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San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes 2014.svg
Nickname(s) The Quakes
The Goonies
Founded June 15, 1994 (31 years ago) (1994-06-15)
Stadium PayPal Park
San Jose, California
Stadium
capacity
18,000
Majority owner John Fisher
President Jared Shawlee
Head coach Bruce Arena
League Major League Soccer
2024 Western Conference: 14th
Overall: 29th
Playoffs: Did not qualify
Third colors

The San Jose Earthquakes are a professional soccer team from San Jose, California. They play in Major League Soccer (MLS), which is the top soccer league in the United States and Canada. The team is part of the Western Conference.

The Earthquakes started playing in 1996 as one of the first teams in the MLS. Back then, they were called the San Jose Clash. They even played in the very first MLS game, winning 1–0 against D.C. United.

Over the years, the Earthquakes have won two MLS Cup titles (in 2001 and 2003). They also won the MLS Supporters' Shield twice (in 2005 and 2012). In 2002, they played in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, reaching the quarterfinals. The team has a big rivalry with the LA Galaxy, which is called the California Clásico.

In 2005, the team's owner decided to move the Earthquakes to Houston. This was because they could not find a place to build a special soccer stadium in San Jose. The team that moved became the Houston Dynamo. The Earthquakes then took a break for two years. They returned to play in 2008. Since 2015, the Earthquakes have played their home games at PayPal Park. Before that, they played at Buck Shaw Stadium from 2008 to 2014.

Team History

Early Days of Soccer in San Jose (1974)

The San Jose Earthquakes first started as a team in 1974. They were part of the North American Soccer League (NASL). Famous players like George Best played for them. Even legendary Brazilian player Pelé visited to play against them.

How the Team Started (1994–1999)

In 1994, a group from San Jose helped create one of the first MLS teams. This team took over player contracts and the stadium rights from an older team, the San Jose Hawks. The new team was first called the Clash. This name was suggested by Nike, a big investor in MLS.

The Clash played their first MLS game on April 6, 1996, at Spartan Stadium. Over 31,000 fans watched San Jose win 1–0. Eric Wynalda scored the very first goal in MLS history. A month later, another game against the Los Angeles Galaxy set a new attendance record for a sporting event in San Jose.

The team had some tough times in these early years. There were disagreements between players and coaches. Even with these challenges, the Clash made it to the playoffs in their first season, 1996.

The Earthquakes Return (1999–2005)

On October 27, 1999, the team changed its name from the Clash to the Earthquakes. This was because the old name was more popular with fans. In 2001, a new coach, Frank Yallop, joined the team. He made some big changes. With the help of star player Landon Donovan, the Earthquakes quickly became much better.

They won the MLS Cup 2001 by beating their rivals, the Los Angeles Galaxy, 2–1 in overtime. This was a huge comeback for the team. They continued to play well, winning another MLS Cup in 2003 against the Chicago Fire. Before that final, they had an amazing playoff game against the Galaxy. They came back from being four goals behind to win 5–4 overall. Many people called it the greatest playoff series in MLS history.

After winning two championships, the team faced some changes. In 2004, there was a plan to change the team's name to "San Jose America." Fans were very upset about this idea. The team's star player, Landon Donovan, also left to play in Germany. When he returned, his rights were traded to the Galaxy.

Even with these changes, the Earthquakes won the MLS Supporters' Shield in 2005. This award goes to the team with the best record in the regular season.

A Break and a Comeback (2006–2008)

After the 2005 season, the Earthquakes' owner decided to move the team to Houston. This happened because they couldn't get a new stadium built in San Jose. The team moved to Houston and became the Houston Dynamo. The MLS decided that the Earthquakes' name, colors, and history would stay in San Jose for a future team.

On May 24, 2006, a new group of owners, Lewis Wolff and John Fisher, made a deal with MLS. They planned to build a soccer stadium and bring a new team to the Bay Area. On July 18, 2007, an expansion team was officially given to them, and it was named the San Jose Earthquakes. This new team kept all the records and history of the original team.

In October 2007, the Earthquakes announced they would move their offices closer to their temporary home, Buck Shaw Stadium. On November 6, 2007, Frank Yallop returned as the head coach.

Back in MLS (2008–2011)

In 2008, the Earthquakes had new players like Darren Huckerby and Ronnie O'Brien. They helped the team go on a nine-game unbeaten streak. This pushed them closer to the playoffs. In October, the team also started a partnership with the English club Tottenham Hotspur.

In 2009, Amway Global became the team's jersey sponsor. The team also made an important trade, getting Chris Wondolowski from Houston. The Earthquakes missed the playoffs in 2009.

In 2010, the San Jose Earthquakes made it to the playoffs. They upset the New York Red Bulls in the first round. However, they lost to the Colorado Rapids in the next game. In 2011, the team did not make the playoffs.

The "Goonies" Era (2012–2014)

The 2012 season was one of the best in Earthquakes history. The team became known for scoring late goals to win or tie games. After one amazing comeback win against the L.A. Galaxy, player Steven Lenhart famously said, "Goonies never say die!" This phrase, from the movie The Goonies, became the team's rallying cry.

The Quakes finished the 2012 season with team records for points and goals. They won the MLS Supporters' Shield, their first major trophy since returning to San Jose. They also qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League. They made the playoffs but were knocked out by the L.A. Galaxy.

In 2013, the team struggled early on. Coach Frank Yallop left, and Mark Watson took over. On June 29, 2013, the Quakes had another incredible comeback against the L.A. Galaxy. They were down 2–0 and had a player sent off, but they scored twice in stoppage time to win 3–2. This was the first time an MLS team had done that.

The Earthquakes played in the 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League for the first time since their return. They won their group and moved to the knockout stage. Even though they played much better in the second half of the season, they just missed the playoffs. The final home game of 2013 was special for Ramiro Corrales, who retired. He was the last active player from the very first MLS season.

In 2014, the Quakes continued in the CONCACAF Champions League. They lost in a penalty shootout to Toluca from Mexico. The 2014 MLS season was tough, with the team winning only 6 matches.

New Coaches and Stadium (2015–2021)

In 2015, Dominic Kinnear returned as coach. The team's new stadium, Avaya Stadium (now PayPal Park), opened on March 22, 2015. It was the first soccer-specific stadium in the Bay Area. The team improved in 2015 but still missed the playoffs. Chris Wondolowski scored his 100th MLS goal that year.

In 2017, Jesse Fioranelli became the new general manager. He wanted to focus on younger players and a more attacking style of play. Dominic Kinnear was replaced by Chris Leitch as head coach. The team reached the U.S. Open Cup semifinals for the first time since 2004. They also made the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2012, but lost in the first round.

In November 2017, Mikael Stahre became the new head coach. The team made some roster changes, including signing Magnus Eriksson. Stahre was replaced by Matias Almeyda in October 2018. In 2019, Chris Wondolowski became the MLS all-time leading scorer. The team missed the playoffs that year.

In 2020, the season was paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When it restarted with the MLS is Back tournament, the Earthquakes won their group and reached the quarterfinals.

Recent Years (2021–Present)

In June 2021, Jesse Fioranelli was replaced by Chris Leitch as General Manager. In April 2022, Matias Almeyda left, and Alex Covelo became the interim coach. In August 2022, Luchi Gonzalez was announced as the new head coach.

In 2023, under Gonzalez, the Earthquakes finished 9th and made it to the Wild Card round of the playoffs. They lost on penalties to Sporting Kansas City.

The 2024 MLS season was difficult for the Earthquakes. After a series of poor results, Luchi Gonzalez was fired on June 24. Ian Russell took over as interim coach. The team finished last in MLS, setting a new record for most last-place finishes in franchise history. On November 7, 2024, the Earthquakes announced Bruce Arena as their new head coach and sporting director.

Team Colors and Jerseys

The Earthquakes have always used blue and black as their main colors, often with white.

When they were the San Jose Clash, their logo had a black and red scorpion. When they became the Earthquakes in 2000, their new badge was a triangle with a soccer ball. The three points of the triangle represented the three biggest cities in the Bay Area: San Jose, San Francisco, and Oakland.

In 2014, the team got a new logo and uniforms. The new design still used blue and black, but it also had a chevron shape that looked like a geological fault line, fitting the "Earthquakes" name. It also included the year 1974 in red, honoring the original NASL Earthquakes team.

In 2017, they released a new black home jersey with a blue design. It also had "SJ 74" and the words "UNITY," "DEVOTION," and "HERITAGE" on it. In 2018, their away jersey was called the Navy SEAL Foundation Jersey. A part of each sale went to the Navy SEAL Foundation, making them the first MLS club to do this. The 2020–2021 away jersey used the colors of the San Jose city flag.

Uniform History

Home
1996
1997–98
1999
2000–02
2003–04
2005
2008
2009
2010–11
2012–13
2014–16
2017–18
2019–20
2021–22
2023–
Away
2000–01
2002–03
2004
2005
2008–09
2010–11
2012–13
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018–19
2020–21
2022–

Home Stadiums

Avaya Stadium, 1-7-15
PayPal Park in San Jose, California

The San Jose Earthquakes have played in several stadiums over the years. Their current home is PayPal Park in San Jose.

SPStaSJ
Spartan Stadium was the club's home venue from 1996 to 2005

For a long time, the team wanted to build a new, special soccer stadium. In 2007, they looked at building one near Spartan Stadium. However, those plans did not work out.

PayPal Park: The New Home

In 2007, the city of San Jose and the Earthquakes team decided to focus on a new location near the San Jose International Airport. This land was owned by the city. On June 12, 2007, the San Jose City Council agreed to explore building a new stadium there.

The plans for the new stadium were shared in 2009. It was designed to be a three-sided stadium with 18,000 seats. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new stadium in 2010 set a Guinness World Record for the largest crowd at a groundbreaking event, with 6,256 people!

Construction finished in early 2015. The stadium's first game was a friendly match on February 28, 2015. The official opening was on March 22, 2015, when the Earthquakes played their first home game of the 2015 MLS season against Chicago Fire. Fatai Alashe scored the first official goal in the new stadium.

Team Culture

Rivalries

The Earthquakes have a strong rivalry with the LA Galaxy called the California Clásico. This rivalry started in 1996 and is one of the oldest in American soccer. It comes from the natural competition between Northern and Southern California. The rivalry became even more intense between 2001 and 2005, when both teams won MLS Cup titles.

The Earthquakes also have the Heritage Cup rivalry with Seattle Sounders FC. This started in 2009. It's for MLS teams that carry on the names of older NASL teams. San Jose won the first Heritage Cup in 2009.

Fan Support

The Earthquakes have several fan groups, including the San Jose Ultras, Club Quake, The Casbah, The Faultline, and Epicentro74.

Punk musician Lars Frederiksen is a big fan of the Earthquakes. His band, The Old Firm Casuals, even wrote a new song for the team called "Never Say Die." This song was performed at the team's rebranding ceremony in 2014. Frederiksen has said the Earthquakes are the most "punk rock" team in the MLS.

Q at Galaxy at Earthquakes 2010-08-21 1
Q at a home game in August 2010

Team Mascots

The Earthquakes have had a few mascots:

  • José Clash (1996–1999)
  • Rikter the CyberDog (2000–2002)
  • Q (2004–2005, 2008–present)

There was no mascot in 2003. Q is still the team's mascot today.

Team Business

Money and Tickets

In 2013, the Earthquakes had 5,000 season ticket holders. The team believed that once their new stadium was built, season ticket sales would double, and the team would become profitable. After Avaya Stadium (now PayPal Park) was completed in 2015, the Earthquakes reached their goal of selling 12,000 season tickets.

Sponsors

Years Kit Maker Jersey Sponsor Sleeve Sponsor
1996–1999 Nike Honda
2000–2002 Yahoo! Sports
2003–2004 Yahoo! en Español
2005
2008 Adidas
2009–2011 Amway Global
2012–2015
2016–2018 Sutter Health
2019
2020 Intermedia Clover
Wells Fargo
2021–2024 PayPal
2025–present El Camino Health Habbas Law

How to Watch and Listen

Since 2023, all Earthquakes games can be watched on MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app. Some national games are also shown on Fox or Fox Sports 1.

You can listen to all Earthquakes games on the radio. English broadcasts are on 810 KGO, and Spanish broadcasts are on 1370 KZSF.

Players and Staff

Current Roster

No. Position Player
2 United States DF Jamar Ricketts
3 France DF Paul Marie
4 Portugal DF Bruno Wilson
5 United States DF Daniel Munie
6 United States MF Ian Harkes
7 Norway FW Amahl Pellegrino
9 Colombia FW Chicho Arango
10 Argentina FW Cristian Espinoza
11 Burkina Faso FW Ousseni Bouda
12 United States DF Dave Romney
14 Canada MF Mark-Anthony Kaye
15 United States MF Cruz Medina
16 United States MF Jack Skahan
17 Venezuela FW Josef Martínez
18 United States DF Reid Roberts
19 United States FW Preston Judd
20 United States MF Nick Fernandez
No. Position Player
21 England MF Noel Buck
22 United States DF DeJuan Jones
24 United States DF Nick Lima
25 United States DF Max Floriani
26 Brazil DF Rodrigues
27 United States DF Wilson Eisner
28 United States FW Benji Kikanović
29 United States MF Kaedren Spivey
30 United States MF Niko Tsakiris
31 United States GK Francesco Montali
34 United States MF Beau Leroux
36 United States GK Earl Edwards Jr.
38 United States MF Edwyn Mendoza
42 Brazil GK Daniel
44 United States FW Chance Cowell
94 Brazil DF Vítor Costa

Players on Loan

No. Position Player
23 Argentina MF Hernán López (on loan to Argentinos Juniors)
33 United States DF Oscar Verhoeven (on loan to San Diego FC)

Team Management

Coaching Staff
President Jared Shawlee
General Manager/Head Coach Bruce Arena
Assistant Coach Dave Sarachan
Assistant Coach Shalrie Joseph
Assistant Coach Steve Ralston
Goalkeeping Coach Adin Brown
Strength and Conditioning Coach Max Lankheit
Head Athletic Trainer Manny De Alba
Assistant Athletic Trainer Brendon Taguinod
Assistant Athletic Trainer Beatriz Olmedo
Equipment Manager Andy Dunbar
Assistant Manager Equipment Hector Perez
Team Administrator Sean Mearns

Team Achievements

Club Trophies

Player Awards

Team Records

Season-by-Season Results

Here are some recent season results for the Earthquakes:

Season League Position Playoffs USOC Continental / Other Average
Attendance
Top Goalscorer(s)
Div League Pld W L D GF GA GD Pts PPG Conf. Overall Name(s) Goals
2016 1 MLS 34 8 12 14 32 40 −8 38 1.12 9th 17th Did not qualify Round 4 Did not qualify 19,930 United States Chris Wondolowski 12
2017 MLS 34 13 14 7 39 60 −21 46 1.35 6th 12th Round 1 Semifinals 19,875 United States Chris Wondolowski 15
2018 MLS 34 4 21 9 49 71 −22 21 0.62 12th 23rd Did not qualify Round 4 19,032 Netherlands Danny Hoesen 12
2019 MLS 34 13 16 5 52 55 −3 44 1.29 8th 15th Round of 16 19,032 United States Chris Wondolowski 15
2020 MLS 23 8 9 6 35 51 −16 30 1.30 8th 16th Round 1 Not Held MLS is Back tournament Quarterfinals 15,112 United States Chris Wondolowski 9
2021 MLS 34 10 13 11 46 54 −8 41 1.21 10th 21st Did not qualify Not Held Did not qualify 12,101 Mexico Javier Eduardo López 12
2022 MLS 34 8 15 11 52 69 −17 35 1.03 14th 26th Did not qualify Round of 16 Did not qualify 12,911 United States Jeremy Ebobisse 17
2023 MLS 34 10 14 10 39 43 −4 44 1.29 9th 16th Wild Card Round 3 2023 Leagues Cup Group Stage 18,041 Argentina Cristian Espinoza 13
2024 MLS 34 6 25 3 41 78 −37 21 0.62 14th 29th Did not qualify Round of 16 2024 Leagues Cup Round of 16 18,782 Norway Amahl Pellegrino 9
2025 MLS TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD TBD Did not qualify TBD Colombia Chicho Arango 9

1. Avg. attendance includes statistics from league matches only.
2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in league, MLS Cup playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, MLS is Back tournament, CONCACAF Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and other competitive continental matches.

International Tournaments

The Earthquakes have also played in international competitions:

  • 2002 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
    • They beat Club Deportivo Olimpia (Honduras) 4:1 overall.
    • They lost to C.F. Pachuca (Mexico) 3:1 overall in the quarterfinals.
  • 2003 La Manga Cup (a friendly tournament)
    • Played against teams from Norway and Russia.
  • 2003 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
  • 2004 La Manga Cup (a friendly tournament)
    • Played against teams from Sweden, Norway, and Ukraine. They won the third-place match on penalties.
  • 2004 CONCACAF Champions' Cup
  • 2013–14 CONCACAF Champions League
    • Played in the group stage against teams from Canada and Guatemala.
    • They lost to Deportivo Toluca F.C. (Mexico) in the quarterfinals after a penalty shootout.

Player Records

All-Time Player Leaders

These are the top players in Earthquakes history based on regular season games. Bold means the player is still active with the team.

Single-Season Records

Team Leaders

Hall of Fame Members

Team Captains

Name Years
United States John Doyle 1996–2000
United States Jeff Agoos 2001–2004
United States Wade Barrett 2005
United States Nick Garcia 2008
United States Ramiro Corrales 2009–2013
United States Chris Wondolowski 2014–2021
United States Jackson Yueill 2022–2024

Head Coaches

Name Country Time with Team
Laurie Calloway  England December 7, 1995 – June 25, 1997
Brian Quinn  Republic of Ireland June 25, 1997– September 16, 1999
Jorge Espinoza  Chile September 16, 1999 – September 22, 1999
Lothar Osiander  Germany September 22, 1999 – January 12, 2001
Frank Yallop  Canada February 3, 2001 – December 12, 2003
Dominic Kinnear  United States January 6, 2004 – December 15, 2005
Frank Yallop  Canada November 9, 2007 – June 7, 2013
Mark Watson  Canada June 7, 2013 – October 30, 2013 (interim)
October 30, 2013 – October 15, 2014
Ian Russell  United States October 15, 2014 – October 26, 2014 (interim)
Dominic Kinnear  United States October 16, 2014 – June 25, 2017
Chris Leitch  United States June 25, 2017 – November 24, 2017
Mikael Stahre  Sweden November 24, 2017 – September 17, 2018
Steve Ralston (interim)  United States September 17, 2018 – October 28, 2018
Matías Almeyda  Argentina October 29, 2018 – April 18, 2022
Alex Covelo (interim)  Spain April 19, 2022 – January 2, 2023
Luchi Gonzalez  United States January 3, 2023 – June 23, 2024
Ian Russell  United States June 24, 2024 – November 6, 2024 (interim)
Bruce Arena  United States November 7, 2024 – present

General Managers

Country Name Time with Team
 England Peter Bridgwater 1995–1998
 United States Lynne Meterparel 1999–2000
 United States Tom Neale 2001
 Scotland Johnny Moore 2002–2003
 United States Alexi Lalas 2004–2005
 United States Kate McAllister and Ken Freccero (interim) 2005
 United States John Doyle 2008–2016
 Switzerland Jesse Fioranelli 2017–2021
 United States Chris Leitch 2021–Present

Team Owners

  • Major League Soccer (1996–1998)
  • Kraft Sports Group (1999–2000)
  • Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (2001)
  • Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment (Operations) / Anschutz Entertainment Group (Investment) (2002)
  • Anschutz Entertainment Group (2003–2005)
  • Earthquakes Soccer, LLC (2007–present)

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: San Jose Earthquakes para niños

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