Even if the Earthquakes win at PayPal Park Saturday night in their regular-season finale against Austin FC, odds are Bruce Arena will walk away from the season unsatisfied.<\/p>\n
\u201cA good season for me is making the playoffs and at least winning a playoff game,\u201d the Quakes\u2019 coach said in a news conference Thursday.<\/p>\n
The Quakes need to win and get help elsewhere in the Western Conference to keep alive their chance of meeting Arena\u2019s criteria.<\/p>\n
In addition to a win over sixth-place Austin FC, the Quakes, currently 11th in the conference standings, need two of the following three results in order to reach the Western Conference\u2019s No. 9 seed and a playoff spot:<\/p>\n
Eighth-place FC Dallas loss at conference-leading Vancouver Whitecaps FC
\nReal Salt Lake, tied for ninth, loss at 13th-place St. Louis City FC
\nColorado Rapids, tied for ninth, loss or draw vs. third-place Los Angeles FC<\/p>\n
If all four results go the Quakes\u2019 way, they would leap into the No. 8 spot and host the Western Conference wild-card match next Wednesday night. All four games Saturday kick off at 6 p.m. Pacific.<\/p>\n
Captain Cristian Espinoza said the team hopes to take advantage of an \u201cextra chance\u201d to make the playoffs after Dallas\u2019 and Salt Lake\u2019s losses last weekend left the door open, but expectations must be higher.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt this point of the season, all of us expect to be in the playoffs,\u201d he said, even for a team that last won a playoff game in 2010, when San Jose made the West finals.<\/p>\n
Arena and captain Cristian Espinoza said the team won\u2019t be scoreboard watching, since their approach won\u2019t change based on results elsewhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to treat this like it\u2019s a final, being able to control the emotions,\u201d forward Chicho Arango said of the moment.<\/p>\n
In addition to the playoff stakes, San Jose will be seeking to avenge their July 8 ouster from the U.S. Open Cup<\/a> at PayPal Park at the hands of Austin FC. Espinoza suffered a gash on his leg that forced him from the match in the second half, and the Quakes lost on penalty kicks after taking leads in regulation and extra time.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s such a different moment of the season,\u201d Espinoza said comparing the finale to that July match. \u201cThe feelings about the injury, I don\u2019t have anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n