Orlando City, Earthquakes will try to break tie (Apr 19, 2018)
Orlando City SC and the San Jose Earthquakes have met only three times, but it may be hard to find two more evenly matched teams when going head-to-head.
Each team will again be looking for their first win in the series when they meet Saturday night at Orlando City Stadium.
San Jose played in the league's inaugural game in 1996 and Orlando didn't take the field in MLS until 2015. In three matchups, the clubs reached three draws with each side totaling four goals.
They played to 1-1 ties in 2015 and 2017 in San Jose, and a 2-2 deadlock in 2016 in Florida.
If momentum means anything, Orlando (3-2-1) has that on its side. The Lions posted their third straight win, beating the Philadelphia Union 2-0 last Saturday in Philadelphia.
Dom Dwyer stayed red-hot with his fourth goal in three matches and the 99th of his pro career. Chris Mueller also scored and Joe Bendik made a season-high six saves.
"The performance was, for me, the most complete game of the year. There's no question about it," Orlando coach Jason Kreis said.
Dwyer has eight goals in 15 games with the Lions after being acquired last season from Sporting Kansas City.
After scoring two goals its first three matches -- a draw and two losses -- Orlando has erupted for nine goals in its last three matches.
"We are the farthest thing from satisfied right now and we are going to keep going. We will shoot for another three points (Saturday)," said Mueller, a rookie forward. The sixth overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft out of Wisconsin has goals in each of his last two matches.
San Jose (1-2-2) played its second straight draw, a 2-2 decision with the Houston Dynamo last Saturday. The Earthquakes are winless in their last four matches after opening the season with a victory over Minnesota United FC on March 3.
San Jose is led by midfielders Magnus Eriksson and Vako, and forward Danny Hoesen. They each have two goals and two assists this season. Seven-time team MVP Chris Wondolowski has one goal and one assist in five games.
For the first time in more than two years, "Wondo" came on as a sub last week. The second-leading scorer in MLS with 135 career goals didn't seem to mind.
"I love playing, but I love winning," he told the San Jose Mercury News. "That's all that I care about right now. If I play 90 minutes, one minute, zero, if we're lifting a cup at the end of the year, I'm a happy man."
Wondolowski scored his 100th MLS goal against Orlando in 2015.
San Jose goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell has surrendered 10 goals in five games.
