San Jose Earthquakes: What to expect from their next five games

Game 3 vs LAFC

Game Info: 9/2 7:30 pm @ Banc of California Stadium

Along with Minnesota United, LAFC has been the toughest nut to crack during the Almeyda era. LAFC has the talent, tactics, and mental fortitude needed to ride the man-marking waves and unleash precise counter-attacks one after another often finished off with clinical finishing.

Although Bob Bradley has mentioned there not being a time frame for Carlos Vela’s recent injury suffered from last weekend’s El Trafico clash, an attack featuring Brian Rodriguez, Diego Rossi, and Bradley Wright-Phillips is still daunting. Sometimes MLS is a game of rock-paper-scissors, and just because scissors (LAFC) keep losing to rock (LA Galaxy), that doesn’t mean it won’t still cut paper.

Prediction: 3-1 loss

Game 4 vs Colorado

Game Info: 9/5 7:30 pm @ Earthquakes Stadium

In any group of entities, somebody or something by default has to be the strongest and the weakest. Of these six games, the Colorado Rapids presents the most beatable opponent. That does not mean underestimating the Rocky Mountain based club is a good idea.

One quality the Rapids has in spades is their heart and willingness to fight to the end, which are traits commonly attributed to the San Jose Earthquakes, particularly in their most recent successful season in 2012. Jonathan Lewis is one of their most talented players, scoring a goal against Sporting Kansas City when his team was down two men. It’ll be a close game, but I think if the progress the Quakes made this summer is for real, they have to beat Colorado at home.

Prediction: 1-0 win