San Jose celebrates its opening goal against Colorado Rapids on Oct. 28.
(Photo by Celine Zhong/The Berkeley Pulse)
SAN JOSE, Calif. — For a few minutes Wednesday night, the San Jose Earthquakes looked toward another frustrating result. Down a goal after losing Timo Werner to a red card, San Jose was running out of time against the Colorado Rapids. But an 83rd-minute header from rookie Jack Jasinski salvaged a 2–2 draw and secured something the club had never experienced at PayPal Park: a home playoff game.
The Oct. 28 match was San Jose's second-to-last home game of the regular season, coming 11 days after the team clinched its first playoff berth since 2023. With postseason qualification already secured, the Earthquakes were playing for a better position in the Western Conference standings.
San Jose got off to a promising start. In the 15th minute, Werner delivered a corner kick into the box, where defender Reid Roberts rose to meet it. His header struck the crossbar before crossing the goal line, giving the Earthquakes an early lead.
The advantage lasted only 11 minutes. Colorado midfielder Morgan Whittaker found space near the edge of the penalty area and sent a low shot past goalkeeper Angus Gunn to tie the match.
San Jose continued creating chances but struggled to finish them. The Earthquakes recorded 17 shots, eight on target, while Colorado managed eight attempts.
The match took a sharp turn in the 71st minute when Werner was shown a straight red card, leaving San Jose down a player. Colorado capitalized almost immediately: substitute Darren Yapi scored two minutes later to put the Rapids ahead 2–1.
But Colorado's numerical advantage did not last long. In the 75th minute, Rapids defender Kosi Thompson was also sent off after fouling Preston Judd on a breakaway. With both teams reduced to 10 players, San Jose had another chance to push forward.
Head coach Bruce Arena made three substitutions in the 79th minute, bringing on Niko Tsakiris, Ian Harkes and Jamar Ricketts. Four minutes later, Tsakiris delivered a corner toward the far post, where Jasinski rose to head the ball into the net from a tight angle.
It was the rookie defender's third league goal of the season and his second late equalizer against Colorado in less than three weeks. He had also scored in stoppage time during the teams' Oct. 10 meeting.
Earthquakes players embrace after the late equalizer against Colorado Rapids.
(Photo by Celine Zhong/The Berkeley Pulse)
The draw guaranteed San Jose a home postseason match for the first time since PayPal Park opened in 2015. The milestone came in Arena's second season with the club, after the Earthquakes missed the playoffs in 2024 and 2025.
Still, there were concerns heading into the postseason. San Jose conceded twice on Colorado's only two shots on target, and the draw extended the Earthquakes' winless streak to five matches. San Jose ended the night fifth in the Western Conference with 49 points, with final seeding still to be decided.
San Jose players walk off the field at PayPal Park.
(Photo by Celine Zhong/The Berkeley Pulse)
The Earthquakes closed the regular season with a 2–1 win over Real Salt Lake on Oct. 31. Wednesday's draw was not a victory, but it helped ensure that San Jose's return to the playoffs would include a night in front of its own supporters.