Timo Werner Makes His Mark in MLS Debut Despite 'Still Learning Names' at San Jose Earthquakes
The Timo Werner chapter has begun for the San Jose Earthquakes as the German forward recorded an assist in his MLS debut, contributing to his team's 2–0 victory over Atlanta United on Saturday.
Although he had played less than a complete half of football during the 2025–26 Bundesliga campaign with RB Leipzig, Werner maintained his rhythm after coming on in the 61st minute of San Jose's second match of the MLS season. While he might not be at peak fitness, he immediately transformed the Earthquakes' offensive dynamics.
Having recently left a challenging situation at Leipzig over recent seasons, the 29-year-old appeared to relish the competitive atmosphere and showed no signs of discomfort in his initial minutes under renowned MLS coach Bruce Arena.
As expected, he positioned himself as a traditional center forward and created a scoring opportunity on his first touch, making an aggressive off-ball movement to receive what would have been a diagonal pass from winger Jamar Ricketts, though the ball rolled just out of his range.
Those intelligent runs without the ball, paired with an intense defensive press to disrupt Atlanta's build-up play from the back, were crucial elements of his display and offered glimpses of what made him so effective during his early European career.
"I'm still getting familiar with the names of the coaching staff and teammates, and it was challenging coming off an 11-hour flight, but I had sufficient time to recover in Germany over the past few weeks and months," Werner commented after the match. "It was time to get started and enjoy playing alongside the team."
His first notable attacking moment featured him delivering a perfectly-timed through ball to Ricketts, who sent a cross toward the far post before the play was ruled offside. While that sequence would have counted as an MLS secondary assist for Werner, it took fewer than 10 additional minutes for him to become the primary creator.
As the match became more open in the 79th minute, the Earthquakes executed a 15-pass build-up, culminating with Werner latching onto a through ball down the right flank before delivering a low cross to Ousseni Bouda to clinch the win with the match's second goal.
Timo Werner INSTANT IMPACT!
The German dishes out an assist on his MLS debut. 😱 pic.twitter.com/DF7QjIUZau
While he couldn't score himself, the assist represented his first goal involvement since Dec. 1, 2024, when he set up Brennan Johnson's opener for Tottenham Hotspur in a 1–1 tie with Fulham in the English Premier League. It also highlighted his efficiency, with the assist and seven completed passes coming from merely 15 touches.
"I believe everyone could see that the supporters were thrilled to watch me play," Werner stated following the game. "That gives me great confidence to say it was definitely the correct choice to come here."
The win also elevated the Earthquakes to six points for the season, maintaining two shutouts with a 3–0 triumph against Sporting Kansas City and Saturday's 2–0 performance versus Atlanta United.
How Good Can the Earthquakes Be?
How Good Can the Earthquakes Be?
With two victories and zero goals allowed across 180 minutes of regular-season play, the Earthquakes are among four unbeaten teams in MLS, joining Vancouver Whitecaps, LAFC and Red Bull New York, as of Saturday's MLS results.
Though the organization completed a significant roster overhaul during the offseason, releasing key offensive players Cristian Espinoza, Josef Martínez and Chicho Arango, the collective unit, spearheaded by Daniel Munie and Preston Judd, has risen to the occasion. Include Werner in the equation, and they've become a fascinating squad leading the table.
However, it might be premature to become overly enthusiastic, despite Werner's encouraging debut. Kansas City and Atlanta ended in the lower tier of MLS in 2025 and are broadly anticipated to remain near that level this season.
San Jose will encounter a more substantial challenge in their third fixture next week, facing the reigning Supporters' Shield champions, the Philadelphia Union, who completed their own extensive offseason rebuild. If they succeed there, the narrative surrounding the club will begin to shift dramatically.
"I want to have fun playing football with these players," Werner concluded. "I believe right now, our primary objective is to make the playoffs, and that's my goal too. How many goals I net, how many assists I provide, I think that's secondary, but the most crucial thing is that we succeed as a team."