Willkommen in der MLS, Timo Werner<\/a>!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The San Jose Earthquakes<\/a> are sending shockwaves around the league, and now their biggest star is clicking with his new team.<\/p>\n Werner opened his Earthquakes account in style on Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire, amidst a remarkable 4-1 thrashing<\/a> of LAFC<\/a> at BMO Stadium.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can see that Timo\u2019s going to be a special player for us,\u201d head coach Bruce Arena said postgame. \u201cIt\u2019s going to take a little time to get his fitness and his rhythm, but he\u2019s a special player.<\/p>\n “He\u2019s going to be a great addition to our team.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Timo Werner opens his MLS account! \ud83d\udca5 pic.twitter.com\/5N3zIe8LED<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 20, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n Moments after delivering an excellent assist to Ousseni Bouda<\/a> to take the lead, Werner weaved through LAFC\u2019s defense and scored a special solo goal.<\/p>\n The sequence showcased both his speed and quality on the ball, reminiscent of his best moments in the English Premier League and the German Bundesliga.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m very happy to score my first goal,\u201d Werner said postgame. \u201cIt\u2019s always important for every player on the pitch, but especially for strikers, to score goals and make assists.<\/p>\n “It helps you build a lot of confidence, to build the trust from the team. In general, it\u2019s always good helping the team, and today I could do that with the goal as well.\u201d<\/p>\n The former UEFA Champions League-winning Chelsea forward looks like the missing piece for a Quakes team that’s been a revelation during Arena’s second year at the helm. Werner has been impactful in his early MLS minutes with three assists, and now has his first goal after a two-game absence (injury).<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s twice as fun when you can score a nice goal,\u201d Werner said. \u201cI think in general it was simply important for me just to score a goal, to finally get on the scoresheet. I think goalscoring hasn\u2019t really been there for me recently.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think because we scored the first goal today, we won the game; that\u2019s why I\u2019m happy that I could help, that I could set that up, and that we won the game.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n \u2014 Major League Soccer (@MLS) April 20, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n The dominant scoreline \u2013 which put an exclamation point on San Jose\u2019s second-ever win at LAFC \u2013 extends their lead over their California rivals in the standings and puts them level with Thomas M\u00fcller<\/a>-led\u00a0Vancouver Whitecaps FC<\/a> atop the Western Conference with 21 points.\u00a0<\/p>\n It’s been a remarkable turnaround for a team that missed the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, with many familiar faces from the roster that took the field a year ago.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of the players who are playing now got beat up last year to get the experience they needed to be where they are today,\u201d Arena said. \u201cIt was a real learning tool last year for a number of our guys; we suffered a bit, but it\u2019s paid off this year because they were much more prepared to play.<\/p>\n “It\u2019s a good group of players to work with. They\u2019re a really good group.”<\/p>\n With seven wins from eight games, including head-turning victories over Philadelphia<\/a>, Vancouver and San Diego<\/a>, it makes 2026 the best start to a season in San Jose history.<\/p>\n With several more big in-conference matches \u2013 specifically rematches with Seattle and Vancouver on the horizon \u2013 Arena will hope they can continue to maintain the same attacking and defensive rhythm.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n <\/main><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n
Opening his account<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
Best-ever start<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n
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