San Jose Earthquakes v Sporting Kansas City: Tsakiris excited to challenge for playoffs in 2026

Homegrown San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Niko Tsakiris is expecting an “exciting” season as they look to make a strong start to MLS in 2026 against Sporting Kansas City.

The Earthquakes narrowly missed out on the playoffs in 2025, finishing 10th in the Western Conference, level on points with ninth-place Real Salt Lake, and only missing out on a tie-breaker.

They recorded 11 wins, including a Decision Day 1-0 win over Austin FC to put them in with a chance, though it was a marked improvement on 2024, when they finished rock bottom.

San Jose are aiming to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2023, and Tsakiris is hoping they can kick off the new season on a high to give their chances a boost.

“We were close last year, and this year, we have a lot of familiar faces, so it’s just learning from last year and taking it into this new season,” Tsakiris said.

“It’s a young team, obviously, but we enjoy that, and we accept that. It’s an exciting moment for the team. We had a pretty exciting preseason.”