Home sweet home. A refrain that has without a doubt crossed the minds of every player on the San Jose Earthquakes. After all, the team is a collective 9-2-5 in the Bay Area this season, earning 32 points in the process and bolstering its claim on the final postseason berth in the Western Conference.
Win in their season finale this Sunday at Avaya Stadium against the expansion Minnesota United, and the Quakes will compete in the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time since 2012. It would be a just reward for a squad that went through a coaching change midway through the season, and welcomed a slew of new players to the roster that have slowly, but surely, developed the chemistry needed to thrive in MLS.