Austin II defeated San Jose Earthquakes II 1-0 in a Group Stage encounter of MLS Next Pro on 24 August 2026. The hosts took all three points despite a disciplined defensive display from the visitors, who had drawn their previous two games away from home. The result extends Austin's unbeaten run to five matches and leaves them top of the table with 56 points from 25 games.
The early stages were cautious, with the first warning coming in the 20th minute when R. Rajagopal went into the referee's book. By then, the tempo had settled into something measured, neither side looking to force the issue. There was a sense of territory being contested rather than chances being created, and the game stayed that way for the better part of an hour.
The turning point arrived in the 73rd minute when D. Abarca found the net. The goal came after a flurry of changes around the 63rd-minute mark, when San Jose were reduced to ten men following a second yellow for D. Dobruna. Austin threw bodies in the way after that, holding the tie in their own hands while the visitors searched for an equaliser.
San Jose made several attempts to get back into the game, bringing on C. Ayala, M. Ruszel and others in quick succession. But they found no answer to Austin's compact shape, and the hosts put the game to bed early enough to avoid unnecessary drama. Yellow cards for N. Dossmann, E. Mendoza and D. Barro in the closing quarter added to a slightly fractious finish.
The result keeps Austin at the summit of the standings, while San Jose remain in fifth place with 36 points from 24 matches. The gap between them is now 20 points, and for the visitors it means another defeat in their last three league outings. The market has overreacted to the favourite, but results like this tend to flatten the table over time.
