San Jose Earthquakes clinch spot in 2020 MLS playoffs

It’s official: The San Jose Earthquakes are going to the playoffs.

The Earthquakes’ 3-2 win over LAFC on Wednesday officially booked their ticket to the 2020 MLS Cup Playoffs, with one game left scheduled to play in the regular season.

The playoff berth is the Earthquakes’ first in the Matias Almeyda era, and the club’s first since 2017. But it’s also just the second playoff appearance in the last eight seasons.

We won’t know the Quakes’ seeding until after Sunday’s regular season finale against the Seattle Sounders, on the road, and we won’t know the opponent for the opening round, either. But there is a road in the postseason for San Jose, and as a minimum benchmark, this is a good sign of progress for a team that came agonizingly short last season. It was also a season in which the Quakes had a long slump after a strong MLS is Back Tournament experience, but they managed to pull out of a tailspin and get their season back on track. That is a pretty good accomplishment in itself.

But now we know, the season doesn’t end for the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday. Let’s see if they can be short tournament specialists this time around.

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