San Jose Earthquakes will be out to try and win their second Major League Soccer game of the season this Sunday when they welcome Colorado Rapids to PayPal Park.
On the other hand, the visitors have the potential of pushing into the playoff positions with a victory on Sunday.
Match preview
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San Jose suffered a 3-0 defeat last weekend against New York City, with Keaton Parks, Gabriel Pereira and Chris Gloster all getting on the scoresheet in the final 20 minutes of the game.
The Goonies had built together their best run of the season prior to that match, going three fixtures unbeaten in all competitions, which included back-to-back wins.
San Jose defeated Bay Cities 5-0 in the US Open Cup, and they followed that up with a thrilling 4-3 victory against Seattle Sounders.
However, that is the only match that they have won in the MLS this season, which is why they are currently second bottom in the Western Conference heading into this match.
Alex Covelo's men have also conceded more times than any other team in the division, which is an issue that they need to address immediately.
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The visitors have showcased their resistance defensively as of late, as they have kept consecutive clean sheets in their most recent performances.
This has allowed them to put together a two-game undefeated run featuring a goalless draw, and then a 2-0 victory against Portland Timbers last weekend.
Despite the fact that Diego Rubio was sent off in that match, he did manage to get on the scoresheet, as did Mark-Anthony Kaye to ensure Colorado took all three points.
The Rapids are just outside of the playoffs following that victory, with only goal difference separating them and Houston Dynamo right now.
That could all change if they are able to secure another victory this Sunday, as a win could potentially see them climb up to sixth place.
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Team News
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Gilbert Fuentes has been unavailable recently for San Jose due to personal reasons, and it is unknown when he is going to be able to make his return to the squad.
The Goonies are also without Judson due to a knee injury, while Chofis is also a doubt once again because of an issue with his thigh.
The visitors will be without Rubio due to his suspension kickstarting this weekend, and that will force at least one change from the team that started against Portland.
They are also dealing with some fitness problems as Aboubacar Keita, Braian Galvan and Oliver Larraz have all been missing as of late, which is expected to be the case again on Sunday.
San Jose Earthquakes possible starting lineup:
Marcinkowski; Marie, Beason, Calvo, Lopez; Remedi, Espinoza, Gregus, Yueill, Monteiro; Ebobisse
Colorado Rapids possible starting lineup:
Yarbrough; Rosenberry, Abubakar, Trusty, Beitashour; Kaye, Acosta; Alves, Lewis, Barrios; Zardes
We say: San Jose Earthquakes 0-3 Colorado Rapids
San Jose Earthquakes have struggled so far this season, and their poor performances have been reflected in their current league position heading into this match.
Their defensive issues have been a big problem so far, and their inability to keep a clean sheet should allow Colorado Rapids to pick up all three points here.
Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a San Jose Earthquakes win with a probability of 53.49%. A win for Colorado Rapids had a probability of 23.39% and a draw had a probability of 23.1%.
The most likely scoreline for a San Jose Earthquakes win was 2-1 with a probability of 9.8%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 1-0 (9.75%) and 2-0 (8.79%). The likeliest Colorado Rapids win was 1-2 (6.05%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (10.86%). The actual scoreline of 1-0 was predicted with a 9.8% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that San Jose Earthquakes would win this match.
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