Schmetzer Lifts San Jose Vs Seattle Sounders Ahead of 21-point Clash
San Jose vs Seattle Sounders lands Wednesday at Lumen Field with the Earthquakes leading the Supporters’ Shield race on 29 points and Seattle sitting tied for sixth on 21. The Sounders also bring a league-low six goals allowed, while San Jose has scored 27 and has played two more games.
Lumen Field Set for Thursday Pressure
Seattle has one fewer loss than almost anyone would expect in a matchup like this because both teams carry just one defeat into the night and eight-game unbeaten streaks. The gap in games is part of the story too: the Sounders have played at least one fewer game than everyone else in the top 14, which keeps their position from looking as settled as the standings suggest.
That makes the first meeting even more relevant. Seattle won 1-0 on the road earlier this year, and Albert Rusnák was blunt about the standard afterward, saying, "I don’t think that performance was something that is up to our standard." He added, "We want to improve on that."
Bruce Arena and Schmetzer
Brian Schmetzer used Tuesday’s training session to frame the matchup around Bruce Arena’s profile and the way San Jose has changed. "Coaching is an art form," he said. Schmetzer also said, "I love Bruce. he’s the GOAT of MLS coaches. He commands respect from his peers, his players. He gets the best out of his players. He maximizes guys’ potential."
The Earthquakes’ turnaround has been tied to Arena’s arrival, and the numbers back up the jump. San Jose missed the playoffs last year and lost three of its top offensive players, but it is now sitting atop the Shield race with the league’s best offense in this matchup and 29 points in hand.
San Jose Injury List
San Jose will be without Niko Tsakiris after groin surgery, a setback that is expected to keep him out for 3-4 months. He had two goals and seven assists this season, so his absence removes a piece from a group that has already leaned on Timo Werner, who has four goals and five assists and missed the Quakes’ last game while remaining questionable for Wednesday.
Seattle got one of its own answers on Tuesday. Nouhou was a full participant after his thigh issue turned out to be cramps, and he will be available on Wednesday. For the Sounders, that keeps one of the defensive pieces in place as they try to cut into a Shield lead that still belongs to San Jose by eight points.
