SAN JOSE — Josef Martinez has done a lot of winning in his career. 

The 31-year-old Venezuelan international won the MLS Cup with Atlanta United in 2018, a season where he won MLS MVP, All-Star Game MVP, the Golden Boot and the MLS Cup Final MVP. 

He’s become accustomed to being on the right side of the ledger. So why would he join a San Jose Earthquakes team that finished last in MLS in 2024?

“It’s a new year,” Martinez said.

The San Jose Quakes’ Josef Martínez stands during practice near PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

That it is. On a day where the Earthquakes introduced Martinez and fellow acclaimed international striker Chicho Arango at PayPal Park, a newfound optimism permeated the building for the first time in a while.

Much of it flowed from the mouth of Martinez.

“What happened last year is not my concern,” he said. “We come here for a new project. We come here for winning. We come here to change the mind of the guys who were here last year.”

Martinez does not lack confidence, but San Jose has a tall task ahead. The Quakes’ new man in charge, all-time winningest MLS coach Bruce Arena, understands that reality well.

San Jose Quakes’ head coach Bruce Arena walks on their practice field at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

“I’ve only literally been here for 10 days, and it’s going to take us a little time,” Arena conceded. “But I think we’ll make progress. I like what I’ve seen in the early going, but again, we need to be a little bit patient. We don’t have all of the answers at this point, but hopefully, as we continue in preseason, we’ll get a better feel for the group and be able to field a more competitive team on Feb. 22 when we play Real Salt Lake.”

That match, the Quakes’ season opener in San Jose, will be a reunion for Arango with his former team. Arango, RSL’s former captain who was traded to San Jose on Saturday, expressed excitement and optimism about building the Earthquakes into a winner.

“I love a challenge,” the 29-year-old Colombian forward said through interpreter Carlos Ramirez. “I loved the project, the vision that the Quakes brought to the table. I understand it’s a lot of new players, but I am an ambitious football player, and that’s what I want to bring here. That’s what enticed me to come to San Jose, to win different things. A change of scenery as well.”

The San Jose Quakes’ Cristian “Chicho” Arango runs on the practice field near PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

One player who won’t be getting a change of scenery – literally speaking – is San Jose captain Cristian Espinoza. The 29-year-old Argentinian winger is a holdover from last season, but he certainly seems refreshed by the new additions.  

“They give us a lot,” said Espinoza, whose face visibly lit up at the mention of Martinez and Arango. “Every time that we can sign such good players is really important for the club, for us to have teammates of that level that make us be in a position to increase our level, individually and collectively.

“I was really happy, to be honest. Really happy and really grateful to the club to do all those efforts. Hopefully all together, we can achieve good things this year.”

One riddle that the Quakes will have to solve involves whether Martinez or Arango will play in the No. 9 position at the top of the pitch. Both players have thrived in that role throughout their careers.

But on Tuesday, neither seemed too concerned about their positioning or how they would coexist. 

The Quakes have a press conference for new players, Josef Martínez, left, and Cristian “Chicho” Arango, right, at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

“Why not both?” Arango said. “The expectations are high, both for me and Josef, and the club that’s here. We both hope to be at the level of those expectations. The goal is to win the championship, and to have a healthy group within the club, and that’s what we both bring to this organization.”

Martinez, echoing his earlier comments, maintained the overall focus on winning matches.

“I don’t have any issue,” Martinez said. “We have a group. We have professionals. We know the coach has the decision to make, who starts, who’s not. The most important thing is winning. We have to be ready for every game. Obviously, we want to play every game. That’s normal with strikers. We want to score no matter what. 

“But we know the most important thing is three points. The most important thing is the playoffs. And we want to win. They all want to win too. But everyone has to compete every day, and whoever is the best will play. I don’t have a problem if I have a start or Chicho has a start. We have a group, and we have to understand that.”

The Quakes have a press conference for new players, Josef Martínez, left, and Cristian “Chicho” Arango, right, at PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 
The San Jose Quakes’ Cristian “Chicho” Arango walks off the practice field near PayPal Park in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)