The Houston Dynamo will look for their third consecutive shutout on Saturday when they visit a San Jose Earthquakes club that has had trouble finding the back of the net lately.
The Dynamo (2-2-0, 6 points) head to the Bay Area following home shutouts of Austin FC and New York City FC. Amine Bassi scored the game winner in both contests for Houston, with each of his goals coming from the penalty spot.
Houston posted successive MLS shutouts for the first time since March 2014.
“The effort was just fantastic (against NYCFC),” Houston coach Ben Olson said. “We go on the road now, so now it’ll be a different kind of challenge. Maybe a different mindset going into San Jose.”
The Earthquakes (2-2-1, 7 points) settled for a scoreless draw at home against Toronto FC on March 25, ending San Jose’s three-match home winning streak dating back to last season.
“We are disappointed not to have scored and put one of those chances away to win the game and get the maximum three points,” San Jose coach Luchi Gonzalez said. “When we are at home we expect that.
“We have to keep pushing. We’ll rest, we’ll regroup, and we have a great opportunity to make up those points against Houston.”
The Earthquakes have conceded only one goal across the three home matches this year (keeper JT Marcinkowski has two shutouts), and they have an active 253-minute shutout streak at PayPal Park.
However, they have scored only four times in the first five games this season and have been shut out in their past two — at St. Louis City SC (3-0) and at home against Toronto FC.
Jeremy Ebobisse is the only San Jose player to score twice this season, but in the past three games, he has mustered just two shots, none on target.
The Dynamo won both meetings with San Jose last season, including a 2-1 win in July that was Houston’s first road victory over the Earthquakes since 2016. The Dynamo have never won twice in a row in San Jose.
–Field Level Media
