Cristian “Chicho” Arango and Josef Martínez found the back of the net in the first half, helping the San Jose Earthquakes secure a 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night—despite being reduced to 10 men for the final 38 minutes.
Under new head coach Bruce Arena, a five-time MLS Cup champion, San Jose has started the season strong with two consecutive victories. The Earthquakes are looking to turn things around after finishing last in the league with just 21 points in 2023.
Arango wasted no time making an impact, scoring his first goal for San Jose just three minutes into the match. The forward, acquired from Real Salt Lake in the offseason, registered 17 goals and 12 assists last year. His success against Sporting KC continues, bringing his tally to five goals and three assists in eight career matchups against them.
San Jose doubled its lead in the 19th minute when Josef Martínez netted his first goal of the season. The veteran striker’s unassisted effort marked his 117th career MLS goal, tying him with Bradley Wright-Phillips for sixth on the all-time scoring list. It also brought his total goal contributions to 137, ranking him third in league history.
Sporting KC (0-2-0) cut the deficit in the 27th minute after newcomer Dejan Joveljic converted a penalty kick. The spot-kick was awarded following a foul on San Jose midfielder Ian Harkes. Joveljic, who joined from the LA Galaxy after scoring 21 goals across all competitions last season, made no mistake from the spot.
The Earthquakes faced adversity in the 52nd minute when midfielder Hernán López received his second yellow card, leaving San Jose to play a man down. His first booking came in first-half stoppage time, but despite the disadvantage, the Earthquakes held firm to secure the victory.
