SAN JOSE, Calif. – The Town FC, the San Jose Earthquakes’ MLS NEXT Pro team, will host Houston Dynamo 2 in a Western Conference Quarterfinal match on Sunday, Oct. 20, at The Park at St. Mary’s (3 p.m. PT; doors open 1 p.m.). The game will be broadcast via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Earthquakes Season Ticket Holders can access discounted tickets online for just $10 by using the link they received from the Quakes or by calling their representative. General Admission tickets can be purchased for $20 online **HERE** or $30 at the door on matchday, so fans are encouraged to take advantage of early pricing.
The clash with Houston will serve as the second meeting between the teams in 2024. On May 3 in Moraga, they battled to a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes, but the visitors emerged with a 5-3 penalty shootout victory.
After closing the campaign with six wins in the last seven games, The Town FC captured the Pacific Division title and rose all the way to the third seed in the West to earn a home postseason date for the first time.
In only his second full season as head coach, Dan DeGeer has not only led the team to their best regular-season finish ever with 51 points, he is looking to improve on last year’s playoff march. In 2023, the team was known as Earthquakes II and saw their impressive postseason conclude in the Western Conference Semifinals.
“I’m so proud of the tremendous collective effort from the team to get to this point, and now we want more,” said DeGeer. “It’s been doubly rewarding seeing our young players develop in such a competitive environment while simultaneously getting results on the field. The fans in Moraga have been incredible all season long, and we'll need them now more than ever to pack the house and give us that home-field advantage in the playoffs.”
Overall, the club has prioritized development for its young players, using more academy players than any other team to log minutes. The Town FC finished first in the league in both average player age (18.1) and academy players registered (37).
A parade of standout performances across a carefully constructed roster of predominantly locally based players have lifted The Town FC to unprecedented heights, starting with 19-year-old goalkeeper Emi Ochoa. The Salinas native and Mexico youth international was recently named MLS NEXT Pro Goalkeeper of the Month for September after recording three consecutive clean sheets.
Fellow Homegrown Players and U.S. youth internationals Cruz Medina and Edwyn Mendoza are also signed with the first team, and the pair of 18-year-old midfielders have likewise seen a rapid rise in their professional growth for The Town FC. Medina, from San Francisco, has served as captain and netted clutch goals in two of the final three games, while San Jose native Mendoza finished second in most appearances and minutes. Midfielder Beau LeRoux, the club’s second-round selection in this past year’s MLS SuperDraft out of San Jose State, has complemented both players well with his versatile play (4g/0a).
Combined with the attacking trio consisting of Quakes Academy products Eduardo “Lalo” Blancas (8g/1a) and Aaron Edwards (7g/4a), along with 2024 MLS SuperDraft third-round pick Riley Lynch from St. Mary’s College (7g/3a), DeGeer has no shortage of weapons to rely on heading into what shapes up to be another exciting playoff run.
About The Town FC
The Town FC is a community-based professional soccer organization that launched in early 2022, that now includes a men’s team in MLS NEXT Pro via a partnership with the San Jose Earthquakes’ MLS NEXT Pro affiliate. The club seeks to offer programs for players of all ages and skill levels from youth development to adult leagues and on to professional levels of play. Fans can stay up-to-date with the team's schedule and latest news by visiting www.thetownfc.com or following @TheTown_FC.
About MLS NEXT Pro
Launched in 2022 by Major League Soccer, MLS NEXT Pro is a professional men’s soccer league in the United States and Canada that completes the pro player pathway from MLS NEXT to MLS first teams. MLS NEXT Pro continues to grow the game through innovation and diversity, bringing professional soccer to new communities and creating opportunities both on and off the field. MLS NEXT Pro will celebrate its third season in 2024 with 29 teams, 27 MLS-affiliated and two independent, Carolina Core FC and Chattanooga FC. Additional MLS-affiliated and independent clubs will join in the years ahead, including Cleveland, Jacksonville Armada FC and Connecticut United FC. The majority of MLS NEXT Pro’s matches are broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV as part of the groundbreaking partnership between Apple and MLS. For more information about MLS NEXT Pro, visit mlsnextpro.com.
