San Jose Earthquakes vs New York Red Bulls Predictions

A fifth straight defeat in the MLS see SJ earthquakes still stuck to the bottom of the Western Conference, four points adrift of their nearest rivals Colorado Rapids. On Sunday struggling San Jose play host to a New York RB side that sit one point behind Eastern Conference leaders Atlanta United with three games of the season remaining.

SJ Earthquakes gave a very good account of themselves in the first half of their away match against Houston Dynamo last weekend, but another Jekyll and Hyde performance cost the San Jose club once again. Two late goals in the first half saw visitors SJ Earthquakes lead Houston Dynamo 2-0 at the break, first Wondolowski converted a thirty-seventh minute penalty and then the unfortunate Fuenmayor scored an own goal just second before the referee blew for half time.

Content with their two goal cushion, SJ Earthquakes sat back during the second half and allowed their hosts into the game and it cost the visitors the ultimate price. Manotas made it 2-1 in the fifty-sixth minute and in the sixty-eighth Martínez levelled the game at two goals apiece. Not content with a point Houston pushed forward in search of a winning goal and found in three minutes from time through Quioto.

SJ Earthquakes blew a decent lead, not for the first time this season, and lost a fifth straight match in the MLS. Houston Dynamo had 60% of the possession, twelve corners to their guests three, and thirteen shots to San Jose’s eight, and deserved to turn this game around and claim all three points. Scoring goals has not been SJ Earthquakes issue this season, conceding them has. Hoesen has scored twelve times in the league for the Western Conference’s bottom club, while teammate Qazaishvili has chipped in with ten, but at the other end they have conceded sixty-six goals which is easily the worst record in the MLS this season.

Even without star striker Bradley Wright-Phillips, New York RB beat their rivals for the top spot in the Eastern Conference last weekend and now sit just a point behind Atlanta United with three games left to play.

A thirty-ninth minute penalty from Royer ensured New York RB would lead at half time against their guests Atlanta United, in what was a half of very few chances. As the second half progressed the visitors had to commit more players forward and take more risks in search of an equalising goal, but instead Parker made it 2-0 to New York RB in the seventy-fourth minute and ended any hopes of a comeback for Atlanta.

The home side could have made it 3-0 in the eighty-sixth minute when they were awarded a second penalty of the match, but with Royer off the field at this point the responsibility went to Romero who spurned his opportunity to get on the scoreboard. The game was closer than the scoreline suggests, but New York RB certainly did enough to edge this match and it will be interesting to see whether this victory gives Red Bulls the incentive and momentum to claim the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

We’re confident that New York Red Bulls will win on Sunday and that the final score will read 3-2 to the visitors. SJ Earthquakes have lost their last five MLS games, while New York RB have won four of their last six MLS games. New York RB have won two out of the last three meetings between the pair, and we expect that record to continue on Sunday as the hosts are in the midst of a losing streak.