San Jose Earthquakes

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

In 2005, the then-owner of the Earthquakes, Anschutz Entertainment Group, announced plans of the team relocating to Houston due to failing efforts to secure a soccer-specific stadium in San Jose. The organization in Houston would be considered an expansion team by the league, eventually becoming the Houston Dynamo, which began play in 2006. The Earthquakes returned after a two-year hiatus, resuming play in 2008. Since 2015, the Earthquakes have played their home games at PayPal Park. The team previously played its home games at Buck Shaw Stadium on the Santa Clara University campus in Santa Clara, California, from 2008 to 2014. On June 18, 2025, it was announced that owner John Fisher had put the team up for sale.

In Their Own Story

On April 6, 1996, San Jose hosted the league's inaugural game at Spartan Stadium before a crowd of 31,683. Eric Wynalda scored the first goal in MLS history as the Clash defeated D.C. United 1–0. One month later, the club set a city attendance record for a sporting event with 31,728 fans watching them play the Los Angeles Galaxy. Tensions between star player Wynalda and coach Laurie Calloway escalated quickly that season, leading to a locker room brawl involving John Doyle and Wynalda hiring an airplane to tow a banner demanding the coach's firing.

Reader's Guide

The Earthquakes have won two MLS Cup titles (2001, 2003) and two Supporters' Shields (2005, 2012). Prior to reaching the 2003 final, the Earthquakes had rallied from four goals down to beat the Galaxy, 5–4 on aggregate, in a first-round playoff that many MLS watchers described as the greatest in league history.

Did You Know?

• The Earthquakes took part in the first game in MLS history, defeating D.C. United 1–0.
• The team holds a fierce rivalry with the LA Galaxy known as the California Clásico.
• The Earthquakes have won two MLS Cup titles (2001, 2003) and two Supporters' Shields (2005, 2012).