San Jose Earthquakes vs Portland Timbers

PayPal Park forms the backdrop for a high-stakes Major League Soccer meeting between San Jose Earthquakes and Portland Timbers.

Not only are San Jose Earthquakes on their way to landing a playoff berth in the Western Conference, but they may still walk away with a top-place finish, with only three points separating them from pacesetters St. Louis City. Despite their last four MLS matches fluctuating between victories (2) and draws (2), points are not guaranteed for the ‘Quakes’ as they’ve only managed one win in their four most recent home league meetings with Portland (D1, L2). But with two of their last three MLS H2Hs at PayPal Park featuring over 4.5 goals and both teams on the scoresheet, the local crowd could be in for a treat. Indeed, a high-scoring theme could be in store, given that four of San Jose’s last five home league matches have produced three or more goals.

Meanwhile, Portland Timbers eked out a narrow 1-0 home win over Dallas last time out to arrest a dreadful four-game winless MLS run (D2, L2) and reignite their hopes of securing a playoff spot. However, they’re level on points with the two closest chasers below the playoff line, highlighting the significance of scooping points at PayPal Park. That could prove easier said than done, with Portland entering this round as one of the worst traveling sides in MLS this term after only managing one win in their nine away league games (D3, L5). That’s not to mention Giovanni Savarese’s lads averaged just 0.88 goals per game in that sequence. Portland’s agonizingly slow starts on the road have seen them fail to pick up a halftime lead on any of their nine MLS travels thus far (HT: D6, L3).