San Jose Earthquakes head coach Bruce Arena believes his team are ready for a "crazy" week after their U.S. Open Cup success, with the Houston Dynamo first up in MLS.

San Jose held out to beat the Portland Timbers 1-0 in extra time to reach the quarter-finals of the Cup, extending their unbeaten streak to six games in all competitions.

Having drawn their last two league matches, the 'Quakes are currently eighth in the Western Conference, though they could move up the table depending on other results this weekend.

And after they were forced to go the distance in midweek, Arena was full of praise for how his players handled it.

"We're real pleased," he said. "120 minutes is challenging, but we've got to get our team recovered for Saturday and our next opponents, Houston, who played after us, so that'll be interesting.

"We'll move on. We're in the quarter-finals [of the U.S. Open Cup], but we've got a crazy week with Houston, LA Galaxy and St. Louis before we take a break, so I'm pleased with our guys. They've done a good job."

Unlike their hosts, Houston were knocked out of the U.S. Open Cup after a 3-1 defeat to Austin FC, which snapped their two-game winning streak.

They have won their last two in the league without conceding, and would leapfrog San Jose with a win, as they sit two points and two places below them.

Head coach Ben Olsen was disappointed after the midweek defeat, but said his players would not dwell on it for long.

"We won't cry too long about that game," he said after that game. "We have a quick one in San Jose and then New York.

"So, we're back to the league. We'll lick our wounds and feel sorry for ourselves, but then we'll forget about it and get moving, ready for San Jose."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

San Jose Earthquakes – Cristian Arango

Cristian Arango has scored a goal in four straight home matches for the second time in his career (also with Los Angeles FC in 2022).

Arango is the first Earthquakes player to find the net in four straight home league games since Chris Wondolowski did so in a club-record five straight home games in 2013-14.

Houston Dynamo – Griffin Dorsey

Griffin Dorsey recorded a goal and an assist in Houston's win over FC Dallas on Saturday.

It marked the second time in 114 career regular-season matches that Dorsey had a goal and an assist, also doing so in September 2021 against FC Dallas.

MATCH PREDICTION: HOUSTON DYNAMO WIN

Houston have won 11 of their last 16 matches against the Earthquakes (D2 L3), but all five matches the Dynamo failed to win in that time came in San Jose.

Houston have won back-to-back regular-season matches for the first time since wins over San Jose and Vancouver Whitecaps last July. The Dynamo's last three-match regular-season winning streak was in March 2024, with the third win in that run coming against San Jose.

The 'Quakes, however, are unbeaten in four straight regular-season matches (W2 D2) for the first time since a run of four straight draws to end the 2023 regular season. San Jose have kept two clean sheets in their last three regular-season matches, after keeping one in their previous 19 league games.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

San Jose Earthquakes – 31.8%

Draw – 25.3%

Houston Dynamo – 42.8%