The basics
New York Red Bulls (No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference) vs. San Jose Earthquakes (No. 4 seed in East) at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J.
RBNY lead the two-game aggregate-goals series 1-0.
TV info
GOL TV Canada, 8 p.m.
Game intro
It all comes down to this. Following last weekend’s 1-0 road win at a loud Buck Shaw Stadium, the Red Bulls return home to try and finish the job they started. The Earthquakes need to find some offensive rhythm after looking slow and lethargic for long stretches of Saturday’s match, including failing to win the second ball on a number of occasions.
Complacency might be an issue for New York following a road result, and San Jose should be expected to press hard and early for a quick goal. RBNY can’t come out flat or else the Quakes will make them pay.
New York Red Bulls
With a result, the Red Bulls advance to the Eastern Conference Final, which they would host at Red Bull Arena. Their lone strike in the first leg was tallied by midfielder Joel Lindpere, who played centrally after spending much of the last two months on the wing. For the Estonian international, it was his second goal in as many games.
New York might get a boost from the return of Tony Tchani, who appears fully healed from a hamstring injury and perhaps Thierry Henry and Salou Ibrahim, who both have had recent injury struggles. Being able to get either player on the field would help Juan Pablo Angel up top.
Head coach Hans Backe is being very careful to stress to his team that they can't get complacent in the second leg despite the advantage in their own home.
“No one gets away with 95 percent focus in the playoffs,” he said. “It has to be 100 percent.”
San Jose Earthquakes
The Quakes started strong in their home leg of the playoff match, pushing hard for an early score. It was a tough match for their midfield, which struggled for consistency and to get the ball to the forwards in places where they could be dangerous. The wide field of Red Bull Arena could help their cause, allowing San Jose to get the ball along the flanks and played more directly into the path of Golden Boot Winner Chris Wondolowski.
In fact, the Earthquakes are the second-best road team in the league behind Los Angeles, giving the Earthquakes some confidence heading into Red Bull Arena. San Jose are taking a steady, measured approach to Saturday’s loss – they’ve got some lemons so they’ll make lemonade.
“We don’t love where we’re at,” Wondolowski told MLSsoccer.com, "but to be honest, we were talking, and some of us would rather be down 1-0 than trying to sit back on a 1-0 lead and just almost bunkering."
Heroes & villains
Scott Sealy vs. Rafa Márquez: The recent play of Sealy earned him the central midfield role with San Jose and the challenge of going up against New York's Mexican star in the four-man midfield. Márquez won’t shy away from physical play, but Sealy’s speed, coupled with his ability to go vertical and stretch the field, could be a challenge for the captain of the Mexican national team.
Stat that makes you go “Hmm"
In 28 games this year, Wondolowski has 18 goals. But in three games against New York, he has just one.
