San Jose Earthquakes II and Austin II shared three points after a 120-minute group stage encounter in MLS Next Pro on Sunday. The match finished 1-1 in regular time before San Jose won 3-2 on penalties, a result that keeps both sides in the hunt for their section.
S. Dobrijevic opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, giving the hosts a lead they held until A. Cano equalised shortly after the half-hour mark of the second period. The visitors' strike came in the 53rd minute, and from then on the game settled into a pattern where both sides refused to go away. Yellow cards for A. Cano and M. Ruszel in the closing stages hinted at the tension building as the teams searched for a winner.
And here's the thing about penalty shootouts — they strip the game down to its barest form. J. Jasinski, C. Ayala and D. Baptista converted for San Jose, while S. Dobrijevic's miss proved costly. Austin's G. Bracken Serra and D. Barro found the net, but three misses from K. Spivey, D. Dobruna and Z. Bohane left them chasing shadows. L. Feliciano and E. Watt added two more for the visitors, but San Jose held their nerve when it mattered most.
The standings tell a wider story. Austin sit top of the group with 59 points from 19 wins, while San Jose languish in fifth with 36 points from 12 victories. To be fair, the gap is significant, but this result shows the hosts can raise the tempo when they need to. Austin's recent form has been steady — a 1-1 draw against Houston followed by a 4-0 demolition of Whitecaps II — while San Jose have not won since their 6-1 thrashing of Swoop Park Rangers.
What this match will be remembered for is not the final scoreline but the character shown from both sides. Three points shared after extra time, a shootout that went the full distance, and neither team willing to yield. By then, the group stage had already taken on a different complexion.