Sports Mole previews Sunday’s MLS clash between San Jose Earthquakes and Sporting Kansas City, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
San Jose Earthquakes will be looking to respond to a 2-1 loss at the hands of Los Angeles FC when they take on struggling Sporting Kansas City at the PayPal Park in their gameweek nine MLS fixture this weekend.
Bruce Arena‘s men will be looking to avoid back-to-back losses, while the visitors will go out in search of their second victory of the season.
Match preview
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Having thumped DC United 6-1 in gameweek seven, San Jose Earthquakes would not have been blamed for thinking that they had turned the corner after a four-game winless run.
However, they were instantly brought back down to earth by Los Angeles FC, who brushed them aside 2-1, to hand them their third loss of the season.
That result meant that they failed to earn consecutive victories for the second time this season after they defeated Real Salt Lake (4-0) and Sunday’s opponents (2-1) in gameweeks one and two.
The home team head into this contest with the knowledge that Sporting Kansas City have been defeated in three of their previous four league matches, and they will be backing themselves to make it four out of five.
Currently ninth in the standings with 10 points across eight fixtures, the Quakers could move as high as sixth if other results go their way this weekend.
However, the hosts will be wary of the visitors, having lost three of their last five league meetings against the same opponents.
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After missing out on the playoffs last season, a good start to the 2025 season would have set the tone for a better performance this term, but they have had to endure a string of bad results since the beginning of the current campaign.
Following a gameweek seven 2-0 triumph over St Louis City, which earned them their first league win in 2025, Sporting KC missed a chance to claim a second victory, and back-to-back wins, after they were beaten 4-2 by Portland Timbers in their last outing.
Currently second-bottom in the West with four points after one win and a draw, Peter Vermes‘s team will be desperate for their second victory of the year.
That said, their poor form away from home is a major mitigating factor for the visitors, who are without a win since July 14.
Nevertheless, the Wizards will view the defensive struggles of the hosts, who have conceded 10 times in their last five outings, as a weakness they can exploit.
San Jose Earthquakes Major League Soccer form:
Sporting Kansas City Major League Soccer form:
Team News
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San Jose have almost a fully fit squad for this fixture, leaving only a couple of absentees heading into the clash.
Benjamin Kikanovic is currently on the sidelines; the midfielder has not featured for the hosts in 2025 due to a knee injury he suffered in September.
Similarly, Hernan Lopez has not played for the Earthquakes since March 1, and he will not be part of the squad for the fixture at the weekend.
On the other hand, the visitors will be without Andrew Brody, who has been struggling with a muscle problem since March.
Radoja Nemanja is on the treatment table for a calf injury, and he is not expected to feature in this match.
San Jose Earthquakes possible starting lineup:
Daniel; Rodrigues, Wilson, Romney; Espinoza, Leroux, Harkes, Costa; Tsakiris, Arango; Martinez
Sporting Kansas City possible starting lineup:
Pulskamp; Ndenbe, Fernandez, Miller, Shelton; Garcia, Bartlett, Davis; Salloi, Joveljic, Suleymanov
We say: San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 Sporting Kansas City
San Jose have struggled at times in 2025, but they are expected to earn a routine win over the struggling visitors; therefore, we reckon the hosts will claim a narrow 2-1 win.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
