(Photo credit: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images)

In a match that could prove pivotal to both teams' MLS Cup Playoff hopes, host Austin FC and the San Jose Earthquakes face off Saturday night in a key contest between Western Conference foes.

Eighth-place San Jose (9-11-8, 35 points) and ninth-place Austin (9-9-8, 35 points) are level on points in the West standings, but the Earthquakes own the tiebreaker on goal differential (4 to -6). Austin has played two fewer matches (26 to the Quakes' 28).

Austin, currently on a three-match winless skid (0-1-2), will look to set the tone early against the Quakes. They fell behind inside of 10 minutes in a 3-2 loss against CF Montreal on Aug. 23 despite goals from Myrto Uzuni and Owen Wolff.

'I think it's about how we can start a game,' said Austin coach Nico Estevez. 'We don't need to get punched in order to respond. We can be the ones that punch the opponent. And I think when we've had that mentality ... we've won the game.'

San Jose's last outing was a 2-1 win against the Houston Dynamo, its second win in three matches after a 0-3-3 skid.

It was a relief for Quakes head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena as he looks to lead his team to its first playoff appearance since 2020. That's especially after they allowed two goals with under 10 minutes to go in a 2-1 loss to San Diego FC on Aug. 17.

'(Against San Diego) we really blew a game, and we've done that on probably a half a dozen occasions this year,' Arena said. 'If anything, we learned to win ugly, and that was important to walk off the field with three points.'

Midfielder Ronaldo Vieira, signed by the Quakes on Aug. 7 from second-division Italian side Sampdoria, made his MLS debut against Houston.

Uzini and Wolff's goals gave them each four on the season. Wolff also has five assists, second on the team.

In their last meeting on July 8, San Jose and Austin played to a 2-2 draw in a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal before Austin won the resulting penalty shootout 4-2.

--Field Level Media--Field Level Media