Nine wins in 10, then the wheels came off
San Jose had stormed out of the gate with nine wins from its first 10 matches and top spot in the West. The Earthquakes are now fourth (10-8-3, 33 points) and have not won since the restart after the World Cup break. Four straight defeats in August. Five losses and a draw in their last six since July 22.
The goal difference tells the story: 18 conceded, five scored in that run. On August 22, San Jose were hammered 5-1 at home by Minnesota. Timo Werner had put them ahead from the spot in the fourth minute, his sixth goal of the season, before coming off early in the second half with what looked like a leg injury.
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Arena points the finger at the physical battle
Bruce Arena is not hunting for tactical excuses. The most decorated coach in MLS history is blaming a lack of bite in midfield.
“Our opponents have been very physical against us over the last four or five games, and we have not responded well to that,” he said. “We have not done a good job in the middle third of the field in terms of physical presence, winning the ball back and passing quality.”
Preston Judd remains the club’s leading scorer with 11 goals. Niko Tsakiris and Werner are tied for the most assists with seven apiece.
Houston’s eight-game run ended in St Louis
Across the pitch, the Dynamo (12-7-2, 38 points) have stumbled too. On August 22, Houston lost 2-1 in St Louis, their first defeat since May 13 and a 3-0 win at Real Salt Lake. The unbeaten run ended at eight games (6-0-2), the same streak that had lifted the club to second in the West. Ibrahim Aliyu had levelled it in the 75th minute before St Louis grabbed it back 10 minutes later.
Ben Olsen is comfortable with the extra pressure on his squad.
“The team has been really good over the last two months, especially in understanding the actions that really matter in both boxes,” he said. “I love that the expectations have changed and that we now have to win every game. That’s healthy.”
Guilherme is still the one to watch for the Texans: 12 goals and 7 assists, the best totals at the club in both categories. Against a defence that has been shipping three goals a game for the past month, he has every chance to make life miserable.
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