kansas City will also have to overcome some understandable fatigue following a 2-1 home victory over FC Dallas in extra time in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal on Wednesday night.
“I can’t bury a bunch of guys,” manager Peter Vermes said. ” … We’ll have some challenges we’ll have to deal with, but we’ll have to deal with that on Saturday morning to start really talking about the inventory of where the players are.”
Dany Rosero scored the winner in the 111th minute to give Sporting KC its second win in four days over Dallas after earning a 3-2 league victory last Sunday.
William Agada leads SKC with seven league goals and also scored the opener in the Open Cup quarterfinal.
–Field Level Media
