Bruce Arena looks to continue his perfect start to life in San Jose on Saturday night when his Earthquakes host a Minnesota United squad that also has looked impressive.
As the all-time leader in MLS wins and MLS Cup titles, Arena brought instant credibility to the Quakes (2-0-0, 6 points) when he assumed their reins during the offseason.
However, even the most optimistic San Jose fans may not have envisioned this start. The Earthquakes romped to an emphatic 4-0 home win over Real Salt Lake to open the season, then earned a 2-1 victory last weekend at Sporting Kansas City despite playing most of the second half down a man.
Veteran MLS strikers Cristian Arango and Josef Martinez each scored their first goals for their new club in the victory over SKC.
And having coached five MLS Cup and four Supporters’ Shield winners over his three-decade MLS career, Arena found himself asked to compare his Quakes side to his previous clubs.
“I’ll need a little bit more time to be able to size up this team in comparison to some of the others I’ve had,” he said. “But my early six to eight weeks with the team have been nothing but rewarding. I’ve been impressed with their attitude and their desire to be a good team.”
Minnesota United (1-1-0, 3 points) represents a step up in class for the Quakes. Last week, the Loons earned a 1-0 win over CF Montreal that was more dominant than the score suggested.
Kelvin Yeboah finally scored a deserved winner in the 69th minute, after he thought he drew a penalty kick only a few minutes earlier.
Goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair rarely was troubled as Minnesota United kept their fifth MLS clean sheet in 11 games since play resumed last season following the 2024 Leagues Cup.
In the 2025 season opener, Minnesota also was relatively impressive in a 1-0 defeat at reigning Western Conference regular-season champion Los Angeles FC.
“I’m sure if you’re watching us from afar and you’re seeing those two performances, you’re seeing a team that’s very difficult to beat,” Loons coach Eric Ramsay said. “You’re seeing a team that gives very few chances away, is very comfortable defending in a certain way but can also create.”
–Field Level Media
