Orlando can make it four wins in their last five games while looking to catch the New England Revolution atop the Eastern Conference standings, and San Jose are trying to shake a five-game winless streak.
Daryl Dike could earn his first start upon returning from an extended loan to Championship side Barnsley, while MLS goal king Chris Wondolowski is coming off his first start of 2021 for San Jose.
Wondolowski relies more on brains than speed or strength, seemingly always showing up in the right place at the right time unmarked even though defenders know very well that he owns a league-leading 168 career goals .
Dike, following his Barnsley spell and several weeks with the US men’s national team, subbed on in the 64th minute for Tesho Akindele in Orlando’s 3-2 win over Toronto FC last weekend.
Barnsley turned down exercising a purchase option on Dike’s loan deal, and The Orlando Sentinel’s Julia Poe reported that figure stood at $20 million.
His first cap came in a 7-0 January Camp friendly win against Trinidad & Tobago, so everything’s come rather quickly for the Oklahoma native.
And the same can be said for Wondolowski, who originally planned to retire after 2020 before announcing another go-around.
Then again, few around MLS would be surprised if he went on a scoring frenzy over the summer months and helped the Quakes snap out of their rut.
Wondolowski has also taken to a mentoring role with teenage homegrown Cade Cowell, so his contributions extend beyond boxscore stats.