SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose Earthquakes forward Cristian Espinoza was voted Major League Soccer Player of the Month for April 2023. Espinoza led San Jose to a 2-1-2 record in the month of April, tallying five goals and one assist in that span. He became the only MLS player to score or assist in five matches during the month, led the league in goals (5), and scored in four consecutive matches from April 1-22, including game-winning goals against Houston Dynamo FC (April 1) and Sporting Kansas City (April 15).
In his fifth MLS season, Espinoza (six goals) sits just one goal off his career-high of seven, set in 2022, and the Argentine is the lone player in the league to produce at least six goals and three assists in 2023. His six goals are the third-most in MLS through Matchday 10 trailing only Seattle’s Jordan Morris (eight) and LAFC’s Dénis Bouanga (seven), and his nine goal contributions are tied for the third-most in MLS, behind only Atlanta’s Thiago Almada (11) and Philadelphia’s Dániel Gazdag (10). Additionally, Espinoza’s playmaking ability has been critical to San Jose’s resurgence under head coach Luchi Gonzalez in 2023, as he leads the league in key passes with 26 and is one of only two players in MLS with at least 20 key passes and five goals, joining Almada (22, five).
Since the start of the 2022 season, the 28-year-old forward (13 goals, 17 assists) is one of only seven players in MLS with at least 30 goal contributions. He continues to cement his place in Earthquakes lore, as his three assists in 2023 have moved him into a tie for second in club history with 47, trailing only Shea Salinas (50).
Espinoza is the first Earthquakes player to win MLS Player of the Month since Chofis in September 2021 and the 10th different player in club history to receive the honor.
MLS PLAYER OF THE MONTH RECIPIENTS, QUAKES HISTORY
PLAYER
YEAR
MONTH
Cristian Espinoza
2023
April
Chofis
2021
September
Chris Wondolowski
2019
May
Chris Wondolowski
2012
October
Chris Wondolowski
2012
September
Chris Wondolowski
2012
June
Chris Wondolowski
2012
April
Chris Wondolowski
2011
October
Chris Wondolowski
2010
October
Darren Huckerby
2008
September
Dwayne De Rosario
2005
October
Ricardo Clark
2005
July
Pat Onstad
2004
August
Landon Donovan
2003
September
Landon Donovan
2003
April
Ariel Graziani
2002
June
Ronald Cerritos
1999
September
Espinoza and the Earthquakes put their five-match home unbeaten streak on the line as they welcome undefeated LAFC to Levi’s Stadium on Saturday, May 6 (4:30 p.m. PT, MLS Season Pass). The Quakes last played a regular season match at Levi’s Stadium on Aug. 2, 2014, a 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC in the first sporting event in the stadium’s history. Saturday’s game against the 2022 MLS Cup champions will feature one of the club’s best crowds in the past decade with over 40,000 people expected in attendance.
MLS Player of the Month is voted upon by a panel of select national media members in a process conducted by MLS Communications.
