The San Jose Earthquakes haven’t reached the Major League Soccer postseason since 2020 and have never hosted a playoff game since PayPal Park opened in 2015.
Each of those facts could change after Saturday’s regular season finale — which is being billed as the biggest match in PayPal Park history.
If the Earthquakes defeat Austin FC on Oct. 21, they’ll punch their ticket into the playoffs. The club is expecting a fully sold out crowd for the 6pm matchup with postseason implications.
San Jose has 43 points on the season, tied with FC Dallas for eighth place. Under the new MLS postseason format, the top seven teams in each conference play a three-match first round series with each team guaranteed a home game.
The Earthquakes haven’t hosted a playoff match since 2012, when they were the best team in the league. Recently, PayPal Park has been in the news.
John Fisher, the embattled A’s owner also owns the Quakes called the eight-year-old stadium outdated, according to a recent ESPN article. When Fisher’s ownership group built the stadium, they insisted the revenues associated with it would help bolster the roster; that promise hasn’t been kept; San Jose ranks 21st of 29 teams in payroll this season, per ESPN.
PayPal Park was built for $100 million in 2015. Reached for comment by The Mercury News, San Jose mayor Matt Mahan disagreed with Fisher’s assessment that the stadium is outdated.
“PayPal Park offers an incredible fan experience,” Mahan said in a statement to Bay Area News Group. “My family and I love to cheer on the Quakes — and will soon cheer on Bay FC there. I hope the stadium’s ownership will continue to invest to ensure it is second to none.”
According to Soccer Stadium Digest, the Earthquakes are averaging a sellout with over 18,000 tickets sold per game.
Despite a negative goal differential this year, the Quakes control their own destiny. Led by Argentinian winger Christian Espinoza, who leads MLS in key passes — passes that directly lead to shots on goal — and has 12 goals and 13 assists, San Jose has earned a decision day.
Listen to all San Jose Earthquakes games on 810 The Spread, a Cumulus Media Station.