FCD aims to start new streak against 'Quakes

Frisco, TX – A pair of Western Conference rivals meet on Saturday as the San Jose Earthquakes battle FC Dallas at FC Dallas Stadium.

FC Dallas will be looking for a bounce-back performance after their nine-game unbeaten streak came to an end last Saturday as a result of a 4-2 loss to the Seattle Sounders.

Sounders FC opened the scoring in the 16th minute as midfielder Osvaldo Alonso won a header at midfield that sailed back over the Dallas defense and sent it forward where Eddie Johnson outmuscled a defender before hitting a half-volley past FCD goalkeeper Raul Fernandez.

It was 2-0 for the Sounders in the 30th minute. This time Brad Evans played set-up man with a nice through ball to Lamar Neagle, who timed his run perfectly and ran in on goal before rounding Fernandez and sliding the ball into an empty net.

But Dallas got one back in the 54th minute through Kenny Cooper, and Michel whipped a corner kick directly into the left side netting seven minutes later to put the clubs back on level terms.

Seattle re-took the lead less then a minute later and Obafemi Martins then put the game away for Seattle with a goal in the 83rd minute.

"We had too many players that didn't have a real good game and that didn't help us. I think we let Seattle dictate the game. It was very fast-paced, and that's something we shouldn't be doing," said FCD head coach Schellas Hyndman. "But as I said to the players, we're a good team. What we've got to do is get over this one and find our winning ways again."

San Jose is coming off a 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids at Buck Shaw Stadium which extended their home unbeaten streak to seven consecutive games.

Colorado opened the scoring in the 26th minute when Nathan Sturgis neatly turned home a Martin Rivero corner kick at the near post, squirting the ball between a defender and goalkeeper Jon Busch.

But the Earthquakes found an equalizer in the 78th minute as a well-struck free kick by Marvin Chavez fooled Colorado goalkeeper Clint Irwin and sailed into the net.

"On one hand, we can say, 'OK, we're not getting beat.' That's a positive. But we like to think we should be winning these matches," San Jose defender Jason Hernandez said. "It's good not to be losing matches, but at the same time, we expect a lot from ourselves. And we expect to win games. That's the attitude we're always going to have."

In 47 all-time meetings, San Jose holds a 22-15-10 margin, including a 1-0-2 mark against FCD last season.