'Supporting the neighbors' – Niko Tsakiris, San Jose Earthquake stars cheer on fellow Bay Area pro team, attend NHL's San Jose Sharks game

With preseason in full flow, MLS teams have been preparing for the upcoming campaign, which begins Feb. 23. However, with some downtime on their hands, several San Jose Earthquakes players were seen supporting their sporting neighbors - in this case, Quakes’ trio Niko Tsakiris, Cruz Medina, and Oscar Verhoeven were cheering on NHL’s San Jose Sharks.

The trio were in the stands supporting the hockey team during a crucial game, with the Sharks beating the Pittsburgh Penguins ended 2-1.

The show of support from the Earthquakes not only showcases the strong sense of community between the two teams, but also respect for fellow athletes. The Bay Area has a number of pro teams, including the Golden State Warriors, NWSL team Bay FC, WNBA's Golden State Valkyries and the San Francisco 49ers.

For the Earthquakes fans, it means more especially after original team was relocated to Houston in 2006 and became the Dynamo in the process.

After a last-place finish in the Western Conference in the 2024 MLS season, the San Jose Earthquakes have a lot to improve - and they’ve already made a few changes. The club used their fifth overall pick to select promising 21-year-old Reid Roberts and also signed free-agent Josef Martinez. While the forward’s skills have waned over the last few years, Martinez still is an improvement for the lowest-scoring team in the Western Conference in 2024.

He is joined by designated player Cristian Arango, Nick Lima and a few others who manager Bruce Arena hopes shore up a squad ahead of their season opener against Real Salt Lake.