The Earthquakes fell 1-0 to the Seattle Sounders at PayPal Park, snapping San Jose’s unbeaten run at three matches and handing the Quakes their first loss of 2026 in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,251.
Seattle found the game’s only goal in the 20th minute, when Danny Musovski and Jesús Ferreira combined to release Paul Rothrock down the right side for a low finish. The strike ended two streaks at once: San Jose’s perfect record, and the club-record run of 290 minutes without conceding to open a season.
San Jose pinned Seattle back for long stretches, especially after halftime, firing off chance after chance. The Quakes finished with 25 shots, 8 on target, 59.6% possession, and a massive 17-0 edge in corner kicks, plus a 3.0 to 0.5 advantage in expected goals—yet couldn’t find the equalizer. Seattle goalkeeper Andrew Thomas was the difference, turning away waves of second-half pressure and finishing with seven saves for his third shutout of the season.
San Jose thought the night might swing late when Seattle appeared to double the lead around the 80th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside, keeping the Quakes alive until the final whistle.
A big storyline on the San Jose side was Timo Werner. After debuting off the bench in earlier matches, Sunday marked his first start—and he went the full 90 in his first true “featured” MLS night. Ronaldo Vieira said postgame that Werner “created a lot of chances,” calling it a positive step as Werner continues settling into the group. Bruce Arena also pointed to the small margins that decided it: Seattle took their one key moment, while San Jose had opportunities but didn’t land the final play.
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