The San Jose Earthquakes return to California on Wednesday to face San Diego FC and close out a three-game stretch on the road.
Kickoff from Snapdragon Stadium Stadium in San Diego, California, is set for 7:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast globally via Apple TV (English/Spanish), as well as local radio on KSFO 810 AM (English) and La Kaliente 1370 AM (Spanish).
The Quakes remain unbeaten on their current road stretch after traveling to Texas on Saturday and battling with Austin FC for a 1-1 draw at Q2 Stadium. San Jose was dominant on the night and held a lead for most of the match after Beau Leroux netted his fourth goal of the season in the eighth minute after a flashy assist by Niko Tsakiris.
San Jose’s defense, in a 3-4-2-1 formation for the second straight match, was rock solid through the entire first half, not conceding a single shot on goal before intermission. The Quakes held Austin off until the dying moments of the match, when Verde defender Guilherme Biro found an equalizer to steal a point for the home side. San Jose will look to build on their strong performance in this clash with their California rivals.
The Quakes' most recent meeting with the Chrome and Azul will serve as some inspiration for them in this midweek clash. On April 4, the Quakes steamrolled SDFC 3-0 with all three goals in the first half. Niko Tsakiris netted twice while Preston Judd added a third goal just before the intermission.
In the short history of the El Camino Rivalry, San Jose has won two out of three matches between these sides. In their sole previous meeting in San Diego, the Quakes stormed into Snapdragon Stadium in 2025 and walked out with a 1-0 win.
San Diego FC enters the match in ninth place in the Western Conference with a record of 8-9-6 and a five-game home winning streak in all competitions. Despite a slump leading into the World Cup break that saw them fall out of playoff position, the Chrome and Azul have come out the other end flying and will look to finish the regular season strong to clinch a second consecutive playoff berth in as many seasons in existence.
On Saturday, SDFC traveled cross-country to face Orlando City SC in Florida, falling 1-0 on a first-half strike from French superstar Antoine Griezmann.
Looking to get back in the win column, the center of the San Diego attack will be striker Marcus Ingvartsen, who has 11 goals in MLS play and poses a huge threat alongside MLS All-Star winger Anders Dreyer (8g/11a). Attacking midfielder Onni Valakari (4g/7a) pulls the strings in a midfield that has looked strong since the World Cup break.
The connections between these clubs are tough to miss, as San Diego FC’s current roster has three former Earthquakes players, including midfielder Anibal Godoy (2015-19), Quakes Academy graduate and Homegrown defender Oscar Verhoeven (2024-25), as well as forward Amahl Pellegrino (2024-25), who led the 2024 Black and Blue squad in scoring with seven league goals.
The end of the road trip is on the horizon, with the Quakes returning home for three matches in a row if they can get past this last hurdle. Can San Jose close out this away game stretch strongly and build momentum going into the playoff push? They’ll need their best effort to overcome a rejuvenated SDFC.
