Earthquakes emphasize defense in season-opening shutout win over Kansas City
SAN JOSE – Daniel Munie, who turned 26 earlier this month, said he hadn’t scored two goals in a game since he was in middle school. Still, the center back was prouder of something else in the San Jose Earthquakes’ season-opening 3-0 win over Sporting Kansas City – the clean sheet.
The Quakes allowed just one shot on goal, and Munie’s brace provided more than enough offense in front of 16,367 on a chilly Saturday night at PayPal Park.
“The goals are great, but getting a shutout was probably most important,” Munie said. “Especially after last year, we didn’t get many shutouts.”
The Quakes allowed 63 goals last year – only three teams let in more – and posted just five shutouts as they failed to qualify for the playoffs in the first year under five-time MLS champion Bruce Arena.
But for the first game in 2026, the Black and Blue looked dominant behind a new defensive formation and a rebuilt attack. Here were the biggest takeaways:
OFFENSIVE TRANSITION
After losing Josef Martinez (14 goals last season), Chicho Arango (13 goals) and Cristian Espinoza (12 assists), the Quakes entered the 2026 season with questions about where the scoring would come from – especially with star signing Timo Werner’s arrival from Germany delayed due to a visa issue.
On Saturday, it came from an unexpected source. Munie’s two goals matched his total from his first 44 career games.
The 6-foot defender opened the scoring in the 42nd minute. After striker Preston Judd headed a Niko Tsakiris corner kick toward goal, Munie pounced on the rebound. Munie then finished the scoring by flicking in a header in the 54th minute off a cross from Beau Leroux.
“It’s a good service, good delivery from our teammates, and good, hard runs from everyone,” Munie said. “I think a lot of goals come from inside the 6-[yard box]. It doesn’t have to be pretty. Getting a gritty goal, as my boy Preston would always say.”
Munie was selected by the Quakes in the first round of the 2023 draft after being named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year twice while at Indiana.
The Quakes’ other goal, in the first minute of stoppage time in the first half, was from Judd, the team’s leading returning goal scorer (seven).
Winger Jamar Ricketts made an overlapping run down the left side and received a perfect through ball from Tsakiris. Ricketts cut the ball back to Judd, who slotted it into the goal.
The Quakes finished with 18 shots — six on goal — and an expected goals mark of 3.9.
SOLID DEFENSE
The Quakes moved from three to four on the back line this season as part of a 4-2-3-1 formation. Munie and 22-year-old Reid Roberts, the team’s 2025 first-round draft pick out of USF, were in the middle, with DeJuan Jones at left back and Benji Kikanovic at right back.
Ronaldo Vieira, who appeared in six matches with the Quakes last season after coming over from Italy, was named the captain with Espinoza’s departure and was a steady presence at defensive midfield.
Daniel was forced to make a strong save in the 49th minute, diving to his left to stop a shot from 10 yards out. But otherwise the Quakes were never seriously threatened, and Sporting KC ended with an xG of 0.5 on six shots.
“We’re pretty athletic in the back. We have good pace,” Arena said. “Defensively, we were pretty solid against a team that, to their credit, they move the ball pretty well. They weren’t that dangerous in the final third, but they’re a possession team, and they made us work.”
The Quakes also recorded shutouts in two of their three preseason games.
“I think it worked well throughout preseason. We have a good connection right now, and I’m very happy with how it transpired today,” Munie said. “I think we didn’t really give up too many chances either. I feel like we kind of kept the play in front of us. It’s a good job shifting, good communication. I’m looking forward to how the year goes.”
LOOKING AHEAD
Though it was a strong performance, Arena was quick to put it into perspective. Coming off a last-place finish in the Western Conference, Sporting KC was picked last out of all 30 teams in the MLS preseason power rankings by both The Athletic and MLS Soccer (the Quakes were picked 26th and 21st in the two rankings, respectively).
The Quakes won 4-0 at home against Real Salt Lake in last year’s season opener, and followed that up with a win in their second game, but wound up losing a tiebreaker to Real Salt Lake for the last playoff spot.
“Opening game of the season, everything’s a little hectic,” Arena said. “Hardly a perfect performance, but a good performance. We have to play 33 more games. Last year, we won our first two games. It’s important to get three points. We need to appreciate the fact that we need to improve.”
Arena did expect Werner to be available for the next game, Saturday at PayPal against Atlanta United. Atlanta opened its season with a 2-0 loss at Cincinnati.
Jonathan González, a Santa Rosa native who came from Liga MX, made his Earthquakes debut in the 83rd minute. Otherwise, all 16 players who appeared for the Quakes were on the team last season.
“The reason we didn’t do much in the offseason because we felt that this group of players that we have has great potential,” Arena said. “In time, they’ll be very good players. I think you saw some of that tonight.”