The San Jose Earthquakes will host a playoff game at PayPal Park for the first time since the stadium opened in 2015, securing a home postseason appearance in Bruce Arena’s second year as coach. San Jose finished as the fourth seed and will face fifth-seeded Houston Dynamo in the best-of-three opening round of the playoffs, which begin Nov. 20.
The milestone follows years of frustration for the club owned by John Fisher. In 2012, San Jose posted the best regular-season record in Major League Soccer with a team nicknamed The Goonies for its late comebacks. That campaign ended with a home conference semifinal defeat at Santa Clara University’s Buck Shaw Stadium against an LA Galaxy side coached by Arena and featuring David Beckham.
Fisher recruited Arena in 2024 while the Earthquakes were enduring a historically poor season. Arena, described as the country’s winningest coach, narrowly missed the postseason in his first year in San Jose. His second campaign began with a 9-1 record, as a mix of prospects and experienced players used an aggressive pressing approach to establish the team among the league’s strongest before the World Cup break.
Young playmaker Niko Tsakiris helped drive the attack, while former German star Timo Werner, personally recruited by Arena from Red Bull Leipzig, found renewed enjoyment on the field. But San Jose’s momentum faded after the break. An eight-game winless stretch pushed the team down the Western Conference standings, though its early results provided enough points to remain in playoff contention.
Arena responded to injuries and opponents’ adjustments by adopting a more defensive formation, frequently using three center backs instead of two. The club also traded for German midfielder Eduard Löwen. Those changes helped steady the results and secure a postseason place, but the attack became less productive, leaving San Jose still working to find its best approach against Houston.
The Earthquakes ended the regular season Saturday with a 3-1 loss to Minnesota United. It was the first time Arena could start Tsakiris, Werner, Löwen and leading scorer Preston Judd together. After several weeks using a 3-5-2 formation, San Jose returned to the 4-2-3-1 system it had used at the beginning of the season. Tsakiris said the shared playing time would help the group develop its understanding.
The improvement on the field comes as Fisher continues seeking a buyer at a valuation of about $600 million. The team has been marketed for sale since last summer without substantive bids. Arena and club President Jared Shawlee have said throughout the season that spending has continued. Fisher has committed funding used to expand player facilities at the Coleman Highline campus beside the stadium and lease separate offices near Santana Row for business and operations employees.
Arena signed an extension through 2029 in June and said the potential sale did not influence that decision. He has continued seeking improvements to the roster and training facilities and said ownership is providing support. His immediate task is preparing San Jose for Houston and the first playoff games at the club’s current home.
