San Diego head coach Mikey Varas described Bruce Arena as a "legend" ahead of his team's trip to PayPal Park to take on the San Jose Earthquakes this weekend. 

Arena has overseen almost 600 MLS matches in his coaching career with five different teams, with his latest venture seeing him take over San Jose last November. 

In his first campaign at the helm of the Earthquakes, Arena has guided the club to ninth in the Western Conference, which is the final spot in the race for the playoffs. 

Varas, meanwhile, has flourished in his first permanent managerial role, leading San Diego to the summit of the West with eight regular-season matches remaining. 

And ahead of facing the Earthquakes, Varas is expecting a tough test for his players, given the fact they have experience both on and off the pitch. 

"I think regional factors take account of something, but we want to win every game," Varas said. "We want to beat everybody that we face at this stage of the season. 

"It's quite a mature team with a legend of a coach who has got them moving in a good direction, and they also have a front three who are very dangerous in transition. 

"I think they are the team that spends the most time in transition on both sides. It takes into account that they create so much danger and sometimes they concede. 

"It's one of those opponents that anything can happen. It is going to be really important that we try and break their man marking and try and find the right moments to break."

San Jose, meanwhile, ended their six-game stretch without a victory with a stunning 2-1 triumph over Western Conference high-flyers Vancouver Whitecaps last time out. 

Brian White thought he had salvaged a point for the Whitecaps late on, only for Earthquakes substitute Preston Judd to pop up with the winner in second-half stoppage time. 

The result was a big one for San Jose, who are in the middle of an enticing battle for a spot in the postseason with eight games of their regular-season left.

Of those matches, four are at home, with Arena stressing the importance of being strong on home soil at the end of the campaign to ensure their place in the playoffs.

"It was a big result for us, obviously," Arena said. "We did need to get three points. Preston, he's done a great job for us this year, and he's come up with a critical goal. 

"It was a difficult game against a good team. They may say the officiating hurt them a bit tonight, and I wouldn't argue with that. But we have been in a lot of those games this year and have been on the other side of it. 

"I am pleased with the win. We're a team that, if we have any interest in playing in the playoffs, we have to win these home games. It was critically important for us."

SJ Earthquakes – Preston Judd

Judd's stoppage-time winner for San Jose against Vancouver was his fifth goal of the season, more than he managed in his first two MLS seasons combined (four).

The American has also netted in two straight league matches for the first time in his MLS career, and will be keen to keep his scoring streak going here. 

San Diego FC – Anders Dreyer

Dreyer has been one of the standout performers in the MLS in 2025, with the Dane registering his league-leading 15th assist in San Diego's last match. 

He has also registered more goal involvements (27) than any other player in the competition this season, two more than Inter Miami's Lionel Messi. 

MATCH PREDICTION: SAN DIEGO FC WIN

San Jose have lost only two of 17 all-time home matches against expansion teams (W10 D5), though one of those two defeats came in their last home match against an MLS newcomer, a 2-1 loss to St. Louis City SC in June 2023.

But the Earthquakes snapped a run of five straight home regular-season draws with their win over Vancouver. San Jose are unbeaten in seven straight regular-season home matches (W2 D5), last losing a league match at PayPal Park four months ago, on April 19.

San Diego, meanwhile, are the first expansion team in MLS history to win five consecutive regular-season away matches. The victory over Sporting Kansas City was their eighth away triumph of the season, also a record for expansion teams in the competition. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

SJ Earthquakes – 31.7%

Draw – 25.3%

San Diego FC – 42.9%