The San Jose Earthquakes find themselves in unfamiliar territory as they get ready to do battle with the best team in the league. Twenty-five matches into their season the Quakes are in the middle of one of the closest playoff races in recent memory. Just five points separate second-place Minnesota United FC and eighth place FC Dallas with less than ten games left in the season. If the Quakes want to continue to stay in that race, they are going to have to get some points on the road which they have failed to do the last couple of weeks.