On Wednesday evening, the Earthquakes will take on the New England Revolution for the 41st time in the history of the two clubs. San Jose currently leads the rivalry with a 20-14-6 record, but has been unable to beat its fellow MLS original in their past four matchups. Looking ahead to the latest iteration of this rivalry, three questions stand out:
Can the Quakes buck the trend?
Winning on the road is notoriously difficult in MLS. Last season, only two teams in the whole league won more than five games on the road out of 17 played—the Quakes are still looking for their first road win of 2017 after losing away to Sporting Kansas City and New York City FC earlier this season. Wednesday’s match against the Revs will be the first of a potentially grueling, three-game road stretch, so picking up as many points possible is crucial. With the re-emergence of the Quakes’ never-say-die spirit, there’s hope they will. Speaking of which…
Can the Quakes channel the “Goonies” spirit before the 90th minute?
For a second game in a row, the Earthquakes scored in the dying moments of the match to rescue a point from the jaws of defeat in their 1-1 draw against FC Dallas last week. It was the third time this season that the club has come from behind to either win the match (Vancouver Whitecaps FC) or tie it (Seattle Sounders FC, FC Dallas). The question now is if they can make things a bit easier on themselves and score first to prevent the need for last-gasp heroics. The answer may come down to their ace in the hole…
Will Wondo equal Landon Donovan’s record?
If Chris Wondolowski scores against New England on Wednesday, he will match Landon Donovan’s all-time record of most goals scored on the road (63). The Quakes captain will have history on his side in this endeavor: Wondolowski has scored six goals in nine appearances against New England for San Jose, and since 2010, has not gone two consecutive matchups against the Revs without scoring. His impact has been impeccable, as well. Of his six goals against New England, half of them were game-winners.
You can catch the Quakes take on the Revs on Wednesday by tuning into NBC Sports California, KNBR 1050 or KZSF 1370. Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. PT.
