- FC Cincinnati have won three, drawn one and lost one of their last five matches.
- San Jose Earthquakes have won one and lost four of their last five games.
- FC Cincinnati average 3.00 goals scored and 2.12 goals conceded per match at home in MLS 2026.
Solid base at TQL Stadium
FC Cincinnati will be happy to return to the TQL Stadium after a strong recent run. San Jose Earthquakes beat the Portland Timbers 3-1 away but then got hammered 4-0 at home by Orlando City SC last time out, the result of a team that can either blow teams away or get blown away themselves.
Pat Noonan has been at the helm since December 2021, where he has established a compact and control-based approach that is not afraid to press in certain situations. The team has recently shifted toward a 4-2-3-1 in a bid to be a little more balanced in the attacking third.
Evander Ferreira has been the chief creator of this style with seven assists in Cincinnati's last five, during which they have scored 13 times. The team have won five, drawn one and lost two of their eight home matches in MLS 2026, a solid base for Saturday's clash.
San Jose are on the up
FC Cincinnati are 15th in MLS 2026 after collecting 23 points from 17 games, a tally that is bettered by visitors San Jose Earthquakes, who are fourth in the standings with 32 points from 16 matches.
Bruce Arena took over the helm in January 2025 and he has given the club a front-foot edge to its game, but they still bite at the back and will get at Cincinnati. San Jose's man-marking system and high-intensity pressing could fluster the hosts or it could leave gaps for Cincinnati to pounce on in transition.
Back both teams to score
The visitors have been impressive on the move in MLS 2026, winning six, drawing one and losing just one of eight road matches, but they are a little out of form with one win and four defeats from their last five.
San Jose are good on the counter-attack and have plenty of bite at the other end, while FC Cincinnati are compact and control-based in their approach. Both teams to score at 33/100 is the main selection for the game, while over 2.5 goals at 33/100 will also fit the bill.
Cincinnati are a narrow 97/100 favourites for the win, ahead of San Jose at 21/10 and the draw at 16/5, which seems slightly awry given the visitors have a much better record this season. The home side can do enough to sneak past the Earthquakes in what will likely be a tight but entertaining match. The last meeting in MLS 2024 finished 4-2 to FC Cincinnati when the teams met in California.
