After not appearing in the first three games of the 2017 season, Cerén then played in twelve straight games for the Quakes before missing a game due to two yellow cards. After he returned from the 2017 Gold Cup, Cerén picked up his first assist as an Earthquake to give San Jose a 1–0 win over the Colorado Rapids. 2017 was a better season for both San Jose and Cerén, as he made 21 appearances and picked up two assists to help the Earthquakes qualify for the playoffs for the first time in four seasons. Cerén would play the full 90 minutes of their knockout round matchup with the Vancouver Whitecaps, but San Jose would lose 5–0.