Earthquakes lock up the West's No. 4 seed and the first playoff game ever played at PayPal Park, despite a 3-1 loss in Minnesota

The San Jose Earthquakes lost their regular-season finale Saturday night and still came away with something the franchise has never had: a playoff game at PayPal Park.

Minnesota United beat the Quakes 3-1 at Allianz Field in St. Paul on MLS Decision Day, but San Jose's 52 points held up for fourth place in the Western Conference. That gives San Jose the higher seed in its MLS Cup Playoffs opening series against fifth-seeded Houston Dynamo FC, according to the club.

The series

Round One is a best-of-three series. San Jose hosts Game 1 and, if needed, Game 3 at PayPal Park, which opened in 2015 and has not hosted a postseason match until now. The Earthquakes said Saturday that dates and kickoff times for all first-round series would be released Sunday.

It is San Jose's first playoff berth since 2023. The 52 points are the club's most since 2012 and its third-best total, the team said, a turnaround under coach Bruce Arena, who inherited a team that managed 21 points in 2024.

How Saturday went

Preston Judd put San Jose ahead in the 45th minute, finishing a through ball from Niko Tsakiris for his 17th league goal. It matches Jeremy Ebobisse's 17 for third place on the club's single-season scoring list. Tomás Chancalay equalized for Minnesota in the 57th minute.

In the 82nd, a low shot by Nectarios Triantis hit the post and went in off goalkeeper Angus Gunn for an own goal, and Triantis scored again in stoppage time.

Arena called the playoffs "a bonus" in postgame comments released by the club and said a first-round win "would be tremendous." He said the team has two weeks to prepare, and he was critical of the second half, saying Minnesota controlled the midfield.

Rally downtown

The club has scheduled a rally from 6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, at downtown San Jose's San Pedro Square Market, with a DJ and chances to meet players. Tickets for the possible home games are on sale through the team.

Sources

sjearthquakes.com

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