Jermaine Spivey & Tommo Allen in high spirits after extending the lead to 2-0
San Jose Earthquakes II punched their ticket to the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs on Sunday night, defeating Tacoma Defiance 4-4 (3-1 on penalties) after 120 minutes of action at PayPal Park. Despite Tacoma winning all three regular-season meetings between the sides, Quakes II came through when it mattered most, earning their fourth consecutive playoff appearance.
Tomo Allen celebrating after scoring his second goal of the match
San Jose came out firing, taking a 2-0 lead within the opening 10 minutes. Tomo Allen opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a header off Jacob Heisner’s setup. Just four minutes later, Zach Bohane drew a foul inside the box and converted the resulting penalty to put the hosts firmly in control.
Tacoma responded before halftime, with Rafael Jauregui finding the bottom-left corner in the 38th minute to cut the deficit to 2-1. Jauregui struck again shortly after the break, finishing a cross from Charlie Gaffney in the 51st minute to bring Defiance level at 2-2.
Quakes II quickly regained the advantage. After Bohane hit the post in the 54th minute, Allen found the net in the 61st, firing from outside the box and watching his shot bounce in off the post to make it 3-2. Tacoma refused to go away, however, as Mark O’Neill headed home Gaffney’s corner in the 77th minute to tie the game at 3-3 and force extra time.
With the match still deadlocked late in regulation, both teams continued trading blows in the additional periods. In the 104th minute, Jermaine Spivey connected with Bohane in a quick one-two before striking from distance with the outside of his right foot, finding the far corner to put San Jose ahead 4-3.
Tacoma delivered another response in the 110th minute. Drew Brown flicked the ball past goalkeeper Nate Crockford, allowing Landon Lucero to finish the loose ball and make it 4-4. Neither side could find a winner before the final whistle, sending the contest to a penalty shootout.
That was where Crockford made the difference. The Quakes II goalkeeper recorded two saves and benefited from another Tacoma attempt going wide. Julian Donnery and Edwyn Mendoza converted their kicks before Bohane stepped up and calmly buried his penalty to seal a 3-1 shootout victory.
The win sends Quakes II into the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs for the fourth straight season. San Jose will now turn its attention to a challenging matchup against top-seeded Austin FC II on Sunday, October 18, at Parmer Field in Austin, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PT.
After a back-and-forth battle filled with goals, late responses, and a decisive shootout, Quakes II found a way to get the job done and keep their playoff hopes alive.