San Jose Earthquakes v D.C. United: Arena ´privileged´ to be part of special MLS anniversary

San Jose Earthquakes played D.C. United successful the first-ever MLS crippled connected April 6, 1996, with Bruce Arena connected the touchline for the latter.

Thirty seasons later, and 29 years to the day, helium volition instrumentality complaint of the Earthquakes successful the day match.

San Jose won their archetypal 2 matches nether Arena this play but person since gone winless successful their past four, leaving them 10th successful the Western Conference.

Arena mislaid that lucifer successful 1996, with San Jose coming retired connected apical successful a 1-0 victory, and helium volition beryllium hoping his squad tin get backmost to winning ways connected a peculiar day.

“It was an breathtaking time, and the extremity was to truly elevate the athletics successful our country, and I deliberation 30 years later, we’ve done that. Obviously, there’s a batch much to do,” Arena, 73, said up of Sunday’s game.

“It’s been a privilege to beryllium portion of this. I’ve coached the Olympic team, the nationalist team, and 4 teams present successful MLS. It’s been a large acquisition for maine to beryllium portion of that.

“I’m blessed to inactive beryllium astir 30 years later. Hopefully, I’m around, let’s not say, different 30 years, but hopefully a small spot longer arsenic well.”

Season 1 Season 30

A afloat ellipse infinitesimal awaits erstwhile San Jose and D.C. conscionable Sunday, 29 years since the league’s inaugural match: https://t.co/ZRtj7k3Mqk pic.twitter.com/znxRbz7dkY

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 5, 2025

D.C. person won conscionable erstwhile truthful acold this season, leaving them 12th successful the Eastern Conference.

Like their opponents, they are besides connected a winless streak, having failed to look victorious from immoderate of their past 3 outings.

D.C. caput manager Troy Lesesne is delighted to beryllium connected the touchline for the unsocial occasion, recalling his memories of that archetypal match.

“It’s an unthinkable play for our nine and the league,” helium said.

“I tin retrieve watching this crippled erstwhile I was 12 years aged and trying to find shot anyplace and everywhere, and determination wasn’t a batch of it. I tin vividly retrieve it.

“We privation to observe this weekend, our club’s legacy, and the interaction that squad has had. We privation to observe it with a bully performance. It’s beauteous surreal to beryllium a portion of this.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

San Jose Earthquakes – Josef Martinez

Josef Martinez has scored 8 goals successful 14 vocation regular-season appearances against D.C. United, equaling his astir against immoderate hostile (also vs. New England Revolution and Orlando City).

No subordinate has scored much goals against D.C. United since Martinez made his MLS debut successful 2017.

D.C. United – Christian Benteke

Christian Benteke scored D.C. United’s lone extremity successful their 2-1 decision to Columbus Crew.

Benteke has scored 11 goals successful regular-season play since MLS returned from the Leagues Cup interruption past season, arsenic lone New York City FC’s Alonso Martinez (12) has much successful that time.

See you soon, San Jose! pic.twitter.com/1OdkWdhbVO

— D.C. United (@dcunited) April 4, 2025

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

The Earthquakes won their past location lucifer against D.C. United 4-1 successful 2021. San Jose person recorded consecutive location wins implicit D.C. conscionable once, doing truthful successful April-June 1996, with the archetypal of those coming successful the archetypal lucifer ever played successful MLS history.

After opening the play with consecutive wins, San Jose person collected conscionable 1 constituent from their past 4 matches. The Earthquakes scored six times successful their archetypal 2 matches but person managed conscionable 3 full goals successful 4 matches since.

As for D.C., aft opening the play unbeaten successful 4 matches (W1 D3), they person mislaid 2 successful a row. This is the archetypal clip D.C. person mislaid consecutive regular-season matches since aboriginal July past season.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

San Jose Earthquakes – 38.2%

Draw – 26.5%

D.C. United – 35.3%