Earthquakes prepare for Year 2 under Arena with lessons learned, but without starry trio

The Earthquakes will open season No. 2 under head coach Bruce Arena with a hungry cast and some depth concerns on the attack.

Buoyed by the signing of heralded German forward Timo Werner and a 3-0 preseason run, the Quakes will face Sporting Kansas City Saturday night at PayPal Park (7 p.m., Apple TV+).

Gone from the squad, however, are three key attackers — Cristian Espinoza, Josef Martinez and Chicho Arango — along with mainstay center back Rodrigues. The attacking trio combined for 31 goals and 21 assists last season.