San Jose vs. Vancouver: Another Draw?

San Jose and Vancouver have drawn six times each in their last 10 games, although the teams' recent head-to-head encounters have not been peaceful. What should we expect from the upcoming match between Earthquakes and Whitecaps?

Earthquakes' winning streak has now lasted 7 matches, but this has only been enough to move up to 10th place in the Western Conference. Cristian Espinoza, Cade Cowell, and Nathan showed themselves well during a successful period of the game, though it is difficult to define the clear leader of San Jose. The team is hampered by defense problems, which makes them the most convenient opponent in this regard. But it has not been without injuries. Benji Kikanovic, Matt Bersano, Jacob Akanyirige, Luciano Abecasis, and Tommy Thompson will miss the game.

In the last MLS match, Matías Almeyda's players suddenly beat Los Angeles at home (2-1). The game was double-edged. San Jose was lucky that their opponent didn't convert many opportunities. JT Marcinkowski worked tirelessly and made 6 saves. In the first half, Earthquakes led by 2 goals, and in the 33rd minute, Nathan almost brought things to a complete defeat. By halftime, San Jose scored an own goal and thus brought themselves problems. Cristian Espinoza became one of the main heroes of the match: he made 2 assists.

The five-game winning streak has kept Vancouver in last place in the Western Conference, but the Canadian team has one more match. The playoff zone is not so far away, but it will not be easy to achieve the desired result with the current squad. The Whitecaps already have problems in defense, and the club's best forward, Cristian Dájome, has missed the last few games due to injury. He might be able to recover in time for the match against San Jose, while the participation of Érik Godoy and Cristián Gutiérrez is highly questionable. Only Lucas Cavallini will not play for sure.

Marc Dos Santos' team has recently drawn for the 4th time in a row: this time away against LA Galaxy (1-1). In the 17th minute, Ranko Veselinović had an opportunity to put the team ahead, but the goalkeeper reacted to a shot from the corner of the box. As a result, the Whitecaps missed first before halftime, and then Veselinović bounced back and scored a goal. The remaining 40 minutes of the game were scoreless, but the Canadian club could take the lead again: Brian White missed a shot from the penalty spot at the end of the match.

In the last 10 games, each team had 4 wins. However, San Jose has looked better and won 4 out of 5 matches. In the last match, Vancouver won 2-1 at home. Both teams made the best use of their chances, and the match turned out a bit boring.

• San Jose had 5 wins and 4 losses in his 10 home matches
• Vancouver has not won in 14 consecutive MLS games
• San Jose didn't concede a goal once in the last 9 games

San Jose is one of the worst in the league in terms of defensive play, and their last match against LA only confirmed that. Nevertheless, it will be easier for the Earthquakes to hold their own, as the away team doesn't create as many chances. The Whitecaps looked decent against LA Galaxy and they could even claim victory, so it will be a pretty even game right now. In their last match, the Canadian club outplayed San Jose just a little, and we shouldn't expect high performance. I offer to bet on the following outcomes:

• Draw or Vancouver to win with the odds of 2.16;
• Total Under 2.5 goals for 1.95;
• Vancouver won't lose + Total Under 2.5 goals with the odds of 3.40.