San Jose Earthquakes vs Vancouver Whitecaps Prediction: A tough one to call.

The San Jose Earthquakes have lost both games of the season already and now they head into game 3 against Vancouver Whitecaps. The patience of the San Jose fans are gradually reducing and the team cannot afford more mishaps in what has already been a difficult start to the new season. 

Vancouver Whitecaps have played only one game since the start of the season and the game ended in a 1-1 draw against Charlotte FC. So, they have had a longer break to analyze the last game and come up with a plan ahead of game 2. Now they face San Jose Earthquakes who have suffered 2 defeats and the fans will expect a very good performance from the Whitecaps team.

San Jose Earthquakes

Are the San Jose Earthquakes in a crisis already? Maybe or maybe not. But it's agreeable that the morale within the team has suffered since the defeat in the game against LA Galaxy on their home soil. The defeat now leaves them without a single point from the first 2 games.

For those who thought the first defeat against FC Dallas, they can now grasp the poor form of the San Jose team. They let the game slip through their fingers after conceding 2 goals in the first half and then a third in the beginning of the 2nd half. Preston Judd managed to pull one goal back in the 66th minute but it was never going to help the scoreline in any way. 

The Earthquakes were also outplayed by LA Galaxy in several aspects of the game according to the stats. They managed 47% possession, 3 shots on target and they created just 1 big chance all game.

Earthquake's manager Luchi Gonzalez will be taking the heat for leading the club through 2 defeats. His 4-3-3 system has not worked for the team in any way and there's a need for a serious tactical change within the team. 

Another focus of Luchi Gonzalez will be the defensive unit ahead of the game against The Whitecaps. The defense line has been the weakest part of the team so far and it calls for critical decisions.

Vancouver Whitecaps

There are lots of question marks around The Whitecaps after their opening game. They only managed a draw with Charlotte FC in their first match and there's a lot of expectations ahead of their second game. A draw is not a red flag just yet but the results of the 2nd game will be a bold statement as to how the club intends to play for the rest of the season. Also it's worth considering that the Whitecaps team has been off the pitch for over 2 weeks.

Vancouver conceded the first goal in the 31st minute against Charlotte and they did manage to equalize just before the break. But there was little effort in the second half and the game ended as a draw. Stats from the game showed The Whitecaps had 49% possession, 6 shots on target and 5 corner kicks. They also created 3 big chances and had 8 shots inside the opponent's box. Not a bad stat from the team but at the end of the day it counted for little. 

Vancouver Whitecaps coach Michael D’Agostino will most likely retain his 4-3-3 setup ahead of the trip to the Earthquakes Stadium. He will feel some level of confidence of getting a positive result due to the stats of the San Jose Earthquakes team at the moment

Head to Head

According to the h2h, in the last 20 matches between both clubs, San Jose Earthquakes have won 8 times, while Vancouver Whitecaps have won 5 times and they drew 7 times.

Analysis and Predictions

The Whitecaps are more likely to play a decent football and get a positive result than San Jose Earthquakes. But the San Jose Earthquakes are under immense pressure to get a win and that can work for or against them. The Earthquakes also have a good record against The Whitecaps in the last few meetings and that can be a source of inspiration for the team that's lacking every ounce of it at the moment. 

According to the h2h, San Jose Earthquakes are unbeaten in the last 6 meetings while Vancouver Whitecaps are without a clean sheet in the last 6. There were also less than 10.5 corners in 5 of the last 7 meetings.

• Under 11 Corners at 1.727 Odds
• Under 11 Corners at 1.72 Odds
• Under 2.5 Goals at 2.15 Odds