SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Earthquakes defeated Atlanta United FC 2-0 on Saturday afternoon at PayPal Park in front of 16,159 fans to start the 2026 Major League Soccer season with their second straight shutout victory for the first time in club history.
The Earthquakes opened the scoring in minute 24 when Jamar Ricketts intercepted a wayward pass by Atlanta’s Lucas Hoyos, charged forward and served a cross from the left wing for Preston Judd, who headed the ball past the goalkeeper for his second goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
After intermission, the Quakes continued to attack and doubled their lead off the counter set up by two second-half subs. In the 79th minute, Jack Skahan found new Designated Player Timo Werner on the right wing, who promptly fed Ousseni Bouda for the 2-0 lead and final margin.
The Black and Blue now travel to Chester, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, March 7, to face the Philadelphia Union. Kickoff from Subaru Park will take place at 4:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast globally via Apple TV (English/Spanish), as well as local radio on KSFO 810 AM (English) and La Kaliente 1370 AM (Spanish).
MEDIA ASSETS[
](https://earthquakes.cimediacloud.com/r/9TRrpzebQsWN)**MATCH SUMMARY** | **WATCH GAME**
GAME NOTES
With the result, San Jose moves to 2-0-0 with six points and moves into a tie for first in the Western Conference with LAFC (5 GF, 0 GA). Atlanta United goes to 0-2-0 with 0 points and 14th in the Eastern Conference (0 GF, 4 GA).
The win also marked the first time since San Jose began MLS play in 1996 that they started a season with two victories in shutout fashion.
San Jose earned the club’s first win over Atlanta United FC, having played four prior matches dating back to 2017, the last being the season opener back in 2023 (ATL 2-1 SJ).
San Jose is now 1-4-0 (9 GF, 13 GA) against Atlanta United FC in regular-season play with a 1-1-0 (5 GF, 5 GA) record at home.
Bruce Arena won his 275th regular-season MLS game to extend his league record among head coaches. The late great Sigi Schmid is second with 240.
Head Coach Bruce Arena now sports a 5-2-2 career record against Atlanta United FC (including Audi MLS Cup Playoffs).
Tonight marked the first career MLS matchup between Bruce Arena and Atlanta United FC Head Coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino, despite a wealth of league and international head coaching experience between the two.
Preston Judd’s 24th-minute goal was his second of the season and 13th of his MLS career.
Jamar Ricketts’ 24th-minute assist was his second of the season and fifth of his MLS career. He has now also assisted Judd in back-to-back games.
Niko Tsakiris had three key passes tonight following eight against Sporting Kansas City in the season opener, totaling a league-leading 11 so far this season.
Timo Werner made his long-anticipated Earthquakes and MLS debut in the 61st minute, replacing Preston Judd. The biggest signing in Quakes history whose trophy case includes the UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup, Werner arrived in the Bay Area on Wednesday night after he and his wife welcomed their first baby back in their native Germany two weeks ago.
Ousseni Bouda’s 79th-minute goal was his first of the season and sixth of his MLS career.
Timo Werner’s 79th-minute primary assist was his first of the season and first of his MLS career.
Jack Skahan’s 79th-minute secondary assist was his first of the season and fifth total assist of his MLS career.
Daniel earned his second clean sheet in as many games and 11th total clean sheet of his MLS career.
The Quakes are currently tied for first in the league in total goals scored with LAFC and San Diego FC with five.
With a combined expected goals figure of 6.67, the Quakes lead the league so far in the 2026 campaign.
San Jose has raced out to a 5-0 goal differential on the season despite having lost the possession battle in both of their matches in 2026.
The Quakes also lead the MLS in corner kicks taken (22), ahead of Seattle Sounders FC (18) and FC Cincinnati (17).
San Jose also leads the league in accurate long balls (15), ahead of Seattle Sounders FC (12) and FC Cincinnati (11).
Tonight was Grateful Dead Night, where the team debuted The Dead Kit—a psychedelic homage to the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead’s very first performance under that name, which took place at an acid test party in downtown San Jose where the City Hall Rotunda now stands.
San Jose Earthquakes 2 – 0 Atlanta United FC
Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026 — PayPal Park; San Jose, Calif.
Weather: 75°F Mostly Cloudy
Attendance: 16,159
NorCal Honda Dealers Man of the Match: Preston Judd
\all stats unofficial*
Match Officials:
Referee: Ricardo Fierro
AR1: Chris Elliot
AR2: Stephen McGonagle
4th Official: Timothy Ford
VAR: Jorge Gonzalez
AVAR: Matthew Rodman
Scoring Summary:
SJ (1-0) – Preston Judd (Jamar Ricketts) 24’
SJ (2-0) – Ousseni Bouda (Timo Werner, Jack Skahan) 79’
Misconduct Summary:
ATL – Latte Lath (caution) 16’
ATL – Cooper Sanchez (caution) 39’
ATL – Ronald Hernández (caution) 52’
SJ – DeJuan Jones (caution) 90’
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: Daniel (GK); Benji Kikanović, Reid Roberts, Daniel Munie, DeJuan Jones; Beau Leroux (Jonathan González 77’), Ian Harkes, Niko Tsakiris (Paul Marie 90+2’), Ousseni Bouda (Nick Fernandez 90+2’), Jamar Ricketts (Jack Skahan 77’), Preston Judd (Timo Werner 61’).
Substitutes not used: Francesco Montali (GK), Noel Buck, Vítor Costa, Dave Romney.
POSS.: 45.4%; SHOTS: 13; SOG: 6; CORNERS: 0; OFFSIDES: 4; SAVES: 1; FOULS: 9; xG: 2.8
ATLANTA UNITED FC: Lucas Hoyos (GK), Ronald Hernández (Tristan Muyumba 61’), Elias Baez, Enea Mihaj, Juan Berrocal, Steven Alzate, Cooper Sanchez (Pedro Amador 70’), Tomas Jacob, Latte Lath, Miguel Almirón, Saba Lobjanidze (Alexey Miranchuk 60’).
Substitutes not used: Jayden Hibbert (GK), Luke Brennan, Matthew Edwards, Adrian Gill, Stian Gregersen, Cayman Togashi.
POSS.: 54.6%; SHOTS: 8; SOG: 1; CORNERS: 4; OFFSIDES: 2; SAVES: 4; FOULS: 19; xG: 0.7
EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH BRUCE ARENA
On the team starting out with its second straight clean sheet victory:
“Our team's shape tonight, for the most part, was really good. Technically on the ball, maybe too many turnovers, a little bit sloppy, and we still need to be better coordinated. We need to communicate there, but we have to accept the fact that it is the second game of the season, so there's still going to be a number of mistakes.”
On Preston Judd’s development:
“Yeah, we think Preston’s a real good player. The reason we didn't bring in many players this year is because we think these guys are pretty good. Preston last year scored—I think I said this last week—seven goals in limited minutes, so we know we can score goals. And I think he has two, right? He and [Daniel] Munie might be tied for top goal scorers in MLS right now. They're roommates too.”
On Timo Werner’s assist in his debut:
“Well, I think [Jack] Skahan played the ball over the top to him, So Jack, in a matter of a day or two, figured out Timo's ability to run is there. He took off, and he got to step on the defender and shook him loose a little bit with a little bit of a fake, and delivered an excellent ball across the six-yard box. So I think that's a guy with a lot of experience and ability, and I think he's just going to continue to get better as we move forward as a team.”
On Timo Werner’s quick transition to playing after arriving on Wednesday night:
“Everybody's different, athletes in terms of their fitness and how, how quickly they move forward. So we'll see, but he has a great attitude. He's working hard. You know, it was a real scramble just getting here, traveling all day on Wednesday, arriving Wednesday night, and then going through a process of physical testing as required by the league. So Thursday and Friday were hectic for him. So to get him on the field in 30 minutes tonight was good because to travel here and the demands on them over the last couple of days were huge so to be able to be mentally tough, to deal with all of that and give it a good performance tonight. It’s really good to see.”
EARTHQUAKES FORWARD PRESTON JUDD
On Jamar Ricketts having an assist on both of Judd’s goals this season:
“Jamar is a great player, dynamic. Not a lot of people have that gift. He's super-fast and he puts good balls in. I know when he gets down the line, I have to be in the right place to score. He found me two times in a row. Hopefully we keep that (expletive) rolling.”
On being tied with his roommate, Daniel Munie in the club lead for goals with two:
“As a forward and as a center back, I'm a little jealous. I mean, it hurts to be tied with the center back, but at the same time, I'm so happy for him. He's like family for me. So, to see him doing well, it's just a good feeling.”
On the addition of Timo Werner:
“With a player like him, dynamic, fast championship mindset, I think it's only going to add to my game and to the whole team in general. I think it's going to be exciting with what he can do else in here? I've been in MLS, USL my whole life. He's been in Champions League, Europa League, [German] National Team. So, there's definitely a lot to learn from him, a lot of experiences I can learn from him and even from the coaches he's learned from. Just take it all in and try to improve my game through his game.”
On the defensive improvement this season and the performance of goalkeeper Daniel:
“I think we've learned in the past two seasons that scoring a lot of goals isn't going to get us to playoffs or get us a championship. I think it's going to come from our defense. They say defense wins championships. So,starting off with two clean sheets in the year is huge, and hopefully we can build on that.”
“Daniel is a brick wall. When he's making those saves, I think we're pretty close to unbeatable. With our defense playing well and Daniel and making those big-time saves, it's going to be a hard team to score on.”
EARTHQUAKES FORWARD TIMO WERNER
On his whirlwind week arriving on Wednesday and playing on Saturday:
“The start was a bit crazy. On Tuesday, I was in the embassy in Berlin. I wanted to go back to Leipzig, because I thought I’d get in a few days later, and they called me straight away to come back. I turned around, got it on the same day, flew to San Francisco on Wednesday, [spent] one and a half days in a plane, and had on Thursday my first training with the Earthquakes. It was a really exciting week, especially this game tonight, with the welcome from the fans, from the people in the club, and from the other people around the club. It was a special feeling, because I think, for the last few weeks or months, I got the love that I didn’t have in the past years, and all the people here, they gave me that, and it felt pretty good.”
On his first impression of the Quakes:
“We have a very young team, and still, I think a really hungry team. What I see in the past few days when I've been here is that we have also very high quality and I think that's also why they won the first game. That's also why they won the second game. We won the second game today, and we saw it, especially in the first half today. We can dominate teams. We can play around teams. We can create chances, especially in the second half, where it was maybe a bit tough in the middle of the game. The most important thing for me is that they're all good guys. I came into the changing room, and I think it's always the same. It doesn't matter if you come in the Chelsea changing room, or you come to San Jose in the changing room, you're always nervous, because there are new people. There are guys your age. There are younger guys who are also human beings, and they make it pretty easy for me to settle here, to feel comfortable with the team, and also how Bruce is with his team. That for me, was the most important thing: that I come here and that I feel pretty welcome, that's the biggest comment that I can give San Jose.”
On his relationship with Head Coach Bruce Arena:
“He was the guy who brought me into the club. He came all the way to Germany and had a meeting with me. He traveled—I don't know, eight, nine hours—to Germany for two hours in a restaurant and then flew nine hours back. That was already really impressive to me. As a person, he’s like a father figure. Not even just for me, but for everyone, every player no matter if he plays or not. I think everyone respects him, because of what he did in his career, what he's like, and how he presents on the pitch, but also off the pitch. I’ve never seen a guy who is so open to the players, who talk with them and create this community with them and that's what I really like about him. I think over the next few weeks, when he gets me know better, and I get know him and his staff and all the people around him better, there will be even better relationship. So far, I can only say that he was the reason why I came here. He presented the club and the area pretty well, so he made it easy. When I arrived, he was behind everything. He made sure that everything went well and that I had the best all-inclusive package that I could have. Those are small things at the end, but that makes it special.”
On what he’s doing to get back in match shape:
“I was a bit difficult to be fair, to keep in shape, to train all the time by myself. Especially on the days when they left to games in Leipzig [without me], it was difficult to train by myself, to always motivate myself, but I think there was always the aim or the desire to come here, to be in shape straight away, and step out of the plane and play like I did today. Of course, I was not on the level where I should be today, but I mean, at least it was enough to get an assist and help the team. Over the next few weeks, especially in training, but also in the game, it’s important for me to get in the game with my conditioning, this feeling, to have the ball in my feet, to play with the team and to also get connected with them. I think the next two to three games are really important for that. I think it’s also important for me to have it in my head that maybe that not everything will be perfect, but at least it's starting to work.”
On contributing to a goal in his MLS debut:
“It was a good start. I think the best would’ve been scoring a goal, but you can't have everything. I think I helped the team with that assist, especially in the phase of the game where it was a bit difficult. Atlanta, if they scored [before then], the game could’ve been different. That's why they wanted to bring me here to create chances to score goals—not even to score goals but to be involved. For example, taking the pass, where it was close to being offside before what they took it back, but these moments are ones I wanted to be a part of, that I feel comfortable in, to help the team, and get these fun moments back. I think these are moments in the game where I have fun, especially at the end when you win the game. It was tough to also play well on the training pitch. I'm still only sleeping six hours every night, but it's worth it to play in front of this crowd and to enjoy the football year and win it here.”
On connecting with Ousseni Bouda for the assist and finish:
“At halftime, I went to Bouda because I knew he's quick as well. When I was looking to play through on the wing or somewhere else, I had him as my first option to pass the ball, and I said that he should go straight to goal. It doesn't matter what happens, he shouldn't stop, because they send the ball to the first post in the middle of the goal. Sometimes it happens, sometimes not. But this time, it worked out pretty well, so it was exactly like how I imagined it to be. After the game and after the goal, he came to me and said, ‘Yes! That's my style of football!’ I think I have to get to know the other players and how they want to play football, and they have to get to know how I play football. I think if we can align on one point, then it looks like the goal [we scored].”
On stepping up as a leader for the team:
“I think I have to. That’s what they expect from me, not only because I played that many games in the highest level in Europe, but also with my age. I turn 30 in a few days, so with experience like that, you have to be a leader, and you have to going forward. We talk about Beau [Leroux] and Niko [Tsakiris]; they're young players. We have other young players who are responsible, and I think they should not feel responsible. They should enjoy football. When I was 22, I played in Leipzig. I had my best years until I was 26 and 27. I had my best years in terms of enjoying football because I had no pressure. That's what they should do. I think they should play without pressure. They shouldn't be a leader. They should only enjoy themselves, and that's what I'm here for: to be a leader and help these guys. I think now, after three days, it would be all over the place. If I come here and tell people what they should do, that would be crazy. I think that has to settle in the next few weeks and get to know people better and how you can talk to them. Some of them, you have to be a bit careful. Some of them, they need it a bit more direct, and that's how you get to know people. I want to be a leader, but not like screaming at someone, more like helping them.”
On his personal expectations for himself for the rest of the season:
“Coming here, and I think everybody can see that people were very excited to see me play, and that makes me pretty confident to say that it was absolutely the right decision to come here. Of course, being away from Germany, you are always a bit unsure of where you're going, but this makes you pretty confident, and especially helping the team with this assist today was also me giving something back. Thanks to the people here who helped me now in the first few days. It’s only a good sign for the next games when you have a welcome like this, and also for the for the rest of the season. I’ve never had, in my career, an aim for the season. I go with the flow. At the end, the assist, like today, the goals, they will come. I want to enjoy the football with the guys. I want to win something with the guys. I think everybody could see in the last two games that we are able to. The season is long. There are enough competitions to play in. I think in the moment, the first thing you want to do is to reach your [teammates], and then that's my aim as well. How many goals I score? How many assists I get? I think it's that's another story.”