Looking ahead to the clash between San Jose Earthquakes and DC United, there's more to unpack than a tourist with an overfilled suitcase in a cozy AirBnB.

DC United's goalkeeper, Jun-hong Kim, has had quite a decent run, tucking away 12 saves with a 6.90 rating. Highly commendable, if we're feeling generous. Meanwhile, Sneaky San Jose's man behind the net, simply-known-as-Daniel, has pulled off 18 saves with a 7.13 rating, making him a formidable guard dog at the goal post.

The "remarkable" roster for DC United includes Christian Benteke, who's been dropping more goals than I drop sarcastic comments. Gash his two shiny coins into the piggy bank of victory, and you have something noteworthy. Giving Benteke some company at the top is Derek Dodson, highlighted by his 78.6% accurate pass percentage, probably from all the virtual training sessions.

Reflecting on San Jose's brightest stars, Cristian Espinoza has carved himself quite the spot with a 7.42 rating, sure, no goals, but he's taken shots. You know what they say, you miss 100% of the shots you... yeah, you get it. He's charming company to Cristian Arango who's literally putting his best foot forward with a pair of goals. Not too shabby.

Now onto the grim news, our top players seem to have stepped on few too many LEGO pieces. On DC United, the likes of Jackson Hopkins and Hakim Karamoko are definitely missing in action. On the San Jose side, we can't ignore the absence of Benjamin Kikanović and Hernan López Muñoz. Always disastrous to see such talent benched.

Reflecting on past matchups -- and I use the term 'matchup' loosely here -- we had the unforgettable "thriller" that ended with 0-0. Surprisingly, both teams showed up to the field, just not the score sheet.

As for this season, DC United slipped out to a 1-3-2 record while the Earthquakes have had a slightly more palatable performance with a 2-1-3 record. In their most recent outings, United has been delivering consistent inconsistency, while the Earthquakes' games offer more balance, a bit like a seesaw with heavy kids on both sides.

Heaving all of this into our overworked analysis machine, here's our prediction:

Albert’s Prediction: San Jose Earthquakes by 1