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San Jose Earthquakes Team History

San Jose Earthquakes
Earthquakes Primary Logo
Earthquakes Alternate Logo
Earthquakes Wordmark Logo
Earthquakes Team Merch

Established
1994

City
San Jose

League History
1996 – Present / Major League Soccer

Team History
2000 - 2005, 2008 – Present / San Jose Earthquakes
1996 - 1999 / San Jose Clash

Nickname
Earthquakes – The San Jose Earthquakes have been a mainstay in Major League Soccer since 1996, and their nickname has become synonymous with the team’s success. But where did this unique moniker come from?

The answer lies in the Bay Area’s past. In 1989, an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale struck northern California and caused tremendous damage to both Oakland and San Francisco. The quake was so powerful that it registered as far away as Los Angeles! As such, when MLS announced plans for expansion into Northern California five years later – what better name could they choose than “Earthquakes”? It paid homage to one of nature's most destructive forces while also representing strength & resilience, two traits ideally suited for a professional sports franchise!

In addition to being symbolic of natural disasters, earthquakes can also be seen as symbolic representations of change or transformation - something which is especially relevant today given all that has happened over the last year or so with Covid-19 & social justice movements worldwide. So whether you're cheering on your favorite players at Avaya Stadium or just watching them play from home - remember why we call them "the Quakes"!

Championship
MLS Cups 2
2003, 2001

Stadium
2015 - Present / Earthquakes Stadium
2008 - 2014 / Buck Shaw Stadium
1996 - 2005 / Spartan Stadium

Owner
2007 - Present / Lewis Wolff and John J. Fisher (Earthquakes Soccer, LLC)
2003 - 2005 / Anschutz Entertainment Group
2002 - 2003 / Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment and Anschutz Entertainment Group
2001 - 2002 / Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment
1999 - 2000 / Robert Kraft
1996 -1998 / Major League Soccer

  • 2000
  • 2001
  • 2003
  • 2007
  • 2011
  • 2012
  • 2018
  • San Jose Earthquakes 2000

    Earthquakes Team Formation

    The franchise’s official name changed from Clash to Earthquakes on October 27, 1999. After missing four consecutive post-seasons with three different coaches, the Earthquakes hired head coach Frank Yallop days before the 2001 MLS SuperDraft. Yallop’s personnel changes and deft coaching with the help of assistant coach Dominic Kinnear and goalkeeper coach Tim Hanley, along with the allocation of star ...
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  • San Jose Earthquakes MLS Champs 2001

    2001 MLS Champs

    MLS Cup 2001 was the sixth edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), which took place on October 21, 2001, at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. It was contested by the San Jose Earthquakes and the Los Angeles Galaxy, a pair of in-state rivals from California, to decide the champion of the 2001 ...
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  • San Jose Earthquakes MLS Champs 2003

    2003 MLS Champs

    MLS Cup 2003 was the eighth edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), which took place on November 23, 2003. It was hosted at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, and was contested by the Chicago Fire and the San Jose Earthquakes to decide the champion of the 2003 season. Both teams had ...
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  • San Jose earthquakes 2007 mls

    MLS Awarded Expansion for San Jose Earthquakes

    In 2007: MLS announced that Wolff would be awarded an expansion team that would begin play in 2008 as a continuation of San Jose Earthquakes. Wolff also bought an option to relocate an existing team to San Jose if his expansion bid failed
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  • San Jose earthquakes Qualified for the playoffs 2011

    San Jose Qualified for the playoffs for second consecutive year

    In 2011: The club had a strong season, finishing second in the Western Conference and qualifying for the playoffs for the second consecutive year. However, they lost to LA Galaxy 3–2 on aggregate in the conference semifinals.
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  • san jose Earthquakes Supporters’ Shield 2012

    San Jose Earthquakes Wins Supporters’ Shield

    In 2012: The San Jose Earthquakes club had its best regular season ever, finishing first in the Western Conference and winning its first Supporters’ Shield, as the team with the best record in MLS.
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  • Matías Almeyda

    Earthquakes Team Hired Matías Almeyda as Head Coach

    In 2018: The club fired Stahre and hired Matías Almeyda as the new head coach. Almeyda implemented an aggressive pressing style that earned praise from fans and pundits.
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Who is the greatest San Jose Earthquakes?
  • Add your greatest player

To qualify as the greatest player for this team, the player must have played one season for this team. If not, we will remove the player.
* verifies that player has played for this team as an added player by a fan.

History of the Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. Founded in 1996 as one of the original ten teams of Major League Soccer (MLS), the Quakes have since established themselves as a powerhouse within MLS and other North American leagues. During their long history with the league, the Earthquakes have won two MLS Cup championships, three Supporters' Shields, four Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cups, and one CONCACAF Champions Cup title.

Since joining MLS in 1996, the Quakes have been led by some of its most iconic players, including Chris Wondolowski, who holds multiple records for goals scored; Landon Donovan, who is considered to be one of America's greatest ever players; Ramiro Corrales, who played for more than 15 years with his hometown club; and Ronald Cerritos whose goal against D.C United secured a historic victory that propelled them into their first-ever playoff appearance back in 2001 – all these names will forever be associated with this great franchise’s legacy.

In recent years under new ownership from John Fisher & Lew Wolff and new coach Matias Almeyda, they are making waves again, winning both the 2019 Supporter Shield & 2020 Western Conference Championship! With exciting young talent like Cade Cowell rising through academy ranks combined w/ experienced veterans such as Florian Jungwirth, they look well set to challenge for even more trophies in the future! All sports fans should watch this incredible team's progress over the coming seasons - it promises to be a thrilling ride full of memorable moments!

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