Even when the Earthquakes win at PayPal Park Saturday evening of their regular-season finale in opposition to Austin FC, odds are Bruce Enviornment will stroll away from the season unhappy.
The Quakes must win and get assist elsewhere within the Western Convention to maintain alive their likelihood of assembly Enviornment’s standards.
Along with a win over sixth-place Austin FC, the Quakes, presently eleventh within the convention standings, want two of the next three outcomes with the intention to attain the Western Convention’s No. 9 seed and a playoff spot:
Eighth-place FC Dallas loss at conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Actual Salt Lake, tied for ninth, loss at Thirteenth-place St. Louis Metropolis FC
Colorado Rapids, tied for ninth, loss or draw vs. third-place Los Angeles FC
If all 4 outcomes go the Quakes’ manner, they’d leap into the No. 8 spot and host the Western Convention wild-card match subsequent Wednesday evening. All 4 video games Saturday kick off at 6 p.m. Pacific.
Captain Cristian Espinoza stated the staff hopes to reap the benefits of an “extra chance” to make the playoffs after Dallas’ and Salt Lake’s losses final weekend left the door open, however expectations should be greater.
“At this point of the season, all of us expect to be in the playoffs,” he stated, even for a staff that final gained a playoff recreation in 2010, when San Jose made the West finals.
Enviornment and captain Cristian Espinoza stated the staff gained’t be scoreboard watching, since their strategy gained’t change based mostly on outcomes elsewhere.
“We have to treat this like it’s a final, being able to control the emotions,” ahead Chicho Arango stated of the second.
Along with the playoff stakes, San Jose might be looking for to avenge their July 8 ouster from the U.S. Open Cup at PayPal Park by the hands of Austin FC. Espinoza suffered a gash on his leg that compelled him from the match within the second half, and the Quakes misplaced on penalty kicks after taking leads in regulation and further time.
“It’s such a different moment of the season,” Espinoza stated evaluating the finale to that July match. “The feelings about the injury, I don’t have anymore.”
Austin additionally beat the Quakes in a league match in late August within the Texas capital.
Whereas climbing up from 2024’s last-place end is an enchancment, lacking the playoffs can be a disappointment after the membership introduced in Enviornment as coach and added firepower final offseason. The Quakes signed Josef Martinez as a free agent and traded for Arango, additionally including a number of former New England gamers with whom Enviornment was acquainted.
The Quakes sit on 38 factors and 10 wins getting into Saturday after incomes solely 21 factors final season beneath Luchi Gonzalez, who was fired midway by way of the season, and interim coach Ian Russell.
“There were some improvements, but not good enough,” Enviornment stated in assessing his first season. “We’ve been inconsistent. As we get better as a team, there will be more consistency and win more games and position our team better.”
