Chasing the third Major League Soccer title in team history, the San Jose Earthquakes have bounced back from a recent slump to stay on course for a postseason return, winning their last two league games to cement their position in the Western Conference’s top nine.
Having been one of the form teams in the early rounds of the 2026 regular season, the Earthquakes then embarked on a disastrous run of MLS results, winning just one game out of 13 between May 2 and September 5.
But this weekend, San Jose followed up Wednesday’s 3-2 win over San Diego by beating Houston Dynamo – the team that was at the center of the Earthquakes’ two-season hiatus some 20 years ago.
San Jose still waiting for first title since MLS return
On Saturday, Daniel Munie’s first-half goal gave Bruce Arena’s men a 1-0 victory over Houston, as San Jose pursues its first MLS Cup win since the Californian franchise’s original iteration was moved to Texas.
Lying five points off conference leaders Vancouver Whitecaps, the Earthquakes are fourth in the West – a position that would earn San Jose, who last made the playoffs in 2023, home advantage in round one of the postseason.
Up next, on Saturday, September 19, is a matchup with Los Angeles FC, who sit two places and just one point below San Jose in the West.
The Earthquakes are on a two-game winning run, having overcome a extended slump in results.David GonzalesWhen did the Earthquakes last win MLS?
San Jose has not lifted MLS Cup since its early-noughties heyday. One of the league’s 10 founding teams in 1996 – initially known as the San Jose Clash – the Earthquakes secured their first championship five years later, beating the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2001 final.
In 2003, the team then added its second and most recent MLS Cup, defeating the Chicago Fire in the title game.
But two years on, the Earthquakes disappeared from the MLS lineup. In late 2005, the team’s owners, Anschutz Entertainment Group, moved operations to Houston and created the Dynamo, chiefly citing issues with the franchise’s home stadium in San Jose.
However, the Northern Californian city kept the Earthquakes name, logo and colors, and plans were immediately hatched to create a revival team. “It is our intent to return to San Jose as early as possible,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said at the time, per the Associated Press.
By July 2007, a reborn San Jose Earthquakes had been granted a spot in MLS, under the management of Lew Wolff, the owner of MLB franchise the Oakland Athletics. The Earthquakes officially returned to the league at the start of the 2008 season.
An MLS record breaker
Although San Jose are yet to win MLS Cup since their comeback, the Quakes clinched the Supporters’ Shield in 2012, as the league’s outstanding regular-season team.
And between 2009 and 2021, the franchise was home to the top scorer in MLS history: striker Chris Wondolowski, who netted 167 of his record 171 regular-season goals in black and blue.
San Jose Earthquakes – every MLS season at a glance:1996: Conference SFs1997: Missed playoffs1998: Missed playoffs1999: Missed playoffs2000: Missed playoffs2001: Winner2002: Quarterfinals2003: Winner2004: Conference SFs2005: Conference SFs2006: Hiatus2007: Hiatus2008: Missed playoffs2009: Missed playoffs2010: Conference finals2011: Missed playoffs2012: Conference SFs2013: Missed playoffs2014: Missed playoffs2015: Missed playoffs2016: Missed playoffs2017: Round one2018: Missed playoffs2019: Missed playoffs2020: Round one2021: Missed playoffs2022: Missed playoffs2023: Wild card round2024: Missed playoffs2025: Missed playoffsRelated stories
Get closer to the game! Whether you like your soccer of the European variety or that on this side of the pond, our AS USA app has it all. Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more. Plus, stay updated on NFL, NBA and all other big sports stories as well as the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
And there’s more: check out our TikTok and Instagram reels for bite-sized visual takes on all the biggest soccer news and insights.