Last verified: November 7, 2026, 01:39 UTC (November 6, 2026, 7:39 p.m. CST, UTC−06:00, in Saint Paul). Minnesota United FC enters Saturday's Decision Day finale needing a victory over the San Jose Earthquakes and help from other Western Conference results to reach the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs. San Jose has already qualified but is competing for Round One home-field advantage and possibly the conference's No. 2 seed. The kickoff remains Saturday, November 7, at 6:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST, UTC−06:00) at Allianz Field in Saint Paul, Minnesota—equivalent to 00:00 UTC on Sunday, November 8.
In the official MLS Matchday 35 player status report, Minnesota's Wil Trapp is out under concussion protocol; San Jose's DeJuan Jones and Nonso Adimabua are out with lower-body injuries. Neither team has a player identified as suspended in that published report. No change of venue or kickoff time was found in the league and club schedules checked for this update; the starting lineups and final result remain unconfirmed at the verification time.
The official MLS Matchday 35 player status report is the clearest published source for pregame absences. It designates Minnesota midfielder Wil Trapp as out (concussion protocol), and San Jose's DeJuan Jones and Nonso Adimabua as out (lower-body injuries). It does not list a player from either Minnesota or San Jose as out because of a suspension.
That last point describes the contents of the league report, not a categorical guarantee that all other players will be available. Clubs can make late fitness decisions, and MLS disciplinary or matchday roster information can change. An expected formation or a predicted XI published elsewhere is not the official team sheet. For confirmed starters and substitutes, consult the MLS Minnesota–San Jose match center when the lineups are released.
Allianz Field in Saint Paul, Minnesota, hosts the Western Conference Decision Day game on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Minnesota United's official stadium guide gives a 6:00 p.m. stadium-time kickoff, while the MLS Western Conference preview lists 7:00 p.m. Eastern. Those times are consistent.
| Location or time standard | Kickoff date and time |
|---|---|
| Saint Paul, Minnesota (CST, UTC−06:00) | Saturday, November 7, 6:00 p.m. |
| U.S. Eastern (EST, UTC−05:00) | Saturday, November 7, 7:00 p.m. |
| San Jose, California (PST, UTC−08:00) | Saturday, November 7, 4:00 p.m. |
| Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) | Sunday, November 8, 00:00 |
U.S. daylight saving time ended November 1, 2026, so this November 7 fixture uses CST, EST and PST—not their daylight-time equivalents. The Sunday UTC date is a calendar conversion, not a different game or a rescheduled kickoff. The MLS 2026 season schedule also identifies November 7 as Decision Day.
Winning is necessary, but not sufficient. Minnesota starts its final regular-season game in 12th place in the West on 41 points. A draw or loss leaves the Loons outside the nine-team playoff field. A victory raises their total to 44 points, but qualification still depends on the simultaneous results involving Portland, Colorado and Seattle.
According to the official MLS Decision Day qualification scenarios, Minnesota clinches if it beats San Jose and any one of these three pairs occurs:
There are two further routes in which Seattle draws LAFC: Minnesota must win, either Portland or Colorado must lose, and Minnesota must win the applicable tiebreaker over Seattle. These are official conditional scenarios, not predictions of those games. Minnesota's club playoff explainer also details why the Loons must monitor Austin–Portland, Dallas–Colorado and Seattle–LAFC while playing their own game.
The top seven Western Conference clubs advance straight to Round One; the eighth- and ninth-place teams enter the Wild Card game. A Minnesota win without enough favorable outcomes elsewhere can still leave the team outside the postseason.
San Jose begins Decision Day third in the Western Conference with 52 points and a 14-9-10 record. Its postseason spot is secure, but the final seed and Round One hosting privileges are not fully settled. In the Earthquakes' official match preview, the club states that a win, draw or defeat by seven goals or fewer would preserve a top-four finish.
Finishing in the top four means hosting Game One and, if required, Game Three in the Round One best-of-three series. San Jose can move into second if it beats Minnesota and FC Dallas loses to Colorado. Conversely, MLS reports that a particularly heavy defeat could drop San Jose as low as fifth. The more extreme outcomes are conditional and should not be mistaken for the expected result.
Minnesota's official game preview describes a six-match unbeaten streak and a 3-1 victory at LAFC in the Loons' previous game. Minnesota has won three of its last four, a turnaround that has kept its playoff hopes alive. Forward Kelvin Yeboah, creator Joaquín Pereyra and goal-scoring defender Anthony Markanich are important attacking contributors, although individual past statistics do not establish who will start on Saturday.
San Jose most recently beat Real Salt Lake 2-1 on October 31, according to the club's preview. Its 52 points are its best single-season total since 2012. In the teams' 2026 meetings preceding Decision Day, the Earthquakes won 4-2 in the U.S. Open Cup on April 28 before Minnesota recorded a 5-1 league win on August 22. Those scorelines illustrate the possibility of goals but cannot establish a forecast score or a lineup.
The competitive incentives are different: Minnesota may need to take attacking risks because only a win preserves its chance, while San Jose can protect its home-field position with a draw. That is a tactical possibility, not a confirmed coaching plan.
The Earthquakes' official viewing information lists Apple TV with English- and Spanish-language coverage. San Jose lists KSFO 810 AM for English-language radio commentary and La Kaliente 1370 AM for Spanish-language radio. Availability and access conditions may depend on the viewer's country or service.
Fans following the entire playoff race can also use MLS 360 to track developments across simultaneous Decision Day matches. For match status, confirmed starters, goals and the official final score, use the league's match center rather than a speculative pregame lineup.
Minnesota United's stadium entry and Fan Appreciation Night guide lists the Sun Country Pre-Party at 3:30 p.m. CST, gates at 4:30 p.m. CST and kickoff at 6:00 p.m. CST. All three are Saturday, November 7 times in Saint Paul (UTC−06:00).
For the fan-themed finale, the club encourages a blackout in the stands. Allianz Field uses a clear bag policy, is cashless and asks spectators to arrange parking in advance. The club also advertises a clear Target crossbody bag and coupon giveaway for the first 8,000 entrants, subject to the club's stated event conditions. Check the official guide for updated entry details; pre-party and gate opening times should not be confused with kickoff.
The completed Western Conference results and MLS tiebreakers will determine the final playoff field, Wild Card matchup and Round One seeds. Minnesota's season continues only if its win and the necessary outside results secure a qualifying spot; otherwise Decision Day ends its 2026 MLS campaign. San Jose will enter the playoffs regardless of this game's outcome, with its opponent and hosting position decided by the final standings.
At the time of this verification, the match remains scheduled and not yet played. No result, scorers, confirmed starting XIs, late injury clearance or rescheduling has been announced as confirmed in the official sources reviewed for this update.
It starts at 6:00 p.m. CST (UTC−06:00) on Saturday, November 7 in Saint Paul, equal to 7:00 p.m. EST in the Eastern U.S., 4:00 p.m. PST in San Jose and 00:00 UTC on Sunday, November 8.
Not automatically. Minnesota must beat San Jose and receive favorable combinations of Portland, Colorado and Seattle results, including a possible tiebreaker in scenarios where Seattle draws.
MLS lists Wil Trapp (Minnesota), plus DeJuan Jones and Nonso Adimabua (San Jose), as out in its Matchday 35 report. No suspension absence for either team appears in that report.
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