With the first move of the summer transfer window, the San Jose Earthquakes seemingly upgraded at a position that most felt happy with. Bringing in Angus Gunn, a World Cup starting keeper, put an end to the Daniel era.
While the Quakes moved on from a cornerstone of the team, they received quite a large fee for the Brazilian.
Out of nowhere, Bruce Arena and his team made the move for a keeper who could become one of the best in MLS. For multiple seasons, Daniel provided much-needed stability for the San Jose Earthquakes, but they aren’t losing that quality.
The Manchester City academy product has spent most of his career thus far oscillating between starting and backup roles. However, he remains the starting keeper for the Scottish national team and brings in plenty of top-flight experience. Like Timo Werner, Gunn promises to be the type of player whose experience in high-pressure moments makes the difference.
Since arriving in the Bay, few players have made the same impact on the team as Daniel. Constantly finding ways to bail out poor Quakes sides, the Brazilian established himself as one of the best keepers in MLS. No one expected him to move midseason, especially to a conference rival, but the team received a fee that could help them bring in more difference makers.
Gunn spent the summer trying to help Scotland make it out of the group stages.
Now he needs to help the Quakes by delivering the same level of performance as Daniel.
Out of all the positions that the Quakes needed some sort of improvement, the goalkeeping spot demanded the lowest priority. After all, Daniel played a vital role in the team’s success this season, showing that he was still among the best keepers in MLS.
Over the three and a half seasons he spent in between the sticks in San Jose, Daniel established himself as a foundational piece for every Quakes side. No matter the manager on the sideline or the defense in front of him, he remained the first name on the lineup sheet. Every season, especially during the bad ones, he stood out as one of the few bright spots for a team in desperate need of help.
Perhaps the best aspect of Daniel’s game lies in how fast his reaction time is. Quickly positioning his body to stop shots, he tried his best to clean up the backline’s mistakes. This season, however, he finally had the chance to be at his best with a competitive defense.
Credit: San Jose EarthquakesUltimately, FC Dallas offered such a high transfer fee that the Quakes felt compelled to accept. With Gunn coming in on a free transfer, this gives the team plenty of space to bring in more difference makers.
Dallas sent up to a million in GAM to the Quakes for Daniel, pushing the team to over 5 million in GAM to spend. GAM can be used by the team on players’ contracts and the amount of salary on the roster. This essentially helps teams fit within the salary cap and can be traded to other teams for players.
Should the team want to continue making moves, having access to this amount of GAM provides them with greater flexibility. Whether moves come via trades with other MLS sides or player contracts, they have built themselves quite a cushion. Losing Daniel hurts due to what he meant to the team, but this move helps them flesh out the side.
Daniel gave multiple incredible seasons to the Quakes and continued to help them out this year, but Dallas offered more than the Quakes could refuse.
Having Gunn as an option eased their minds with this decision, even if it still hurts.
Gunn joins the Quakes fresh off a World Cup campaign that saw Scotland, somewhat, underwhelm. The blame doesn’t lie with him, however, but the Quakes brought him in for the other experience that he brings.
Having graduated from Manchester City’s academy, Gunn spent a few years bouncing around the Championship and Premier League. While he never showed consistent form at the Prem level, Gunn was clearly a good Championship keeper. Just 30 years old, the Scottish keeper has made almost 200 appearances across both levels for the Quakes.
His age, well into his prime for a keeper, pairs well with Arena’s vision for the Quakes. A veteran presence that still can play at a high level. One concern with Gunn is that he spent all of last season as a backup with Nottingham.
Gunn presents a departure from the type of keeper that Daniel was for the Quakes. Rather than being this catlike shotstopper, Gunn is a solid keeper who is a better distributor.
As he saw limited gametime last season, the best stats to examine for Gunn come from the 2024/25 Norwich season. The team struggled defensively overall, and so did Gunn. Opponents feasted on the right side of the goal, as the overwhelming majority of goals came via that side.
These issues hampered his overall season stats, as he was around league average in save percentage. However, Gunn’s passing continued to make him a starting-caliber keeper. Given his proficiency in the sorter game, Gunn should be able to help push the ball forward.
Adding in Gunn means that Arena needs something different from his keeper. No longer can they just impact the game with their shot-stopping; they will also need to be decent passers.
Daniel meant so much to fans during an era of the Quakes where any hope felt so distant. The keeper gave the Quakes a shot in any game, but ultimately, FC Dallas offered more than the Quakes expected.
Now, a higher-profile keeper, Gunn, must step up and maintain that level of production.
