Last Updated on April 22, 2026 12:56 pm by ZUWP Automation
Austin have gone four matches without a win. San Jose arrive off the back of a 4-1 demolition of LAFC. Something has to give at PayPal Park.
Four draws and a defeat in their last five outings. Austin FC arrive in San Jose carrying the weight of a side that keeps finding ways not to win. Meanwhile, the Earthquakes are riding the momentum of a resounding 4-1 victory away at Los Angeles FC just four days ago. The contrast in trajectories could hardly be sharper.
Match Details
- Fixture: SJ Earthquakes vs Austin FC
- Venue: PayPal Park
- Date: 23 April 2026
- Competition: MLS 2026
Current Form
San Jose’s recent form is brief but vivid. A 1-1 draw away at Sporting KC was followed by that commanding 4-1 win at LAFC, a result that carries genuine weight regardless of where it lands in the final table. Winning away from home against one of the Western Conference’s more established sides suggests a side with belief, not just luck.
Austin’s form tells the opposite story. Their last five matches read: a 1-1 draw at Real Salt Lake, a goalless draw at home to LAFC, a 1-1 draw away at Inter Miami, a 1-0 home defeat to LA Galaxy, and a 3-3 draw away at Toronto. That is zero wins from five, with the sole defeat coming at home. Four draws in five matches is not a run of resilience; it is a pattern of a side that cannot convert pressure into points.
The 3-3 at Toronto is particularly telling. Conceding three goals away from home and still failing to take three points suggests defensive fragility rather than attacking ambition. Austin are not grinding out draws from positions of strength. They are dropping points from positions where they should be winning, or simply failing to hold leads.
Key Player to Watch: Facundo Torres (Austin FC)
With Austin’s attacking output so underwhelming in recent weeks, the burden falls heavily on Facundo Torres. The forward has registered two assists in six appearances this season, accumulating 15 key passes and generating 10 shots, with three on target. His average rating of 7.19 is the highest of any Austin outfield player with significant minutes, and his seven tackles across those six games suggest an engine that works in both directions.
Torres is ranked 22nd among all MLS players for assists, placing him in the top 17 per cent of the league in that category. In a side that has scored precious little, he is the most consistent creative force Austin possess. If he is kept quiet at PayPal Park, it is difficult to see where Austin’s goal threat comes from.
Austin’s Last Line: Brad Stuver
Whatever Austin’s attacking struggles, goalkeeper Brad Stuver has been exceptional. His 29 saves in six appearances place him first in the entire MLS for saves this season. That is not a coincidence; it reflects both his individual quality and the volume of pressure Austin’s defence has been absorbing. Stuver has started every minute of every match, and his average rating of 7.40 is the strongest of any Austin player.
The question for Thursday night is whether Stuver can continue to carry that load against a San Jose side that just put four past LAFC. A goalkeeper making that many saves is either outstanding or overworked. Possibly both.
Myrto Uzuni: San Jose’s Threat
From the SJ Earthquakes’ perspective, forward Myrto Uzuni presents the most credible attacking threat the data supports. One goal and one assist across six appearances, with 11 shots and an average rating of 6.87, paint the picture of a player involved and active in the final third. Three shots on target from those 11 attempts is a modest conversion rate, but against an Austin defence that has been leaking goals, the opportunities may well arrive.
Closing Paragraph
San Jose come into this fixture with momentum, a home pitch, and the psychological edge of a side that just dismantled a fellow Western Conference side 4-1 on the road. Austin arrive depleted of confidence, winless in five, and reliant on a goalkeeper who has made more saves than anyone else in the league simply to stay competitive. The central question at PayPal Park on Thursday is whether Austin’s habit of drawing matches extends one more time, or whether San Jose’s renewed belief is enough to finally break that stubborn, suffocating pattern.