Fulltime: Quakes 0, Sounders 0. Here’s the full recap. Thanks for following along!

85th minute: Cade Cowell is the fifth and final sub for the Quakes on the night, replacing Vako.

75th minute: Chris Wondolowski and Carlos Fierro enter the game for Judson and Cristian Espinoza.

64th minute: Oswaldo Alanís is forced off, hopefully it’s only due to a cramp. He and Tommy Thompson depart, while Florian Jungwirth and Shea Salinas enter the game for the Quakes.

Halftime: 0-0. The Quakes have played better, have most of the possession and the better chances, but nothing truly exceptional and no goals so far. What will the next 45 hold? We’ll see!

Lineups:

San Jose are playing four attackers, two holding mids and four defenders, Chris Wondolowski is on the bench. Rip and roll!

The Sounders are playing basically their first-choice lineup, give or take a player:

If you can believe it, the day is here. The San Jose Earthquakes are back in action after nearly four full months off, due to the coronavirus pandemic.

And their first game is not an easy assignment, as they’ll face the defending MLS Cup champions, the Seattle Sounders, for the Friday nightcap to open group play.

The Quakes have been in Orlando longer than any club (except, well, Orlando City, although San Jose even beat them into the MLS bubble), but even with that, head coach Matias Almeyda admitted in a conference call Thursday just 12 days in Florida with his group to train is an exceptionally short amount of time.

And frankly, it’s really impossible to say how these teams will look. On paper, in normal circumstances the Sounders would be clear favorites, but these aren’t normal times. We’ll see once the game kicks off, but expect some sloppy soccer, while also acknowledging San Jose is designed to handle chaos and they may be able to weather the unusual situation fairly well.

Can San Jose get a result to start the tournament on the right note? Can everyone stay healthy? We’ll see as the teams shake off the dust and get back to action.

Odds:

According to DraftKings Sportsbook, as of Thursday evening, San Jose are (+235) while Seattle are (+102). The odds of a draw are (+270), so the bookmakers seem to be unsure how to gauge this one, not surprising considering the absolutely unique circumstances at play with this tournament.

How to Watch:

Friday’s match between the Quakes and the Sounders will be televised nationally on ESPN and ESPN Deportes in the United States. You can watch these channels via Fubo TV. The broadcast is scheduled to start at 6 pm PT with kickoff to follow.

Come chat about the game with us in the comment section below!

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