San Jose awaits the Sounders on Sunday Night Soccer, as Brian Schmetzer’s side returns to MLS action. The Sounders are coming off a massive victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
The Earthquakes were one of four MLS clubs to start the season with a perfect 3-0-0 record. San Jose have yet to concede a goal in 2026, holding a clean sheet in wins over Sporting KC, Atlanta United, and Philadelphia Union.
San Jose head coach Bruce Arena is arguably the greatest coach in MLS history, winning five MLS Cups, four Supporters Shields, and four MLS Coach of the Year awards with multiple MLS Clubs. Arena has coached DC United, New York Red Bulls, LA Galaxy, New England Revolution, and now the San Jose Earthquakes.
Sounders manager Brian Schmetzer has a resume that holds up to Arena’s, but he was not shy to give praise to the US Soccer National Hall of Famer.
“I love the way Bruce coaches. He’s been such a successful guy. I always enjoy the matchups and right now he’s got a winning formula, and you got to respect that,” said Brian Schmetzer.
Photo: Jon Brennan / House of Sounders
The Earthquakes made a significant number of changes to the roster during the offseason. San Jose saw the departures of Cristian Espinoza, Josef Martinez, Chicho Arango, Carlos Gruezo, and Mark-Anthony Kaye. The most recent starting XI for the Quakes saw just one player above the age of 28.
“They lost a couple of experienced MLS guys and put in a bunch of younger kids in there and Bruce (Arena) has them going,” Brian Schmetzer remarked about the current San Jose squad.
The Sounders are still dealing with injuries early on in the season. Hassani Dotson remains in concussion protocol and will miss the match against San Jose. Six players are listed as out for the match, including Designated Players Pedro de la Vega and Jordan Morris.
There is some positive news on the injury front. Jordan Morris is nearing a potential return according to Brian Schmetzer. Morris will not be available for the San Jose match, but there is a possibility of Morris making an appearance in the CCC Second Leg or next weekend’s match against Minnesota United.
San Jose will likely see the first start of German forward Timo Werner. Werner joined the Earthquakes in the winter from RB Leipzig of the Bundesliga. Werner previously spent time with Tottenham Hotspur.
When Brian Schmetzer was asked about how the Sounders would defend a player like Timo Werner, he cheekily replied “Well, we’ve defended against Messi.” The Sounders did also just defend pretty well against another German superstar in Thomas Müller a few days prior.
With the amount of fixture congestion the Sounders are facing, there will likely be plenty of rotation in today’s match. Expect to see players who did not play, or at least did not start, against Vancouver to get starts against San Jose. Danny Musovski, Paul Rothrock, Nikola Petkovic, Cody Baker, and Georgi Minoungou are all good bets.
Photo: Jon Brennan / House of Sounders
Additionally, a player to keep an eye on is current Tacoma Defiance defender Antino Lopez. Lopez appeared in the match against Vancouver and had two big stops. There is a possibility that he may have earned a start against San Jose.
Neither Antino Lopez nor Peter Kingston appeared for the Tacoma Defiance match against San Jose Earthquakes 2 on Saturday night. Both played in the First Leg of the CCC Round of 16 against Vancouver, and both may earn another call-up to play against San Jose.
It is near impossible to predict the lineup for the match against San Jose. All we know is to expect a fair amount of rotation as the Sounders prepare a trip to Spokane following the match in the Bay Area.
Cover Photo: Jon Brennan / House of Sounders
