Availability report and match preview: 5-Stripes face West Coast trip to see rare opponent San Jose

The 5-Stripes are settling into the season, and while they didn't get off to the start they hoped when they lost to FC Cincinnati in their season opener, no one is hitting the panic button. Especially not head coach Tata Martino. 

"We understand being a team early in the season that's still constructing what we want to do," Martino said in Spanish after training Thursday. "We're going to have to have some learning experiences. What we have to do is analyze what happened but also move on and turn the page quickly."

The second of two road trips to start the season is underway, as Atlanta United left the South for the Bay Thursday. There, they'll find an opponent that they've rarely faced but with which they share a great history in San Jose Earthquakes. 

Preparations and development before the West Coast

Martino has a match back at the helm of Atlanta United under his belt, and he's racing against time to get his team up to speed, especially in the attack. 

"We can improve on our buildup from the last game," Martino said. "It was difficult for us to play through when they're defending and man-marking. We've only been training together for about 50 days now, so it's something we're going to continue to be working on."

Getting all three forward to be aligned in attacking runs and thoughts will be a season-long mission for the 5-Stripes, but Martino said there's as much onus on the midfielders and defenders in building up positive plays. Players like Steven Alzate and Tomás Jacob will need to use their creativity and ball skills to spur on encouraging movements. 

Alexey Miranchuk, who came on for a substitute stint towards the end of the Cincinnati match, said Thursday he feels 100% healthy heading into the San Jose clash. In his roughly 20 minutes on the pitch last Saturday, he could already see that movement was going to define their final product going forward. 

"In the attacking third or buildup, [Tata] wants us not to be static but moving around," Miranchuk said. "We need to not just play one against one against defenders. We need to move to make them think."

Movement invites uncertainty of where the shifting attackers will be at any given time, which is where instincts come into play. That, and a clinical nature the 5-Stripes are still looking to establish, will be crucial. 

"We need to be aggressive, and we need to hurt them [when] we get the chance," Miranchuk said, referring to taking chances. ​

The Atlanta United squad is still developing those traits, and doing it together as a unit, not just individually, matters even more. Two other 5-Stripes that are still familiarizing themselves with the squad spoke to media Tuesday, starting goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos and Homegrown midfielder Cooper Sanchez. The latter was fresh off becoming the youngest player to ever start a season opener for the 5-Stripes, and he showed why he's got so much promise. 

"I felt ready going into the game, just expressing myself and showing what kind of player I am," Sanchez said.

We'll see tomorrow whether the youngster keeps his spot in Martino's starting XI, but the initial look at his game showed a player with overwhelming confidence, even with his smaller frame against players who have decades of experience on him. 

"I want to be a key contributor to the team," Sanchez said. "I think I can do that this year and help the team win games ... [the goal is to continue] getting used to each other, learning a new style of play and starting to get wins and adding goals and assists to my game."​

Hoyos, a 36-year-old veteran of the game, brings an entirely different perspective. He's the one trying to aid the development of players like Sanchez, all the while being a key piece to the team's success. 

"Accompanying the kids, whether it's [helping] the other goalkeepers or the youngest players at the club, it's my intention," Hoyos said in Spanish Tuesday. "... My place is always going to be to contribute what they need of me."

Availability report remains the same

The 5-Stripes will miss the exact same three players as last time out, according to the club's Friday availability report. Dominik Chong Qui's knee injury will keep him sidelined, Jay Fortune is still ramping up to match fitness after his foot surgery last year and Will Reilly is still nursing a hamstring strain:

A clash with brief yet storied history

Atlanta United hits the road to face off against their first Western Conference opponent of the 2026 season in San Jose. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, February 28 as Tata Martino and his team go cross country to face a team they've never lost to. The 5-Stripes are looking to earn their first three points of the regular season against a San Jose side that finished just outside the MLS Cup Playoff spots last season in 10th.

These two sides may not have much history, having only played four times, but sparks tend to fly when they do. The last time they squared up was Atlanta United's season opener in 2023, a 2-1 win where former 5-Stripe Thiago Almada scored a stoppage time brace. But perhaps the most iconic matchup between these two less-than-familiar sides came in 2018. The 5-Stripes came back from down 3-1 to win a 4-3 thriller courtesy of a 95th minute goal from Josef Martínez. Time will tell what new wrinkles unfold come Saturday.

Earthquakes are potentially getting new signing Timo Werner, a forward with European pedigree, into the squad for the match. His pace and agility would be a challenge for the 5-Stripes defenders, but if he doesn't play, San Jose isn't left with a ton of options going forward. Over the offseason, Earthquakes lost their two leading scorers from 2025 in Josef Martínez and Cristian Arango (out on loan).

Regardless of who plays, Earthquakes will be in experienced hands with head coach Bruce Arena. A five-time MLS Cup champion, Arena has earned Martino's respect, as the Atlanta United gaffer highlighted that he'll have his side prepared for a battle.  

"Now we're facing a team in a different roster build [than Cincinnati] but with a coach who has a lot of experience in this league," Martino said. "We've been working on ways to try and take the game to where we feel like we have the most advantages."