SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES v. SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC

Greetings to my brothers and sisters in Green. Sounders FC travel southerly to visit the South Bay and within it, the city of San Jose. The only purpose for doing this is to play auld rivals and football team with an identity crisis: The San Jose Earthquakes…I mean Clash, I mean Earthquakes, I mean Houston Dynamo, I mean Earthquakes. It’s bloody exhausting, Fam.

What: MLS league match, San Jose Earthquakes v. Seattle Sounders FC.

Where: Coleman Avenue, San Jose, California.

When: 7:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, Saturday 29 March 2025 CE.

At Stake: Points in the league and, if you care, points in the Heritage Cup. [sigh] Sounders are currently 23rd in the league on 5 points. A win would put us, hopefully, in the region of solidly mid-table. This, of course, is entirely dependent on the results of other clubs. That’s really all there is at stake. It would require an abject failure of colossal proportions for Sounders to not qualify for MLS Cup. So, with us out of Champions Cup and window rapidly closing on being competitive for the League Championship, other than pride there’s not much in it.

Where to Watch: MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. livesoccertv.com agrees.

Where to Listen: KJR 950 AM and El Rey 1360 AM.

I’ll keep this short and to the point. We’ve not beat these since 2021, and I don’t much care for that reality. Everything else in the world might be going to shite, so if the universe, such as it is, should see fit to give us a fighting chance, I’d really like for us to sort this lot.

Need a bit of sauce for the goose? San Jose have won the last three [grits teeth] Heritage Cups. So that’s…looking for a word here…not great.

We’ll have ample support at the match thanks to Fog Citeh. If you’re headed to the Bay, try and link up with those folks. More people equals more noise, so make the most of it. We’ll be listening for you on the telly. Look after each other in the wild. Tie your scarves proper. Make an absurd amount of noise and enjoy the 800 Billion foot bar at the Coleman Avenue ground.

It’s Sounders football, under the Saturday night lights at Coleman Avenue. GO ON YOU SOUNDERS!!! GET IN!!!

Before kick-off, please join me in the auld toast: “TO THE SEATTLE SOUNDERS FOOTBALL CLUB…AND VICTORY!!!”

“Get in. Get in. Get in. Get in. GET IN!!!”

The Good News

By the numbers, we’re doing all the right things. Over the two matches since the injuries at Estadio Olimpico Universitario, we’re having the bulk of possession, holding our own or dominating in shots taken, outpassing our opponents in volume and accuracy, winning more corner kicks, crossing the football more, and holding our own in aerial duels. Theoretically, if we keep it up, the goals will come.

We have Nouhou and Vargas back from their time with Cameroon and Mexico U-20s. Enough time has passed since their last matches that they should be fit for selection.

We’ve got Baker-Whiting back in the squad. It seems he’s fully recovered from his hamstring issue, and is available for selection.

The Bad News

We’re not finishing our chances and we need a backup centre-forward that Schmetzer trusts enough to be in the team. No amount of possession, statistical advantages, or changing up our shape can fix that.

New San Jose signings Josef Martinez (117 goals in 188 MLS league matches) and Cristian “Chicho” Arango (56 goals in 97 MLS league matches) are top strikers in MLS. They score goals on the regular, which we’re having trouble doing at present.

Our road form has been pretty much shite (1-0-3 in all competitions). In those matches we’ve conceded eight goals for an average of 2.00/match. With three straight fixtures and seven of the next nine away from home beginning with San Jose, this needs sorting.

The margins on goal scoring and defence for this match are razor-thin, so at least by the numbers it looks like results could go either way with a draw the statistically likely result.

There is an excellent chance we will be out-managed this match.

Matches as Manager of United States: Arena 130, Schmetzer 0

Victories in MLS league matches as Manager: Arena 264, Schmetzer 127

Honours as Manager:

Arena

5x MLS Cup

4x MLS League Champion

1x US Open Cup

1x CONCACAF Champions Cup (one of the ones that no one supposedly won before we did)

1x Interamerican Cup

3x CONCACAF Gold Cup

4x MLS Manager of the Year. 

Schmetzer 

2x USL Cup

2x USL League Champion

2x MLS Cup

1x CONCACAF Champions Cup

The Side I Would Select

I’d have these in yon olde 4-2-3-1.

GK     Frei

LB     Nouhou

LCH    Ragen

RCH    Gomez Andrade

RB     Alex

LDM    Vargas

RDM   Cristian

LF     Rusnak

CAM   Ferreira

RF     Minoungou

CF     Musovski

The Side I Think The Gaffer Will Select

The Gaffer will likely continue with his 5-3-2 that gets listed as a 3-4-3 Diamond. Expect Cristian to continue at right-forward ’til Pedro de la Vega returns to fitness.

GK     Frei

LB     Rothrock

LCH    Nouhou

CH     Ragen

RCH    Gomez Andrade

RB     Alex

LM     Vargas

RM     Joao Paulo

LF     Rusnak

CF     Ferreira

RF     Cristian

Intangibles

Frustration.

Plenty of possession and strikes at goal against Houston. No goals though. It can sap the life out of you when you’re doing all the right things and not getting results from it.

Officiating.

Guido Gonzales Jr. will be Referee for Saturday night’s match.

SJ record with Gonzales Jr. as Ref: 0-3-5

SEA record with Gonzales Jr. as Ref: 1-1-1

Travel woes.

Sounders are 1-0-3 on the road this season, with their only win coming at Antigua FC of Guatemala.

Reclaiming our international players.

Will Nouhou and Vargas be rested enough after featuring for Cameroon and Mexico U-20s to play on Sat?

Coleman Avenue blues.

Sounders do not have the most successful history when visiting the South Bay. Sounders have only won five times in 18 matches all-time (in the MLS-era) when playing at San Jose (5-5-8).

Sea change at San Jose.

Since hiring Bruce Arena as their new Manager, San Jose has largely purged the core of their team, with Arena having five players brought in from his former club New England, plus Chicho Arango from Salt Lake and Josef Martinez from Montreal to score goals. Heads will roll, I guess. I wonder how that level of upheaval might affect the players that remained at San Jose.

General notes on personnel

San Jose transfers IN:

Harkes (New England Revolution) €157,000

Kaye (New England Revolution) €157,000

Romney (New England Revolution) €157,000

Lima (New England Revolution) free

Floriani - draft

Edwards Jr. (New England Revolution) €144,000

Arango (Real Salt Lake) €1.35M

Martinez (CF Montreal) free

Roberts - draft

Spivey - academy

Fernandez - draft

Leroux - reserves

Montali (Minnesota United FC) free

San Jose transfers OUT:

Akapo (Amazonas) free

Baldisimo - released

Beason (New England Revolution) free

Ebobisse (Los Angeles FC) free

Jackson (San Diego FC) draft

Marcinkowski (Los Angeles Galaxy) free

Morales (St. Louis City SC) free

Richmond - released

Thompson - released

Yarbrough - released

Walls - released

Yueill (New England Revolution) free

Ochoa (Cruz Azul) €1.9M

Gruezo (LDU Quito) free

Comparison against common opponents

SJ 4:0 RSL

RSL 2:0 SEA

CLT 4:1 SJ

SEA 2:2 CLT

Know Thine Enemy

San Jose as they lined up in their 4:1 defeat against Charlotte FC at Mint Street on 22 March.

GOALKEEPER

Daniel, 30

Brazil

Notable Clubs: Internacional (68/0), San Jose Earthquakes (39/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €800,000

Notes: Full name: Daniel de Sousa Britto. Developed by Uniao Rondonopolis and Internacional.

DEFENCE

Jamar Ricketts, 23

United States

Notable Clubs: San Jose Earthquakes (6/1)

Estimated Transfer Value: €50,000

Notes: Developed by Cedar Stars Academy. Played his university football for Cal State Northridge (55/16).

Dave Romney, 31

United States

Notable Clubs: Los Angeles Galaxy (84/3), Nashville SC (87/4), New England Revolution (61/1), San Jose Earthquakes (5/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1M

Notes: Developed by Irvine Strikers. Played his university football for San Francisco (72/5).

Bruno Wilson, 28

Portugal

Notable Clubs: Braga (7/1), Tondela (15/2), Tenerife (19/1), Vizela (57/1), San Jose Earthquakes (18/1)

Estimated Transfer Value: €800,000

Notes: Full Name: Bruno Ricardo Valdez Wilson. Developed by Oeiras and Sporting Lisbon.

Nick Lima, 30

United States (9/0)

Notable Clubs: San Jose Earthquakes (103/7), Austin FC (95/1), New England Revolution (25/1)

Value: €1.5M

Notes: Developed by San Jose Earthquakes. Played his university football for California (72/6).

MIDFIELD

Ian Harkes, 29

England

Notable Clubs: DC United (33/2), Dundee United (128/7), New England Revolution (36/3), San Jose Earthquakes (5/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €600,000

Notes: Developed by DC United. Played his university football for Wake Forest (82/9). Won a Scottish Championship title (second-tier) with Dundee United.

Cristian Arango, 30

Colombia (2/0)

Notable Clubs: Envigado (71/7), Millonarios (65/24), Aves (19/1), Tondela (16/1), Los Angeles FC (51/30), Pachuca (11/5), Real Salt Lake (41/23), San Jose Earthquakes (5/3)

Estimated Transfer Value: €7.5M

Notes: Developed by Envigado. Won Taca de Portugal with Aves. Named MLS Newcomer of the Year 2021. Won an MLS Cup and League double with LAFC in 2022.

Mark-Anthony Kaye, 30

Canada (42/2)

Notable Clubs: Los Angeles FC (77/9), Colorado Rapids (32/4), Toronto FC (29/2), New England Revolution (31/0), San Jose Earthquakes (5/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.5M

Notes: Developed by Wexford SC, Ajax SC, Glen Shields SC, Bryst SC, and Toronto FC. Played his university football for York (29/18). Produced by Toronto FC Academy and Wexford SC. Won a USL Cup with Louisville City in 2017. Won an MLS league championship with LAFC in 2019.

FORWARD

Ousseni Bouda, 24

Burkina Faso (7/2)

Notable Clubs: San Jose Earthquakes (41/3), Monterey Bay FC (2/1)

Estimated Transfer Value: €500,000

Notes: Developed by Right to Dream Academy, Millbrook Mustangs, and Black Rock FC. Played his university football for Stanford (39/10). Amateur honours.

Preston Judd, 25

United States

Notable Clubs: Los Angeles Galaxy (17/3), San Jose Earthquakes (30/1)

Estimated Transfer Value: €400,000

Notes: Developed by Las Vegas Academy. Played his university football for California Baptist (39/22) and Denver (19/7).

Cristian Espinoza, 29

Argentina

Notable Clubs: Huracan (90/9), Alaves (6/0), Valladolid (10/0), Boca Juniors (15/2), San Jose Earthquakes (192/32)

Estimated Transfer Value: €5M

Notes: Developed by Huracan. Won an Argentine league title with Boca Juniors. Won an Argentinian Cup with Huracan. Won an Argentinian Supercopa with Huracan.

Familiar Faces

San Jose coach Shalrie Joseph played for Sounders FC (10/1) in 2013.

Squads

San Jose from:

Daniel, Edwards, Montali, Ricketts, Marie, Wilson, Munie, Romney, Roberts, Lima, Floriani, Rodrigues, Eisner, Verhoeven, Vitor Costa, Harkes, Espinoza, Kaye, Medina, Skahan, Spivey, Tsakiris, Leroux, Mendoza, Pellegrino, Arango, Bouda, Martinez, Judd, Cowell.

Sounders FC from:

Frei, Thomas, Castro, Baker, Baker-Whiting, Bell, Burney, Gomez Andrade, Hawkins, Kim, Kossa-Rienzi, Nouhou, Ragen, Alex, Sousa, Joao Paulo, Leyva, Cristian, Rusnak, Vargas, Ferreira, Minoungou, Musovski, Rothrock.

Injury List

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

San Jose -

OUT: Fernandez (lower body, we’ll say contused testicle), Kikanovic (lower body, we’ll say anal leakage), Lopez (upper body, we’ll say acute dandruff).

MATCHDAY DECISION: Tsakiris (lower body, we’ll say chronic tzatziki deficiency).

Sounders FC -

OUT: de la Vega (quadriceps), Morris (hamstring), Arriola (knee).

MATCHDAY DECISION: none.

Discipline

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

No players suspended from either squad.

Fun Fact

On the all-time Manager victories list for MLS, Bruce Arena, the current San Jose Manager is #1 with 264. #2 is Sigi with 240, RIP. Brian Schmetzer is #11, with 127.