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Earthquakes-Sounders Preview

Jun 12, 2009 - 5:43 PM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

San Jose (2-7-3) at Seattle (4-3-5), 10:30 p.m. EDT

Competing with established franchises is enough of a challenge for the expansion Seattle Sounders. Having two of their top players suspended makes it considerably tougher.

The short-handed Sounders look for their first win in seven weeks Saturday night at Qwest Field, where they'll host a San Jose Earthquakes club that's trying to pull itself out of the Western Conference basement.

Seattle's Nate Jaqua, who has three goals and three assists this season, picked up two yellow cards in last Saturday's 1-0 loss to Chivas USA. Teammate Jhon Kennedy Hurtado was given a yellow card in the 81st minute that put him over the limit of five.

"Some of it is bad luck, some of it is stupidity," Sounders goalkeeper Kasey Keller told the team's official Web site. "It's one of those things we have to get better at it because first of all, we can't afford to be playing down a man, and second of all, lose guys for the next game. We've got to clean it up."

Since defeating the Earthquakes 2-0 on April 25 at Qwest Field, Seattle (4-3-5) is 0-1-5.

Against Western-leading Chivas, Keller allowed a goal in the 38th minute to Eduardo Lillingston and Freddie Ljungberg's 16-yard drive was stopped in the 56th minute.

"We had control of the game," said Sounders coach Sigi Schmid, 11-6-4 all-time versus San Jose. "I thought we were dominant for 80 of the 90 minutes."

Keller, second in MLS with a 0.68 goals-against average, returned from a red-card suspension and earned his league-record fourth consecutive shutout in the first match against San Jose.

Seattle defender Tyrone Marshall returns after missing Saturday's match due to a red card suspension. Marshall assisted on Steve Zakuani's first-half goal against the Earthquakes in the first meeting.

Arturo Alvarez nearly gave San Jose (2-7-3) its first road win of the season Sunday by scoring in the 82nd minute against FC Dallas, but the Earthquakes allowed a goal five minutes later and settled for a 2-2 draw.

"Being up 2-1 with five minutes left feels like a loss," San Jose coach Frank Yallop said. "We're pleased with a point but disappointed we didn't get three. It's the story of our season."

The Earthquakes, 1-0-1 since dropping five straight, acquired forward Chris Wondolowski from Houston for Cam Weaver on Tuesday and sent defender Nick Garcia to Toronto FC.

"We haven't been happy all season so far," San Jose general manager John Doyle told the team's official Web site. "It's come to a point where we had to change some things around, and some opportunities came up."

Wondolowski, drafted by San Jose in 2005 before the franchise relocated to Houston following that season, could start Saturday if Cornell Glen runs into visa problems returning from Mexico City, where he played in Trinidad & Tobago's 2-1 loss to Mexico on Wednesday.

Midfielder Ramiro Corrales returns after missing Saturday's loss due to yellow card accumulation.

San Jose and Seattle meet for the final time in the regular season Aug. 2 in Santa Clara, Calif.