San Jose Earthquakes 2026 Season Preview

In partnership with

Hooligan Soccer

·9 février 2026

San Jose Earthquakes 2026 Season Preview

This article was written after recording The Designated Pundits‘ San Jose Earthquakes preview for the 2026 MLS Season with special guest Favian Renkel from “Kickbase USA.” You can find that video on Spotify below.

2025 Recap

The San Jose Earthquakes’s 2025 season was very much a transition year. The Quakes signed legendary coach Bruce Arena, who quickly brought in a bunch of his former New England Revolution players to start San Jose’s rebuild. The end result was a 11-8-15 record, leaving the Quakes out of playoff contention. However, this was a 41 point season, up 20 points from the previous year (which brought San Jose the infamous Wooden Spoon).

Vidéos OneFootball

San Jose improved on offense, scoring a robust 60 times. However, their 63 goals allowed was 13th worst in the Western Conference.

San Jose had Chicho Arango score 13 goals with 3 assists, while Josef Martinez scored 14 goals, mostly off the bench. One surprise contributor included breakout midfielder Beau Leroux with 5 goals and 3 assists.

Leroux, the San Jose State University product, played 2,105 minutes and earned a spot as an everyday starter.

Transactions

Looking at the top goal contributors from last season, San Jose will be without Chicho Arango and Josef Martinez, who combined for 27 of San Jose’s 60 goals in 2025.

They were also involved in some drama, with the front office missing a deadline to extend star winger and team captain Cristian Espinoza. He was quickly snapped up by Nashville as a free agent.

Also outgoing are defenders Oscar Verhoeven, Nick Lima, Rodrigues, and midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye.

The only incoming transition of note is Timo Werner, formerly of RB Leipzig, Chelsea, and Tottenham. He will be the lone projected starter brought in this offseason, with the team seemingly favoring their youth and existing role players to round out their roster.

Depth Chart

The Quakes look to play with a 4-1-2-1-2, a narrow formation that plays to the perceived strength of the midfield. The defense has decent fullbacks with DeJuan Jones and Victor Costa, but could certainly upgrade at center back.

The midfield will feature Niko Tsakiris with first dibs at the #10, albeit that might be a spot for future team improvement. Ian Harkes and Beau Leroux provide some stability, while Ronaldo Vieira and Noel Buck will take turns at the #6.

Pairing with Timo Werner in the attack will be Preston Judd. While not many in MLS consider Judd a top tier option, he did score 6 times and assisted twice in 2025. That would be nearly 18 goals and 6 assists if we projected out his 2025 contribution rate to a whole season. I think he will be given a chance, albeit with a short leash, and possible attacking help this summer.

Questions

Which player, outside our projected starting 11, has the best chance to win a job? Jack Skahan. If Tsakiris doesn’t work out at a #10, he’s the next in line.
What are some realistic expectations for 2026? The team could be early Wooden Spoon contenders in 2026.
What are some storylines to follow throughout the 2026 season? The future of the club is a story to watch. In the short term, there are two DP slots open as the team enters the rebuild. In the long term, there are rumors of relocation, including San Francisco or Las Vegas.
What styles does this team match up well against? Teams that are possession based but sloppy playing out the back should give the Quakes opportunity to counter.
What styles does this team match up poorly against? Teams who play possession based soccer with creative #10s, and teams who can pull the defense out of shape should have an advantage.
What player improves the most in 2026? Beau Leroux. He took a big step last season and I expect him to grow.
Which player regresses in 2026? Dave Romney. If he gets torched early, he will be on his way to the bench.

Hear more, and follow along as I preview all 30 MLS teams before kickoff of the 2026 season!

YouTube- youtube.com/@thedesignatedpundits

Audio Links- linktr.ee/thedesignatedpundits