Who: San Jose Earthquakes (5-6-7) vs. Toronto FC (6-6-6)
When: Saturday, July 16, 10:30 PM ET
TV: Sportsnet 360 Radio: Sportsnet Fan 590
Where: Avaya Stadium - San Jose, CA
With Giovinco expected to return to the starting lineup after missing out on Wednesday’s match against the Crew, the Reds will be nearly at full strength up front. Altidore is with the team in San Jose, but it remains to be seen if Jozy will be included in Greg Vanney’s 18. The Reds should be able to make hay on the counterattack against an Earthquakes side playing for points at home. It was in transition that Benoit Cheyrou, Jay Chapman and Hamilton were able to cut through the Crew attack and equalize in Columbus. Expect more of the same on Saturday night. Add in the fact that Dominic Kinnear was forced to shift his backline around last week against FC Dallas and Giovinco could be in line to break his scoring slump.
Murphy Malone: The Heart Of The Team
Match Notes
- Sebastian Giovinco is on his way to repeating his record performance of a year ago, recording his seventh assist of the season in TFC’s 1-0 win against Chicago on Saturday. Giovinco also has eight goals this season – the only player in the league in the top 10 in both goals and assists; a year ago, he set the league’s all-time record for combined goals and assists when he scored 22 goals and set up 16.
- Toronto FC have won the last two meetings between the teams, over the last two seasons, both coming at BMO Field, including a 3-1 victory last May 30.
- The TFC win in the lone meeting in the 2014 season was their first victory against the Quakes since 2010. The Quakes won two of the four meetings in between, with two draws, including victories in the only meetings in both 2012 and 2013.
- Of the four TFC wins in the all-time series, two have come in San Jose. The Quakes’ win on May 8, 2013, a 2-1 triumph at Buck Shaw Stadium, was their first home win in the series since 2008.
