Star Night for Daniel Munie in 3-0 Win Over Sporting Kansas City

By: Fernando Abarca

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The Major League Soccer season opened in emphatic fashion for the San

Jose Earthquakes, who hosted Sporting Kansas City and delivered a convincing 3-0 victory

Saturday night.

San Jose, coming off a strong preseason, looked to carry that momentum into the opener

and did just that. The Quakes, who missed the playoffs on the final day last season, are aiming

to reestablish their identity following the departures of key players including Cristian Espinoza,

Josef Martinez and Cristian Arango.

This year, the club is leaning heavily on young talent along with the veteran presence of Timo

Werner to guide the attack. Meanwhile, Sporting KC entered the match looking to regain

confidence after finishing last in the Western Conference a year ago.

San Jose controlled much of the match and created the more dangerous chances throughout

the first half. The breakthrough came in the 41st minute when Preston Judd redirected a corner

kick with a header, and Daniel Munie was in the right place at the right time to finish and give

The second goal followed shortly before halftime, providing further assurance for the hosts.

Judd again played a central role, combining in a team buildup with Jamar Ricketts and Niko

Tsakiris to send San Jose into the break with a 2-0 advantage.

Ten minutes into the second half, Munie struck again to extend the lead to 3-0, recording the

first brace of his MLS career and cementing his role as a key figure in the victory.

In the 83rd minute, Jonathan Gonzalez, formerly of FC Juárez, made his debut for San Jose.

"It's always good to score goals, but a shutout is even better," Munie said after the match.

With the result, the Quakes earn their first win of the season and start the year on the right foot.

San Jose will host Atlanta United next week, while Sporting KC returns home to face the

Columbus Crew.