Austin FC will make the trip to the West Coast to face San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night. Match kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. PT/8:00 p.m. CT at PayPal Park.
Tune-In
- Stream: Click here to watch the match on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, or access it through any device compatible with the Apple TV app.
- Radio: The match will be broadcast live locally in English on iHeart Radio’s Alt 97.5, and in Spanish on Univision’s TUDN Radio Austin (104.3-HD2, KLQB-FM).
Austin FC Outlook
Following a 1-0 victory against LAFC last Sunday, Austin FC is now guaranteed to finish in sixth place in the Western Conference ahead of its final regular season match. That win saw late action with Žan Kolmanič delivering a great ball from the corner to find Owen Wolff, who headed in for the winner. Wolff now has a team-high 17 goal contributions this season in all competitions.
Austin now turns its attention to the Golden State to face San Jose Earthquakes on MLS Decision Day. Austin faced San Jose twice already this year, in the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals away in July and at Q2 Stadium in August. The Verde & Black won in penalties in the Open Cup meeting and grabbed a 3-1 result at home in league play.
Regardless of what happens on Saturday, Austin is guaranteed to finish with its most shutouts ever in a season, its second-highest points total, and its second-best position in the table. Fans will be watching other matches happening simultaneously to find out who the Verde & Black will face in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. ATXFC will match up against whoever finishes third in the Western Conference between San Diego, LAFC, and Minnesota.
San Jose Earthquakes Outlook
Unlike Austin, San Jose has everything to play for on Decision Day. The Quakes know they need to win and get a few favorable results elsewhere to climb into a playoff position, while a draw or a loss will see their season come to an end.
San Jose hit a rough patch of form in recent weeks, losing 4 of its last 5 games beginning with the defeat at Q2 Stadium in late August. Their win came away against San Diego who were then top of the Western Conference. The Quakes tend to be involved in high-scoring matches, having scored the fourth-most goals in the Western Conference but allowed the third-most.
Earthquakes forward Cristian “Chicho” Arango has found success against Austin FC, with a total of six goal contributions against the Verde & Black. Austin will look to keep Arango quiet on Saturday, as well as fellow dangerous attackers Josef Martínez and Cristian Espinoza.
