What to watch for Thursday: Seattle Sounders look to take top spot in the Western Conference against the San Jose Earthquakes

After a busy Wednesday night, there's just one game on the docket tonight, but it should be a good one with the Seattle Sounders hosting the San Jose Earthquakes. Here's what to watch for:

Seattle Sounders vs. San Jose Earthquakes

10 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ in the US; MLS LIVE on DAZN in Canada (Local TV)

It's a rematch of a goalless MLS is Back Tournament group stage encounter as the Seattle Sounders host the San Jose Earthquakes Thursday at CenturyLink Field. For Seattle, there's a big incentive on the line with a win taking them top of the Western Conference standings. San Jose, meanwhile, are still looking for a first win since the MLS is Back Tournament and to recapture the form that took to the last eight in Orlando.

Both teams will be looking to rebound from losing points on the weekend. The Sounders will be aiming to sharpen up a defense that was caught flat-footed when conceding twice, including the late winner, against Cascadia rivals Portland at home, while also doing better on capitalizing on chances in the attacking third. Both were at fault in the Timbers defeat, coach Brian Schmetzer said. 

Shane O’Neill has forced his way into Schmetzer's XI, creating needed competition at the center back spot. It will be interesting to see if Seattle's coach goes with two strikers up top and if Jordy Delem will again fill in for Gustav Svensson, who joined Sweden for its UEFA Nations League matches against France and Portugal and must now re-quarantine before re-joining the Sounders.

San Jose picked up their first point since Orlando as Matias Almeyda shook up his lineup again, welcoming in some veterans on both ends of the field in a 1-1 draw with the Colorado Rapids at Earthquakes Stadium Saturday night. Chris Wondolowski added to his MLS-leading all-time goals tally with No. 162, a cooly taken penalty, but a missed defensive assignment proved costly when Kei Kamara leveled for the Rapids. 

“We prepared differently because we had little time to train. Little by little, the team is picking up the rhythm again," Almeyda said. "We started training as a team where everyone has the opportunity to play. Today we saw a different team compared to the other games. Where we have to improve ourselves is set pieces, but when you have a player like Kamara who jumps more than two meters, it may be that he beats you.”