San Jose (7-10-8) at FC Dallas (8-9-9), 9 p.m.

Frisco, TX (Sports Network) - Immediately after San Jose's nine-match unbeaten run was snapped last weekend, goalie Joe Cannon turned his focus to Thursday's visit to FC Dallas and called it a "must-win game."

San Jose blew a lead last week against Real Salt Lake, losing 3-2 and slipping to the bottom of a tightly-packed Western Conference. With five games left this season, the Earthquakes are still within reach of a playoff berth, but need to get points on the road.

"We have to [take care of] business away from Buck Shaw," Cannon said.

San Jose is just 2-6-4 on the road, but even though Cannon wants a win, a draw at Pizza Hut Park against FC Dallas should be enough for the team to regain its confidence for a playoff push.

"We have a tough game coming up in Dallas and if we can go to their place and get a result then everything is wide open again," San Jose coach Frank Yallop said.

San Jose (7-10-8) is still just five points out of third place and a guaranteed spot in the postseason. The Earthquakes have played one less game than the five clubs ahead of them in the West.

But shaking last week's disappointing loss will be hard, especially considering a win would have put San Jose just two points out of third.

"We go 2-1 up at home, you would think that after our last nine games we would know how to see games out and do things well, but we were a step short and our passing was not good," Yallop said.

Darren Huckerby, a former English Premier League striker, scored two goals last week in the loss. But he said the goals were wasted.

With six goals and four assists in nine games with San Jose, Huckerby needs to continue to produce this week to help keep the team's playoff chances alive.

"This is just unacceptable," Huckerby said after Saturday's loss. "We have to be better than that."

San Jose might have to adjust to being without Arturo Alvarez, who suffered a knee contusion. Alvarez, another one of the additions that helped San Jose turn its season around, has a goal or an assist in each of his last four matches.

In addition, San Jose faces a surging FC Dallas team that has won its last two matches to move within one point of a playoff berth. But Dallas, which is just fifth in the West, is as close to a playoff berth as it is in danger of slipping out of the race.

FC Dallas (8-9-9) defeated Chicago 4-1 two weeks ago and added a solid 3-0 win over D.C. United on Sunday. Jeff Cunningham had three goals in the two wins and has five goals and two assists in his last seven games. Kenny Cooper added his 15th goal of the season last week.

"What I think is the most positive thing we can take away from this game is how we finished the game," FC Dallas defender Drew Moor said after the win over D.C. "We didn't just give up early and let them come back in it.

"We played consistently well for 90 minutes."

FC Dallas, which is 5-4-4 at home, will have to play another solid 90 minutes against San Jose.

Especially after Cannon challenged his team.