Dominating MLS at 74: How Bruce Arena revived the ailing San Jose Earthquakes

Analysis

Tom Weber | Writer

Multilingual sports writer who specialises in European football and American soccer.

The San Jose Earthquakes have been one of Major League Soccer's most forgettable clubs since they returned to the league in 2008, but legendary coach Bruce Arena is quickly changing that perception.

A former North American Soccer League franchise and an MLS founding member, the San Jose Earthquakes are easily among the most recognisable soccer brands in the US.

However, this hasn't always translated into good performances on the pitch. On the contrary, the Bay Area has been starved of good football. When the Quakes relocated to Houston after the 2005 season, they were two-time MLS Cup winners and had just claimed the Supporters' Shield.

Since they were refounded in 2008, success has been few and far between. In fact, the Quakes have only really had one good season. That was in 2012 when they pipped a prime Sporting Kansas City side to the Supporters' Shield, thanks to an MVP year from Chris Wondolowski.

Indeed, if it hadn't been for Wondo - MLS's all-time leading goalscorer - the Quakes would have been completely irrelevant for most of the 2010s. A conference semi-final back in 2010 is the club's best playoff result. They have missed the postseason in 13 of the 18 years since 2008.

Arena revives the Quakes

When the Quakes hired Bruce Arena after the 2024 season, it was a move born out of desperation. They had just finished rock bottom with the worst defensive record in MLS history (78 goals conceded). They had nine fewer points than the second-worst team in the league, the Chicago Fire.

The club could hardly have been in worse shape, but appointing Arena was nevertheless a major gamble. While widely regarded as the greatest coach in MLS history, he was 72 and had been out of a job for a year after resigning from the New England Revolution after a league investigation into "insensitive and inappropriate remarks."

That could have been the end of his coaching career. But he had other ideas. He could have simply retired as an accomplished and legendary manager, but instead, he took over one of the worst-run franchises in the league with a point to prove.

He made a splash immediately. In January 2025, the Quakes announced the arrivals of Chicho Arango and Josef Martinez, two strikers who, when at the peak of their powers, were some of the best MLS had seen.

The gambit yielded mixed results. Both were past their best, but their goals nonetheless helped the Quakes climb up the standings. At the same time, their lack of defensive work compromised the team's structure and created problems.

The Quakes narrowly missed out on the playoffs, and Arena consequently decided to abandon the experiment. Martinez was released, while Arango, despite signing a new contract, was loaned to Atletico Nacional.

Despite also losing a host of other players, most notably star winger Cristian Espinoza, the Quakes are now better - significantly better - than they were last year. That's because Arena has put more of an emphasis on defensive solidity.

The 74-year-old has always been excellent at developing defenders. Dating all the way back to Eddie Pope and his DC United dynasty in the early years of MLS, Arena just knows how to get the best out of centre-backs.

The player who has benefited the most from Arena on this San Jose team is Daniel Munie. The 2023 draft pick is having an amazing season. But it's not just him. Fellow defenders Jamar Ricketts and Reid Roberts, 2024 and 2025 draft picks, are also playing out of their skin.

They were three of the four first-round picks who started against LAFC on Sunday. The fourth was 2022 pick Ousseni Bouda, who netted twice in the 4-1 demolition of a team that had given up just two goals in the preceding seven MLS matches.

While the Quakes were already a team in form before - they were second in the Western Conference heading into the game - they really announced themselves to the rest of the league with this rout of LAFC.

They now sit level on points with the Vancouver Whitecaps - whom they beat 1-0 away at BC Place last month - at the top of the West. That is despite the fact that the club's sole marquee off-season signing, Timo Werner, has only been fit to play 276 minutes in MLS so far.

When he's been fit, the German has been great. He already has three assists to his name, and he scored his first goal in the LAFC thrashing. This signing has been a huge success for Arena.

He personally flew to Germany several times to convince Werner to make the move to the Bay Area when it became clear that he would be leaving RB Leipzig in January. Despite being a free transfer, the former Chelsea man is the biggest signing in club history.

In the absence of Werner - and even when he's been available - the main offensive burden has been shouldered by 20-year-old Niko Tsakiris. The academy product has been nothing short of sensational.

He leads the league in key passes with 31 (second-placed Marco Reus only has 24), he has produced five assists (the joint-third-most in MLS) and he has scored two goals. The young No.10 seems to be making all the right decisions right now.

He was previously criticised for not looking quite MLS-ready, which has made his explosion this season all the more remarkable. At this point, the question is no longer "can he do it in MLS?" but "when will he move to Europe?"

Even at 74, Arena is willing to tinker and evolve his game. The Quakes press more aggressively compared to traditional Arena teams, which has made them a nightmare to play against. They have won all but one of their eight games so far.

The only blotch on this almost spotless resume is a 1-0 home loss to the tough-to-beat Seattle Sounders, who bunkered in and rode their luck against the dominant Quakes. That game could easily have finished 1-1 or 2-1 in favour of Arena's men.

The veteran coach's transformation of the Quakes has been spectacular. They are one of the most fun teams to watch in MLS, and they are doing it on a shoestring budget with draft picks, academy graduates and free signings.

If they keep up this form, they will be genuine contenders for silverware, as evidenced by their thoroughly deserved win over LAFC.

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