Pre-match: Vancouver Whitecaps FC - San Jose Earthquakes Knockout Round (Wednesday, 10/25) pregame thread

Last game was close.



Can we do it agin?

 

Yes we can do it again, if the last three games are any indication, this lineup and formation seems to work

 

As the last game in Vancouver showed, we match up just fine with them. They can go ahead and give us possession and play their vaunted bunker and counter that they're so proud of. We'll take our chances with that. Last time, 19 shots to 13 or something like that in our favor. Also, no time change on the travel, and no difficult conditions (humidity, altitude, etc.).

 

"The San Jose Earthquakes will host a viewing party for the Quakes’ Audi 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs Knockout Round match against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 7:30 p.m. PT at San Pedro Square Market. The viewing party will begin at 7 p.m. PT. The event will feature food and drink specials and a raffle to win Quakes prizes. Merchandise will also be sold on site."

Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. and the match will be broadcast on UniMas, NBC Sports California, KNBR 680 and 1370 KZSF.

 

Hyka had a pretty "meh" game but TT didn't have his best game either. His touch let him down a few times. I'm sure Hyka will get the start again but hopefully TT subs in.

 

Can Quakes pull off playoff upset over 'Caps?

 

We are in form for this game coming in with tons of momentum: Two wins and a draw in our last three. Vancouver comes in losing two and a draw in their last three.

 

Anybody know if yellow card accumulation carries over into the playoffs?

I think Godoy was on the verge of sitting out a game...he picked one up today. I thought Muma was getting close also.

 

All yellow card accumulation is wiped out at the end of the regular season. If a player got a yellow card today that hit the suspension threshold, he has to pay the associated fine but gets no suspension. Red card suspensions or any other disciplinary committee suspension carry into the playoffs.

In the playoffs, two yellows in two different games cause a suspension, except there are no yellow card suspensions for the final.

 

Well, of course the comment was made before Tommy played. I think that was clear enough. My point is that I don't think TT did enough or Hyka did "not enough" to make Leitch consider switching them at this point. Hyka will most likely start and TT come in at 70' or so, depending on game state.

I think Hyka has had some good games of late. I think when he got his first start in a while, he was most inspired. And then it has gone down a little bit from there. Complacency? Good time to start TT in his place then - some healthy competition to keep them both at their best, but probably not at this point in the season. Leitch will very likely keep the same starters.

 

It's good that people are optimistic about whitecaps game but even though SJ got a point there last game was saved by GK heroics and out of context goal by Wondo-Vako. Their tactics mostly worked but they got unlucky. Vanc will keep things the same and just try to do it better. park the bus, play counter knowing that SJ defense can often be caught sleeping.

As far as lineup goes I don't think Sarkodie and Amerikwa would be useful. SJ will need more presence in the middle. Wingers should try to get around the defense and pass/cross into the box or play quick one-twos between Vako/Wondo/Hoesen. Maybe push defensive line up high and play better possession.

 

It wasn't that it was that great a game from the Quakes against Vancouver, but it was much better than the 4-0 games they have been playing on the road. So relatively speaking they did well against Vancouver. And 19 shots to 13 or so, a little better than 50% possession IIRC. It is not inconceivable that the Quakes get one or two of those (say) 19 shots to go in, and maybe the defense tightens up a bit and/or Tarbell has another great game. In MLS you are almost always a pretty significant underdog on the road. But as road games go, this is one that I think the Quakes could possibly win.

 

The key is the mental state of the team. The Quakes gave Sporting KC all it could handle on the road in the US Open Cup semifinal. In the playoffs, even a draw means extra-time and PKs, which means luck could eventually smile on us. All the pressure is on the WhiteCaps. If the Quakes play with the same intensity they did against Minnesota, they will very likey win again.

 

Not sure what moment you are referencing, but, there was a play where Flo had surged forward with the ball and layed it off to the corner expecting Salinas to run onto it. With Flo so far forward, Shea had actually dropped back to provide some defensive coverage and gestured back toward the defense, and probably saying something like, "hey, someone has to be back here".

 

I have a 7pm game on Wednesday at the Santa Clara youth soccer park, so I am going to have to count on all you folks to cheer the team to victory in my absence.

 

I think I hear a *cough* coming on, a sick call perhaps?

 

That was a particularly interesting moment in the game. It was one of those where you can't fault either Jungwirth or Salinas. Jungwirth was right in that someone should have been making a run into that corner (and that person should have been Thompson). Salinas was also right in saying that somebody had to cover the space defensively because it otherwise would have been completed unaccounted for. Given how much running Salinas had to do in the game overall, I think he made the right decision. One of midfielders should have recognized what was happening and moved out wide to help, rather than clustering in the middle.

 

Lima has not played in several matches, so there would be a serious risk to putting him into the lineup. Not that he couldn't live up to them, but I would not expect Leitch to change anything about the defense. Sarkodie has limitations as a player, as do all players, but the team has figured out how to minimize the impact of those limitations pretty effectively over the last several games. I thought he played pretty well both against Vancouver and Minnesota.

I expect Lima to seriously challenge for the starting spot next year, but I doubt we see him in any matches for the rest of this one.