The nine-game road trip begins for FC Dallas this weekend as they head west to face one of the hottest teams in MLS in the San Jose Earthquakes.
Like Dallas, San Jose dropped their midweek game to cool off a bit, but they still sit 9-2-2 on the season with a staggering +18 goal differential. This is not the same San Jose side that fans are used to shrugging off in previous years. They’re fast, aggressive, confident and Bruce Arena is back to pushing the right buttons.
Let’s dive into the Quakes to see what is making them so good in 2026.
Potential Lineup & Tactic Style:
This version of San Jose is a problem. A real one.
San Jose has gone from the “chaotic West Coast nuisance” to one of the more dangerous teams in MLS. Even after Wednesday’s loss in Seattle, this is still a team playing with confidence, aggression and a whole lot of attacking freedom.
- Offensive tendencies - The Quakes want to push games forward. They attack vertically and move through the midfield quickly. With guys like Timo Werner, Preston Judd and Niko Tsakiris, they’re getting production from all over.
- Defensive shape - The Quakes still take risk. Fullbacks will push high, midfielders will commit numbers forward, and they’re willing to leave space open if it means maintaining pressure. The gamble works because they are overwhelming teams more often than not.
Key Player: Preston Judd
Forget the bigger European resume for a second on the Quakes’ roster, Preston Judd is the guy driving this attack right now. He sits three goals off the Golden Boot leaderboard with nine goals on the year.
The 26-year old has become the perfect fit for Arena’s style in San Jose. He presses relentlessly, stretches the back lines with smart movement, and has developed a knack for finding himself in the right spot to score.
Limiting his touches in and around the penalty box will be one thing, but tracking him for 90 minutes will be a tough task.
Key Matchup: Judd vs Osaze Urhoghide
Let’s be honest for a moment, Urhoghide had a rough night on Wednesday against Vancouver. Scoring an own-goal aside, it was not the best outing we’ve seen this year out of him.
Urhoghide’s strength and recovery speed make him one of the better defenders for this kind of matchup. But the mental side matters just as much here. Judd thrives on defenders losing focus for half a second.
Availability Report1:
Suspended: none
Out: Vítor Costa (lower body), Earl Edwards Jr (lower body), DeJuan Jones (lower body), Niko Tsakiris (lower body), Timo Werner (lower body)
Questionable: none
International duty: none
Quick Notes:
All-time vs Dallas: San Jose holds a 31-22-23 all-time regular season record against FC Dallas, along with a 18-8-13 all-time regular season record at home. Dallas last picked up a win at PayPal Park back in 2016.
Current form: After the host start and going on a six-game winning streak, San Jose has gotten hit by some injuries and their form has taken a small dip. They’re winless in their last three games, including the loss at Seattle on Wednesday night.
Where they're at in the standings: Despite the current dip, the Quakes are still tied for the lead in the Western Conference with 29 points.
Three keys for FC Dallas
- Survive the early pressure: As Seattle found on Wednesday, San Jose loves a fast start. They love it even more at home. Dallas has to stay compact early, not come out flat, and weather the initial energy. If they avoid the early mistakes in this one, it could go a long way.
- Track runners through the midfield: While the injuries have hit their attack a good bit in recent weeks, the Quakes system is still producing goals. They love to attack in waves, with multiple players crashing into dangerous spaces constantly. Dallas has to communicate and stay organized defensively, especially in transition moments.
- Be direct when transition chances happen: Like any team that commits numbers forward, the Quakes will leave space. Dallas has to stay calm and attack quickly when they get into those open spaces that San Jose will leave open in transition. We’ve seen Dallas attack teams well in these moments, but they have to make it count even more so on the road in a game when chances may be limited.
Want to know how Dallas should line up to exploit exactly what we just broke down? Our weekly ‘What to Watch For’ will tackle that later this week. Sign up free and we'll send it to you before kickoff.
1 Note: MLS has an injury report deadline that doesn’t hit until the day before each game. Our scouting reports will include last week's report and will be fully updated the day before with our injury report for FC Dallas.
