Austin FC is set to close out the Club’s third year in MLS on Saturday night, when the Verde & Black travel west to take on San Jose Earthquakes on the final day of the 2023 regular season. The match is set to kick off at 8:00 p.m. CT/6:00 p.m. PT at PayPal Park.
Tune-In
Fans can watch the match in English or Spanish for free in over 100 countries with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
- Stream: Click here to watch the match, or access it through any device compatible with the Apple TV app.
- Radio: The match will be broadcast live locally in English on iHeart Radio’s Alt 97.5, and in Spanish on Univision’s TUDN Radio Austin (104.3-HD2, KLQB-FM).
Austin FC Outlook
Though Austin won’t be taking part in the postseason, there’s still reason to push for a victory to close out the 2023 campaign on Saturday. The Verde & Black are yet to beat San Jose in six previous attempts and will be hungry to put that streak to rest.
Center back Leo Väisänen, who scored his first goal for Austin FC in the team’s October 7 match, will be back with the squad after joining Finland for a pair of UEFA EURO 2024 qualifiers vs. Slovenia and Kazakhstan. Also during the international break, Owen Wolff was named to the MLS 22 Under 22 list, recognizing him as one of the league’s top young players.
Captain Sebastián Driussi looks poised to finish as the Club’s top scorer for the second consecutive season and will aim to add to his 11 goals, while All-Star defender Jon Gallagher and midfielder Dani Pereira are tied atop the assists chart with eight each.
San Jose Earthquakes Outlook
The Earthquakes’ playoff lives are on the line on Saturday, as San Jose currently sits precariously in ninth place and just two points above the playoff cutline. The Quakes are tied on points with both seventh-place Portland and eighth-place Dallas, and can guarantee a spot in the postseason by beating Austin.
San Jose enters Decision Day on the back of three consecutive 1-1 draws, against Nashville, Minnesota, and Dallas. Quakes matches have tended to be low-scoring this season. The team has scored the third-fewest goals in the Western Conference, but has kept the fifth-best defensive record, allowing fewer goals than leaders St. Louis.
Cristian Espinoza continues to be San Jose’s talisman, with an impressive 25 goal contributions from 12 goals and 13 assists in 2023. His 88 key passes lead all MLS players. Outside of Espinoza and Jeremy Ebobisse (10 goals), no Earthquakes player has scored more than three. Austin’s best chance for success at the weekend might hinge on shutting down that dangerous duo.
