The San Jose Earthquakes will begin their next chapter under new head coach Luchi Gonzalez in Atlanta in late February after the team’s 2023 schedule was unveiled Tuesday.
The Quakes are set for a Feb. 25 opener at Atlanta United before returning home for their home debut March 4 against the Vancouver Whitecaps. San Jose will host a 20-year reunion for the 2003 MLS Cup champion squad that night.
The California Clasico against the LA Galaxy is set for July 1 at Stanford Stadium, and it won’t be the only home game played at a venue larger than PayPal Park. The Earthquakes will host their newer Southern California rival, MLS Cup champion Los Angeles FC, at Levi’s Stadium on May 6 for what the team is calling the Bay Area’s biggest Cinco de Mayo celebration.
San Jose will host a second match against the Galaxy Aug. 30 at PayPal Park.
Another twist in the schedule will come in July, when MLS action will pause for the month to participate in the Leagues Cup, a new CONCACAF competition between all 47 MLS and Liga MX squads that will feature a group stage and knockout rounds.
The Earthquakes finished the 2022 season last in the Western Conference with just 34 points, firing coach Matias Almeyda in April after San Jose managed just three points from its first seven games and was the last team left without a win. Earthquakes II manager Alex Covelo was elevated as the interim manager for the remainder of the season.
Gonzalez was appointed to the job in August before seeing through his responsibilities at the World Cup as an assistant on the US squad.
One more change coming for the 2023 MLS season is how fans will watch: The league signed a 10-year deal with Apple TV last summer, meaning the Quakes’ games will no longer be shown on NBC Sports Bay Area or California. Instead, all games will be on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass, and a selection of league games will also be broadcast on national TV.
The Earthquakes’ lone national TV game included in Tuesday’s schedule release is a May 14 road game at the Galaxy.
They’ll finish the season Oct. 21 with a home game against Austin FC.
You can find the full schedule on the Earthquakes’ website.
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