SAN JOSE, Calif. — The San Jose Earthquakes defeated San Diego FC 3-0 on Saturday night in front of a PayPal Park crowd of 17,410 to improve to 5-1-0 for the first time in club history and pull within one point of the top spot in the Western Conference table.
Goalkeeper Daniel and the Earthquakes’ defense remained suffocating, recording their fifth shutout in six games to extend the ongoing club record, but this time the attack also came alive as San Jose submitted a complete performance on both sides of the ball.
Niko Tsakiris opened the scoring for San Jose in the 13th minute when Preston Judd intercepted a wayward pass and fed the attacking midfielder, who dribbled to his left and blasted the ball toward the near post and into the back of the net to make it 1-0. In minute 28, SDFC defender Manu Duah fouled Judd in the box and was sent off after a video review. Six minutes later, Tsakiris subsequently converted the subsequent penalty kick for the brace and a 2-0 Earthquakes lead, making him the second youngest player to score a brace in San Jose history behind Landon Donovan. The Quakes then tripled the advantage in the third minute of first-half stoppage time, when Beau Leroux motored down the left sideline and found a streaking Judd who promptly finished the goal to make it 3-0 at the break. After intermission, the game settled but San Jose continued to apply pressure before the final whistle to earn their unprecedented fifth clean sheet.
The Black and Blue now go on the road next Saturday, April 11, to face Sporting Kansas City. Kickoff from Sporting Park is set for 5:30 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).
MATCH SUMMARY | WATCH GAME
GAME NOTES
San Jose moved to 5-1-0 for the first time dating back to the club’s inception in 1974 in the North American Soccer League (NASL) and is even with second-place Vancouver on points with 15 in the very competitive Western Conference table. San Diego lost their first match in MLS play and are now 3-1-2 and seventh place in the West with 11 points.
The Earthquakes and SDFC (an expansion club last season) met for just the third time in the young El Camino Rivalry. The clubs split their first two matchups in 2025, with the road team winning each match (SJ 0-1 SD on Aug. 17; SD 0-1 SJ on Sept. 27).
The Quakes’ 1-0 win over SDFC on Sept. 27, 2025, was the last time San Diego has been shut out. They currently had a seven-game scoring streak dating back to that match.
With only one goal conceded in the first six games, the Quakes’ defense has set a new club record for least goals conceded over a six-game period in MLS play.
With five clean sheets, the Earthquakes have already matched last season’s total in MLS play in Matchday 6.
Bruce Arena won his 278th regular-season game, an MLS record. The late great Sigi Schmid is second is 140.
Daniel earned his fifth clean sheet of the season and 16th of his MLS career. He is only second in the league in shutouts in 2026 to LAFC’s Hugo Lloris (6).
Niko Tsakiris’ 13th-minute goal was his first of the MLS season and second of his career.
Preston Judd’s 13th-minute assist was his first of the MLS season and fifth of his career.
Niko Tsakiris’ 34th-minute penalty-kick goal was his second of the MLS season and third of his career.
Niko Tsakiris (20 years, 289 days) became the second youngest player in Quakes history to score a brace behind Landon Donovan, who accomplished the feat three times before turning 21.
TWO GOALS IN ONE GAME BEFORE AGE 21, CLUB HISTORY:
YR-DAYS Player Date Game
19-097 Landon Donovan 06/09/2001 SJ vs. LA
19-157 Landon Donovan 08/08/2001 SJ at NE
20-180 Landon Donovan 08/31/2002 SJ at DC
20-289 Niko Tsakiris 04/04/2026 SJ vs. SD
Preston Judd’s goal in the third minute of first-half stoppage time was his third of the MLS season and 14th of his career.
Beau Leroux’s assist in the third minute of first-half stoppage time was his second of the MLS season and sixth of his career.
Niko Tsakiris had eight key passes to up his league-leading total to 24. Tsakiris also leads MLS in corner kicks taken (39) and crosses (18).
Collectively, the Quakes lead MLS in expected goals (16.18), accurate longballs (35) and corner kicks won (52). They are second in goals against (1) and clean sheets (5).
U.S. Women’s National Team and Bay FC midfielder Claire Hutton fired the ceremonial pregame siren.
The first 12,000 fans through the PayPal Park doors tonight received El Camino Rivalry Rally Towels courtesy of Ford.
San Jose Earthquakes 3 – 0 San Diego FC
Saturday, April 4, 2026 — PayPal Park; San Jose, Calif.
Weather: 75°F Mostly Cloudy
Attendance: 17,410
NorCal Honda Dealers Man of the Match: Niko Tsakiris
*all stats unofficial
Match Officials:
Referee: Fotis Bazakos
AR1: Kathryn Nesbitt
AR2: Chris Wattam
4th Official: Rosendo Mendoza
VAR: Jorge Gonzalez
AVAR: Robert Schaap
Scoring Summary:
SJ (1-0) – Niko Tsakiris (Preston Judd) 13’
SJ (2-0) - Niko Tsakiris (penalty kick) 34’
SJ (3-0) – Preston Judd (Beau Leroux, Jamar Ricketts) 45+3’
Misconduct Summary:
SJ – Ousseni Bouda (caution) 11'
SD – Manu Duah (ejection) 32'
SD – Osvald Søe (caution) 52’
SD – Jeppe Tverskov (caution) 59’
SJ – Jonathan González (caution) 77’
SJ – Niko Tsakiris (caution) 90+3’
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES: Daniel (GK); Benji Kikanović, Reid Roberts, Daniel Munie, Jamar Ricketts (Dave Romney 69’); Beau Leroux (Jonathan González 69’), Ronaldo Vieira (C) (Ian Harkes 86’), Niko Tsakiris; Ousseni Bouda (Nick Fernandez 70’), Jack Skahan (Paul Marie 57’), Preston Judd.
Substitutes not used: Earl Edwards Jr. (GK), Noel Buck, Max Floriani, Jack Jasinski.
POSS.: 43.9%; SHOTS: 24; SOG: 10; CORNERS: 7; OFFSIDES: 1; SAVES: 1; FOULS: 18; xG: 4.5
SAN DIEGO FC: Duran Ferree (GK); Osvald Søe, Manu Duah, Luca Bombino, Oscar Verhoeven (Willy Kumado,78’); Jeppe Tverskov (C), Onni Valakari (Alex Mighten 78’), David Vazquez (Wilson Eisner 40’); Lewis Morgan (Bryan Zamblé 57’), Anders Dreyer, Marcus Ingvartsen (Aníbal Godoy 57’).
Substitutes not used: CJ Dos Santos (GK), Pedro Soma, Bryce Duke, Anisse Saidi
POSS.: 56.1%; SHOTS: 6; SOG: 1; CORNERS: 5; OFFSIDES: 3; SAVES: 7; FOULS: 13; xG: 1
EARTHQUAKES HEAD COACH BRUCE ARENA
On what stands out during the Earthquakes’ first 5-1-0 start in club history:
"I've done this for a while, and the biggest thing is we look like a team, not applauding, necessarily attacking and or defending. And in particular, it's a complete effort by the group, and that's important. We're banging away with a couple of local kids and domestic players, which is highly unusual in our league right now, so I think the group is doing very well. And I think the credit goes to the whole group, not just one end of the field."
"Well, if you broke training camp and you told me, we'd be 5-1 after the first six games ... I would not agree with that, so I'm very pleased. However, we have a long way to go. There's a lot of room for improvement, and hopefully, you know, we can get through this first half of the season in decent form, so we're positioned in the second half to be a team that can qualify for the playoffs."
On the pressure and execution against San Diego amid the absences of DeJuan Jones and Timo Werner:
"We're getting better every week. I think there's a lot ahead. We can still strengthen our roster. We can get Timo Werner back on the field hopefully next week. We've lost DeJuan Jones for the year, so that's going to be an issue. ... I'm pleased with the group we have. I think we have a good group of players."
On the team's youth excelling, including Niko Tsakiris' brace:
"Fantastic. We really missed Niko last year, because he was hurt for a good part of the year, and then in the fall, he had a number of national team call-ups. He scored an important goal against Austin, So you know, his development has been great, so we're really pleased with that. I think the same could be said for Beau Leroux, and Reid Roberts, his first year playing full time has been very good. Benji Kikanovic has grown into his position. Ronaldo Vieira is a real pro. Preston Judd has been very good. Ousseni Bouda has improved. And so, you know, a lot of positive things. But I'm well aware of the fact that this is just the start. We should have this conversation in August and see how everything is in August. So to date, you know, things are positive."
On Niko Tsakiris's development and becoming the second youngest Earthquake to score two goals behind Landon Donovan:
"Well if he can catch Landon Donovan, he's doing pretty well for himself. Yeah, that's great. He had a very good performance tonight. I think the goals tonight were good goals. That first goal, I don't know how he possibly scored that goal. It's probably something I taught him in training I can't remember. So real positive. Niko's done very well."
On two straight clean sheets vs. high-powered attacks:
"Well, obviously, I think we're a confident team right now, but we have 28 more games to play. We may lose our next 28 games, so we have to put everything in the right perspective. But defensively we played well, obviously the red card was a big play in the game, because I believe that was our second goal, right off the red card. And then they had to play shorthanded and give San Diego credit. They never quit in the second half."
EARTHQUAKES MIDFIELDER NIKO TSAKIRIS
On being the second youngest Quakes player in history to score a brace behind Landon Donovan:
“It’s amazing. I think, first and foremost, amazing to get three points tonight back at home. We're building day by day, game by game here, and to get this achievement with this group of guys, it's special. ... The career that he had and the player that he was, it's special to be with him in that same category. I still have a lot of work to do, and it's a great first step for me.”
On the team’s identity after a record-breaking start to the season:
“We’re a hardworking team. We want to be hard to play against, and I think we've shown that we're going to give everything on the field. Whether guys are starting or coming off the bench, we know everyone's there to prove a point and to get the three points that we need. I think everybody moving in the right direction and being a collective I think is really going to help us.”
“We want to win. We want to win matches. I feel like this group knows that we need to do whatever it takes to get those three points. And if that's grinding it out, it's grinding it out. If it's keeping the ball, it's what, it's what we have to do. I feel like the group knows what the expectations are to get those three points.”
On his growing confidence this season with the Quakes and the U.S. Youth National Team:
“I think it was just a matter of time, and when that chance would come, I know that I put the work in continuing to do so, to better myself every day. Of course, the national team definitely was a reminder for me. I'm good enough to do it in preseason as well. So coming into this year, the momentum that the team had in preseason to now our first few games, and success that we're having, the success that I'm having— the national team brought moments of confidence for me, but also being here with the club.”
