Our prediction for this MLS match:
Earthquakes Stadium will host Thursday’s MLS game between San Jose Earthquakes and Portland Timbers, the two bottom-table sides. San Jose have been having their ups and downs of late, with the team losing to New York City, beating Colorado Rapids, while sharing the spoils with Vancouver Whitecaps. All Lopez, Judson, Fuentes, and Asomani should miss out with injuries for the home team.
Portland, on the other hand, impressed in a 7-2 win over Sporting Kansas City, and we predict that they will take advantage of San Jose’s shaky defence as well. A man to watch in the away team will be Nathan Fogaca, who scored a brace in the last league match, while right-back Van Rankin Galland serves a one-game ban. All George Fochive, Diego Gutierez, Hunter Sulte, and Felipe Mora miss out with injuries.
Highlighted Player (Dario Zuparic):
Dario Zuparic is a Croatian footballer, who plays for Pescara as a defender. Zuparic played for the likes of Sladograna Zupanja, NK Granicar Zupanja and Cibalia during his youth career. He continued playing for Cibalia at senior level and he made 57 league appearances for the Croatian outfit from 2011 to 2013.
In 2013 he signed a contract with Pescara and made 21 appearances for the team in the 2013/2014 Serie B campaign. Zuparic quickly established himself as a first-team regular at Pescara and it has to be noted that he played 36 games for the Delfini in the 2015/2016 season. The Pescara highly rated defender was born in Croatia, but he started playing for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
He has 3 caps for Bosnian and Herzegovina U19 team, but he eventually decided to represent Croatia on the international stage. Zuparic has 5 caps for Croatia U20 and he played three matches for Croatia U21. The 188-cm-tall footballer was born on 3 May, 1992 in Zupanja.
Highlighted Team (Portland Timbers):
Founded in 2009, Portland Timbers is a soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers are well known for their green kit and their secondary colours are red and black. Portland welcome their opponents at Providence Park and the capacity of their home ground is 21.144.
The club hold a long-running rivalry with Seattle Sounders as the two clubs used to face each other in the North American Soccer League. In 2015 Portland Timbers did remarkably well to win the MLS Cup and that is considered the club’s biggest success.
The Timbers defeated Columbus Crew in the final of the tournament and it has to be noted that the title game was hosted by Mapfre Stadium (Columbus).
Former Premier League footballer Liam Ridgewell played for Portland in the 2015 MLS Cup final against Columbus Crew. Speaking of the club’s supporters, you should have in mind that the Timbers sold out almost every home game in the MLS. Portland’s main supporters group is the Timbers Army.