‘Still Learning Names’—How Timo Werner Fared on MLS, San Jose Earthquakes Debut

The 29-year-old German picked up an assist in a 2–0 win over Atlanta United.

Timo Werner made his MLS debut as a 61st-minute substitute with the San Jose Earthquakes. | San Jose Earthquakes/Getty Images

The Timo Werner era is underway for the San Jose Earthquakes as the German striker posted an assist in his MLS debut, helping his side to a 2–0 win over Atlanta United on Saturday.

Despite having played just under a full half of soccer through the 2025–26 Bundesliga season with RB Leipzig, Werner kept pace after entering in the 61st minute of San Jose’s second game of the MLS campaign. While he may not be fully fit, he instantly changed the Earthquakes’ attacking approach. 

Having recently departed an awkward situation with Leipzig and through the past several seasons, the 29-year-old looked to be enjoying the competitive experience, and did not look unsettled in his first minutes under legendary MLS manager Bruce Arena.

Naturally, he lined up as a pure central striker and put himself in a scoring position on the first play, making a hard run off the ball to receive a inspire a diagonal from winger Jamar Ricketts, before the pass trickled just beyond his reach. 

Those off-ball darts, combined with an energetic press off the ball to shut down Atlanta’s progressions out of the backline, were key to his performance and a hint of what made him so successful through the early stages of his European career. 

Timo Werner’s pass map after a promising MLS debut. | SofaScore

“I’m still learning names of the staff and the team, and it was tough coming from an 11-hour flight, but I had enough time to rest in Germany over the last few weeks and months,” Werner said postmatch. “It was time to get going and to have fun with the team together.”

His first standout attacking flash saw him play a perfectly-weighted through-ball to Ricketts, who sliced a cross to the back post before the play was called offside. While the moment would have been an MLS secondary assist for Werner, it took less than 10 more minutes for him to become the primary provider. 

With the game opening up in the 79th minute, the Earthquakes orchestrated a 15-pass sequence, leading to Werner jumping on a through pass down the right wing, before playing a low cross to Ousseni Bouda to seal the victory with the game’s second goal. 

Timo Werner INSTANT IMPACT!

The German dishes out an assist on his MLS debut. 😱 pic.twitter.com/DF7QjIUZau

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 1, 2026

Although he wasn’t able to find the back of the net himself, the assist marked his first goal contribution since Dec. 1, 2024, when he teed up Brennan Johnson’s opening goal for Tottenham Hotspur in a 1–1 draw with Fulham in the English Premier League. It also emphasized the impact of his play, with the assist and seven successful passes coming in just 15 touches.

“I think everybody can see that the people were very excited to see me play,” Werner said after the match. “That makes me pretty confident to say that it was absolutely the right decision to come here.”

The victory also put the Earthquakes at six points on the season, boasting two clean sheets with a 3–0 win against Sporting Kansas City and Saturday’s 2–0 showing against Atlanta United.

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How Good Can the Earthquakes Be?

Timo Werner did not take long to settle in with the San Jose Earthquakes. | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

With two wins and no goals conceded through 180 minutes of regular-season action, the Earthquakes are one of four perfect teams in MLS, alongside Vancouver Whitecaps, LAFC and Red Bull New York, as of the end of Saturday’s MLS slate. 

While the club underwent a massive roster transformation in the offseason, parting ways with star attackers Cristian Espinoza, Josef Martínez and Chicho Arango, the collective, led by Daniel Munie and Preston Judd, has stepped up. Add Werner to the mix, and they’re suddenly an intriguing group atop the standings. 

Still, it may be too early to get overly excited, even with Werner’s promising debut. Kansas City and Atlanta finished in the bottom quarter of the MLS in 2025 and are widely expected to be near that mark again this season. 

San Jose will face a more significant test in the third match next week, taking on the defending Supporters’ Shield winners, the Philadelphia Union, who underwent their own massive offseason transformation. Should they win that, the conversation around the club will start to change significantly. 

“I want to enjoy the football with the guys,” Werner added. “I think at the moment, the first thing we want to do is to reach the playoffs, and that’s my aim as well. How many goals I score, how many assists I do, I think that’s on another page, but the most important thing is that we are successful with the team.”

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