Earthquakes Rumble to Record Start for 2026
background pc: @sjearthquakes (Instagram)
Josh: Ho-ly Cow. What an exciting start to the 2026 MLS Campaign for our San Jose Earthquakes. Daylight Saving Time is here, the birds are singing, and the Quakes are… winning?
Matt: Three matches do not a season make, and the schedule has proved to be the Quakes’s friend here. They’ve been able to get the 2026 version of themselves up and rolling against SKC, Philadelphia, and Atlanta - three teams that are not entering the season on their front foot. Still, not a bad thing. This gave the team time to get Werner in and figure out if their plans, without Arango, Martinez, and Espinoza, were going to carry water.
Josh: After going undefeated in the preseason Coachella Valley tournament, the San Jose team has welcomed us all to the new season with 3-0, 2-0, 1-0. Three clean sheets, three wins, and in the early season conversation about the only four undefeated times in MLS, all in the Western Conference. New season - who this?
Matt: I see you’re making me play the bad cop here..I’ll bite. I don’t know exactly who this team is, but I’ll have a better idea after their next two games against Seattle and Vancouver. I WANT this team to be equally or more dynamic than last season, and maybe not having a power trio at the top will help. We’ll see.
Josh: I think Coach Bruce set them up for early-season success by validating the lineup a few ways, save Werner, during preseason. To your point, the schedule left some room for error if he was not quite on target once serious club play kicked off. And in his words, he’s not done yet.
I guess we’ll try to do a quick recap in order? Boom - Season opener. At home. Sporting Kansas City comes to town. Now-starting striker Preston Judd grits one home and leaps into the stands. But before, and after that, Daniel Munie with the brace. Other than these already staggering facts, what caught your eye in that first match?
Matt: I’m still dazed by Munie’s brace. Your fellow Terp exposed SKC’s defensive weaknesses, and maybe being a defender was his superpower that night. I hope we’re seeing Judd settling in more. There were times last season where I felt like his energy was paired with chaos, and while that can shake things up in a substitution, chaos is by its nature unpredictable.
Josh: Munie is so fast. I was a huge fan of Rodrigues on the Quakes, and Munie has shown to be a worthy successor. We’ll keep an eye on Judd in that starting spot and holding his composure! Then, the Blue & Black welcome an Eastern Conference opponent, Atlanta United. Quakes debut their “ Dead Kit” and shut out the Five Stripes, partly thanks to late sub, Timo Werner, who makes his MLS debut heard around the league.
Quakes 2026 Dead Kit, pc: @sjearthquakes (Instagram)
Matt: Love love love the Dead Kit. And that night, swirls beat stripes. Importantly, this game was where we saw Bouda get on the scoreboard for the season. For me, this game was where the Quakes machine started to show its facets - Judd and Munie scored in the first match, and Bouda joined the list of scoring threats in game two. With Ricketts and yes, Werner, giving assists, the character of the team took on a more definite form. And with Atlanta offering only one shot on target, I would have been unhappy if Atlanta HAD won that game.
Josh: And then last Saturday, on the road in cold Philadelphia, Daniel and team hold strong against last year’s Supporter’s Shield winners to take a 0-1 victory, officially starting 2026 with the first 3-0 record in Earthquakes 52-year history. Judd’s energy you mentioned came out with a frustrated boot, delay of game, Yellow card, and I am surprised Coach Bruce left him on the pitch for almost the full 90’.
Matt: Love love love to see Philadelphia lose, and the Quakes came through for me. Again, with Werner assisting Bouda for the lone goal of the night, sign me up. This team’s identity crystallized even more to those not running in between the lines. Philadelphia was able to rack up some shots on target - 4 - so this was a match where the Quakes had to provide some actual defensive resistance. And they got it done. Philadelphia started a remake of their team after the 2024 season, and they’re still figuring it out. But that’s how it goes.
Josh: Philadelphia of 2026 is not Philly 2025, but 3 points is 3 points. Timo played a full half and showed the doubters that he can play the strategic role to support Captain Niko. And Daniel definitely stretched his mitts a little to show he’s ready for the upcoming strong & challenging stretch of in-conference matchups that starts this afternoon. First up, Hello Kitty night on Sunday Night Soccer, at home against Seattle. And then head-to-head against the other three up-til-now undefeated teams and a potential revenge matchup in Kansas City. Any predictions on strategy, roster, or results?
Matt: Right now I think the Seattle match is a wash - the team that is slightly luckier and maybe wants it a little more will walk away with the W. Some of their starters put in some minutes against Vancouver last Thursday, so that also gives the Quakes, the home team, an advantage. And we all know Hello Kitty pulls for the home team. Vancouver, on the other hand, is undefeated in MLS play, and at this point in time I would imagine a draw would be a moral victory for the Quakes.
Josh: A lot of travel leading to the newly-coined “El Camino” Rivalry on Black+Blue takeover at home, and then SKC for a 6-week rematch at their home. So I’m optimistically pulling for 3-0-1, with a realistic 2-1-1? This afternoon, I expect to see an inspired front line driving to bring home a first Heritage Cup win, and a back line working to make another mark on Quakes history! We’ll be cheering them on - Vamos SJ!
| Category | Matt | Josh | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Offense | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Midfield | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Defense | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| GK | 8.5 | 8 | 8.25 |
| Strategy/Coaching | 8.5 | 9 | 8.75 |
| Team Composure | 8.5 | 8 | 8.25 |
Final Score on the Quake-o-meter Richter Scale: 8.04 / 10 - Earthquakes fans know anything can happen, but we also know to celebrate!
Current % chance of a San Jose/New England MLS Cup Final: 33% - once the Revs are able to touch grass at home, the possibility will go way up!