Match Events
| Min | Team | Card | Event | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10' | Seattle Sounders | Nouhou Tolo | 0-0 | |
| 20' | Seattle Sounders | Goal — P. Rothrock (assist: J. Ferreira) | 0-1 | |
| 46' | Seattle Sounders | Nikola Petković | 0-1 | |
| 46' | Seattle Sounders | Substitution — J. Ferreira on, A. Rusnak off | 0-1 | |
| 56' | Seattle Sounders | Daniel Musovski | 0-1 | |
| 57' | San Jose Earthquakes | Substitution — D. Jones on, Vitor Costa off | 0-1 | |
| 59' | Seattle Sounders | Peter Kingston | 0-1 | |
| 65' | Seattle Sounders | Substitution — N. Petkovic on, A. Roldan off | 0-1 | |
| 65' | Seattle Sounders | Substitution — D. Musovski on, O. De Rosario off | 0-1 | |
| 65' | Seattle Sounders | Substitution — G. Minoungou on, C. Roldan off | 0-1 | |
| 77' | San Jose Earthquakes | Substitution — O. Bouda on, J. Skahan off | 0-1 | |
| 77' | San Jose Earthquakes | Substitution — B. Leroux on, N. Fernandez off | 0-1 | |
| 86' | San Jose Earthquakes | Niko Tsakiris | 0-1 | |
| 86' | Seattle Sounders | Substitution — P. Kingston on, S. Brunell off | 0-1 | |
| 90+1' | San Jose Earthquakes | Substitution — B. Kikanovic on, P. Marie off | 0-1 |
San Jose dominated possession at PayPal Park, controlling 63 percent of the ball and racking up 25 shots against Seattle's six. The Earthquakes had seven attempts on target to the Sounders' four and earned 17 corner kicks without the visitors getting a single one. Despite that overwhelming pressure, it was Seattle who got the decisive goal in the first half, and they held on for a 0-1 win that will feel like a smash-and-grab raid for Bruce Arena's side. Andrew Thomas was the difference for the Sounders, putting in a Man of the Match performance that kept San Jose at bay through a relentless second half assault. The home team threw everything at their visitors right up until the final whistle, but sometimes that's football—you can have all the possession and territory in the world and still come away empty-handed. This one will sting for the Earthquakes, who created chance after chance but couldn't find the clinical finishing when it mattered.
The Matchup
Seattle Sounders beat San Jose Earthquakes 0-1 at PayPal Park, and the numbers from the match back up how the game played out. Even without the extra share of possession, which finished 63% in favour of San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders made the most of the chances that mattered and did enough to see the game out. The shot count told a similar story, with 25 attempts from San Jose Earthquakes against 6 from Seattle Sounders over the course of the game. San Jose Earthquakes had their moments and did not make it easy from start to finish, but ultimately came up short on the day. Small margins like this one tend to add up over a season, and results such as this are often what separates teams in the table further down the line. Here is a closer look at exactly how the two sides compared, statistically.
Man of the Match
Match Statistics
San Jose Earthquakes vs Seattle Sounders Lineups
Looking Ahead
San Jose Earthquakes have a quick chance to build on this result. Their next test comes at home to Portland Timbers, and how they respond after this result will be worth watching. You can follow the build-up and everything you need to know when San Jose Earthquakes vs Portland Timbers going to play at 27 September 2026 in Major League Soccer 2026.
Seattle Sounders, meanwhile, does not have long to wait before getting back out onto the pitch. They are next in action at home to Minnesota United FC, a game that will give an early sense of how they carry this result forward. Full details are here: Seattle Sounders vs Minnesota United FC going to play at 27 September 2026 in Major League Soccer 2026.