San Jose Earthquakes II was seemingly the odd team out of the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs picture heading into the final two regular-season matchdays.
But Dan DeGeer’s men rallied with a pair of shutout victories to finish eighth in the Western Conference (11-11-6-3, 42 points) and advance to the Play-In Round on Sunday at 5 p.m. PT, where they will host the ninth-seeded Tacoma Defiance (11-12-5-3, 41 points)—a team that edged San Jose in all three previous regular-season contests this season by the slimmest of margins.
“I think it speaks to the mentality of the group,” said DeGeer. “The culture is very strong. This is a group that kept fighting week after week. Even when moments became difficult, they kept pushing. I think it says a lot about the group, and their character, and that you're going to see this from them this weekend.”
On March 14, the Defiance eked out a penalty shootout win on their home soil after a scoreless draw (0-0, 4-1 PKs). On July 12, Tacoma again outlasted Quakes II, this time by a 1-0 result in Monterey’s Cardinale Stadium. Finally on Sept. 5, the Defiance completed the sweep with a close 2-1 win at San Jose State University’s Spartan Stadium. This Sunday, however, Quakes II will play host at PayPal Park, where they are unbeaten in two matches so far in 2026 and will be in search of vengeance.
“They’ve been three close games with Tacoma,” said DeGeer. They're a good team. The margin of error is thin. [Penalty kicks] or set pieces have been the difference in the last few games. But this is a new game, and it's a new environment, and it's a new setting where playoffs are at stake, and we're playing at home in front of our friends and family, and that's going to be a huge advantage for us.”
This time, it’s all on the line as Sunday’s winner will advance to become the Western Conference eighth seed for the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs. Quakes II is aiming to earn its fourth consecutive trip to the postseason under DeGeer, who was a finalist for league Coach of the Year in 2025 after steering the team to their second consecutive Pacific Division crown. Of the current MLS First-Team roster, 19 Earthquakes players have previously appeared for Quakes II under DeGeer since 2022, including MLS All-Star Daniel Munie, fellow center back Reid Roberts and midfielder Beau Leroux.
"I think having that experience will certainly help the team. We rely on those guys to be leaders on the field and off the field, but I definitely think it's some kind of advantage because some of these guys have been in the playoff run. It will be their fourth time doing it—guys like [Alejandro] Cano and Edwyn [Mendoza].”
This season, Zach Bohane (12g/3a) and Julian Donnery (6g/4a) have picked up the slack in attack for Quakes II, with a solid midfield core featuring First-Team Homegrown Players and U.S. youth internationals Edwyn Mendoza (2g/4a), Kaedren Spivey (4g/3a) and Rohan Rajagopal (0g/2a), who continue to develop in MLS NEXT Pro.
“I've been here three years now with the second team, and obviously, since I have that experience, I'm in a different type of role,” Mendoza said. “I need to be more of a leader, and my experience has to show during the game this weekend.”
Tacoma’s danger man to watch is Mark Bronnik, who has netted 13 times and amassed an additional four assists to pace the Defiance attack. The forward was the 2005 USL League One Young Player of the Year with Union Omaha and has since excelled in his move to MLS NEXT Pro.
Tasked with stopping Bronnik will be Niklas Dossmann and his team-leading 44 clearances, along with fellow NorCal products Jacob Heisner and El Salvador senior national team player Alejandro Cano on the Quakes II back line. Goalkeeper Nate Crockford earned four clean sheets and Connor Lambe conceded only one goal or less in eight of 10 matches in 2026.
“Obviously this year Tacoma's had the upper hand on us, but this Sunday is where everything changes,” Mendoza said. “With the support of the fans, it’ll be like [having] a 12th man, and we can't wait to have you guys here at PayPal Park to catch us get this win. Let’s go!”
Can Quakes II punch their ticket to the playoffs once more? With a boisterous crowd at PayPal Park awaiting them on Sunday, they will certainly be motivated to keep their MLS NEXT Pro season alive.
General Admission tickets are $5 and can be purchased HERE. Fans under 18 are free. Earthquakes Season Ticket Holders can also get free tickets by contacting their representative. For those unable to attend in person, the game will air on OneFootball and MLSNEXTPro.com.
