Real Salt Lake vs San Jose Earthquakes: Home Side Should Be Able to Get a Big Win This Weekend

• Real Salt Lake host San Jose Earthquakes at the Rio Tinto Stadium this weekend; only one match out of the last five between these two has had only one team scoring in the game
• San Jose Earthquakes are 4th from the bottom with 15 points from 15 games
• Real Salt Lake are 4th from the top this season with 25 points in their 15 matches

Real Salt Lake vs San Jose Earthquakes Odds

Real Salt Lake vs San Jose Earthquakes Prediction

Real Salt Lake do not have a good record against the San Jose Earthquakes, as they have lost four of the last five meetings. However, things are different this season, and the home side should be able to get a big win this weekend.

Only one match has had a team keep a clean sheet in the last five meetings. Moreover, at least three goals have been scored in four of the five meetings, with three of those matches seeing seven goals each.

The Last Meeting

The last meeting between these two sides took place in October 2021, ending 4-3 in favor of the San Jose Earthquakes. Albert Rusnák opened the scoring for Salt Lake in the 9th minute, but they could not hold on to the lead for long. Carlos Fierro and Chris Wondolowski scored for San Jose before halftime and gave the away side a 2-1 advantage going into the break.

Sloppy from Real Salt Lake

Things got worse for Real Salt Lake as they chased the game as Cade Cowell and Jackson Yueill made it 4-1 for San Jose before the 80th minute. Maikel Chang pulled one back for Real in the 85th minute, while Rusnák got his second in the dying minutes to make it a respectable scoreline for the home side.

Real Salt Lake had 60 percent of the possession, 18 shots at goal, 9 on target, and more chances created than the opponents, but just could not get the goals that were needed to win the game. Surprisingly, they did not get a single corner in the game, while San Jose Earthquake won 10 corners and did not a miss a single big chance they created in the match.

Real Salt Lake Need To Stop Leaking Goals

Real Salt Lake have been doing well in the league this season and are sitting in the top 4 right now. They have picked up 25 points from their first 15 games and look like a team keen on winning silverware this season.

However, they have a big flaw in the form of their leaky defense. They have kept five clean sheets in the league but still conceded more goals than they have scored. The 6-0 drubbing at the hands of New York City FC earlier in the season contributed to that.

A Bright Start

After a poor pre-season where they lost twice and drew twice in their four matches, not many expected a good start from Real Salt Lake. They surprised everyone and went unbeaten in their opening four games.

They kicked off the season with a goalless draw against Houston Dynamo and then followed it with three wins in a row. They defeated Seattle Sounders, New England Revolution, and Nashville in the run and were looking set to make a big impact on the league.

Things changed quickly as Sporting Kansas City, a side struggling for points this season, stunned them 1-0. Johnny Russell scored the lone goal of the game in the 81st minute as Real struggled for possession.

A Tough Road Back

The defeat took the spring from their steps, and they had to settle for draws in their next two games. Colorado Rapids and Toronto FC shared points with them, and it seemed like Pablo Mastroeni’s side had lost confidence.

New York City FC made things worse in the next game week by thrashing Real Salt Lake 6-0. Mastroeni’s side had no response to any of the goals, as the home side scored three in each half to seal the win. Northern Colorado Hailstorm FC added salt to the wounds by knocking Real out of the US Open Cup four days later.

Mastroeni had to calm his players down after the poor run of form, and things seem to have worked well. In the last seven league games, they have lost twice and won four times. The wins against LA Galaxy, Austin FC, CF Montreal, and Houston Dynamo has seen the confidence return in the players, and they are moving up the table. Losses to Vancouver Whitecaps and Nashville set them back a little, but such hiccups are expected in the season.

Injuries and Suspensions

Damir Kreilach, Zackery Farnsworth, and Bret Halsey are ruled out.

San Jose Earthquakes Are Still Searching For Their First Away Win

San Jose Earthquakes have been struggling this season, and their away form has been a major concern. They have not won a single game away from home and picked up only two points in their seven matches. Moreover, those two points have come in their last three away games, against Nashville SC and Vancouver Whitecaps.

In contrast, their home form has been one of the best this season. They have lost just once and are unbeaten in their last five matches at the Earthquakes stadium.

A horrid Start

The main reason for them sitting towards the bottom of the table is the start of the season. San Jose were winless in their first seven matches and needed a win against Bay Cities FC in the US Open cup to gain some confidence. They drew against Columbus Crew, Austin FC, and Nashville in their first seven matches while losing to New York Red Bulls, Philadelphia Union, Minnesota United, and Houston Dynamo.

They finally managed to end their winless streak in the league when they faced the Seattle Sounders at home. They edged out a 4-3 win thanks to an injury-time penalty from Cristian Espinoza. After going down 2-0 in the 20th minute, San Jose fought back to half the lead before halftime. They fell 3-1 behind early in the second half but managed to pull level in the 65th minute. Both sides went for the win, but Espinoza managed to seal it for the home side with his 3rd goal of the match.

Not Much Changes

However, the win did not turn things around for San Jose as they lost 3-0 to New York City FC in the next gameweek. It did see them gain some confidence and they went on a 4-match unbeaten streak, which saw them winning against Colorado Rapids and Portland Timbers, while drawing to Vancouver Whitecaps and Sporting Kansas City.

But once again, they have slipped up and are now on a 3-match winless streak in all competitions. They were knocked out of the US Open Cup by Sacramento Republic FC and that was followed with a league defeat to Los Angeles FC. In the last gameweek, San Jose drew 0-0 at Nashville SC.

Injuries and Suspensions

George Asomani, Siad Haji, and Gilbert Fuentes are ruled out.

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