San Jose Earthquakes and DC United haven't ignited the MLS this season, but Monday night's meeting is the perfect spark. Earthquakes, under Bruce Arena, require victory more than ever following four successive matches without one, while DC United seek their first in three. A collision of styles is on the cards: Earthquakes' rugged home travail against DC's attack-driven threat with the return of Christian Benteke. With goals flowing in both camps and defenses leaking like old pipes, this could be a thriller. We’re diving deep into the stats, expected goals, and key players to uncover the best bets and predictions. Let’s break it down.
Claim Welcome BonusSan Jose Earthquakes
San Jose's last game—a 1-1 draw with Seattle—wasn't pretty, but it was hard. With only 36% possession, they rode out the storm, finding the back of the net by Beau Leroux and surviving to fight another day on the strength of 8 saves from their goalie. Possession issues remain an issue, and they've now had four straight games without a win.
They've lost five on the spin, with two wins in their first six games, 11th in the West. They're dependent on Cristián Arango for attacking and he's scored 3 goals with him always threatening around the box.
Their coach Bruce Arena is also settling in after injuries, without the services of Hernán López and Biko Tsakiris. They have an xG of 1.47, which means they're creating good chances but unable to convert them into goals.
Defensively, it's a mixed bag. Continuously conceding despite, they've managed cards in hand under control—below 4.5 cards in 8 out of 10. Set-piece defense and midfield control need to improve seriously.
Recent Form: WLLLD
Home Record: Decent but inconsistent
Key Player: Cristián Arango – Clinical finisher, thrives on minimal chances.
DC United
Troy Lesesne's DC United continue to have a problem with taking draws and making them into wins. Their most recent loss, 2-1 at home to Columbus, was another tale of missed opportunity and poor defense. Benteke did score, but only managed 2 shots on target from 47% possession.
They're 12th in the standings with a 1W 3D 2L record and an xG of 1.45—similar to San Jose. But they're susceptible at the back, especially when having to press high up. Being without key players like Randall Leal and Conner Antley just makes things worse.
However, Christian Benteke is on fire—4 goals and 1 assist to date. He's trouble for any defense and can win games single-handedly. The team has seen over 2.5 goals in 7 of their last 8 and both teams have scored in 9 of the past 10.
Recent Form: DWDLL
Away Record: Patchy
Key Player: Christian Benteke – Power, experience, and scoring instinct.
Head to Head
San Jose Wins: 16
DC United Wins: 15
Draws: 12
Last Meeting: 0-0 draw (Sep 2023)
Streaks: San Jose unbeaten in last 4 vs DC, BTTS in 4 of last 5.
History of Head-to-Heads
Major League Soccer 2025 
DC United
Major League Soccer 2023
San Jose Earthquakes
Major League Soccer 2021
DC United
Major League Soccer 2019
San Jose Earthquakes
Major League Soccer 2018
DC United
San Jose Earthquakes Latest Games
San Jose Earthquakes 
San Jose Earthquakes
Sporting Kansas City
San Jose Earthquakes
DC United
Seattle Sounders FC
DC United Latest Games
DC United 
DC United
DC United
FC Cincinnati
DC United
Columbus Crew
Expert Betting Tips
DC United Double Chance & Over 1.5 Goals (2.03) - San Jose winless in 4, DC have fight.
Over 2.5 Goals (1.60) - 13 of last 16 combined games saw 3+ goals.
Christian Benteke to Score Anytime (2.37) - 4 goals already, focal point of DC's attack.
Other predictions
