SAN JOSE — The Earthquakes’ late drive to the Major League Soccer playoffs will continue without two of their top players.

Center back Victor Bernardez and midfielder Marvin Chavez won’t be available for San Jose’s showdown Oct. 9 against the Colorado Rapids at Buck Shaw Stadium, the team announced Tuesday. The Hondurans have been called to the national team for CONCACAF World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Jamaica.

The Quakes (12-11-8) also won’t have target forward Steven Lenhart, who is suspended from the game after getting ejected Sunday against Chivas USA.

Sixth-place San Jose trails the Rapids and the Los Angeles Galaxy by one point in the Western Conference standings. Five of the division’s nine teams will advance to the playoffs.

The loss of Chavez won’t impact the team as much as Bernardez. Cordell Cato has supplanted Chavez on the wing as the Earthquakes went 3-0-1 in September to get back into the playoff picture. But Bernardez has been a big part of the backline that allowed one goal in five matches in all competitions in September.

Honduras is third in the group with two games remaining as it tries to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. It plays host to Costa Rica on Oct. 11 travels to winless Jamaica on Oct. 15.

Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865 and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/elliottalmond.