Under the bright lights of Levi’s Stadium on Saturday night, soccer fans in Santa Clara witnessed a night of firsts, records, and high drama as Los Angeles FC powered past the San Jose Earthquakes 4-2 in front of a franchise-record crowd of 50,978. The match, held on September 13, 2025, was not only a pivotal contest in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Western Conference playoff race but also doubled as a showcase for the new World Cup-standard grass pitch, providing a taste of what’s to come when the world’s biggest soccer tournament lands in the Bay Area next summer.
From the opening whistle, the energy in the stadium was electric. Fans from across the region—many drawn by the presence of South Korean superstar Son Heung-Min—filled the stands, including the newly opened upper deck. The occasion marked the largest home crowd in Earthquakes history, smashing the previous record set at Stanford Stadium in 2019. Mexican Heritage Night festivities added to the atmosphere, with live music and lucha libre wrestling outside the gates, but it was the action on the pitch that left the most lasting impression.
It took all of 54 seconds for Son Heung-Min to ignite the LAFC faithful. Capitalizing on a midfield turnover by the Earthquakes, Son combined with rookie Artem Smolyakov and Mark Delgado—who notched his career-high eighth assist—to slot home his second goal in just five matches since arriving from Tottenham Hotspur. According to the official match report, Son’s lightning-quick strike tied for the third fastest in LAFC club history and set the tone for a frenetic opening stretch.
“Just like all the Koreans we know in the Bay Area,” said Yi Xuan, a fan from San Mateo who attended with Hoji Nam, highlighting the magnetic pull of Son’s star power. The east side bleachers, bathed in late summer sun, were dotted with Korean flags and jerseys, a testament to the region’s diverse soccer community.
If the Earthquakes hoped to regroup after the early setback, LAFC’s Denis Bouanga had other ideas. The reigning Golden Boot winner, who entered the night trailing Nashville’s Sam Surridge in the season scoring race, struck twice in rapid succession. Bouanga netted in the 9th minute—thanks to a slick assist from Sergi Palencia—and then again in the 12th, this time with Palencia again involved in the build-up. By the 13th minute, LAFC led 3-0, and the stunned record crowd could only marvel at the visitors’ ruthless efficiency.
Bouanga’s performance was nothing short of spectacular. He completed his hat trick in the 87th minute, bringing his season tally to 18 goals, just three shy of the league lead. It marked Bouanga’s third career three-goal game in regular-season play, further cementing his reputation as one of MLS’s most dangerous attackers. “He’s just relentless in front of goal,” noted an LAFC supporter in the stands.
Despite the early deficit, San Jose refused to fold. Preston Judd, enjoying a breakout season, found the net in the 18th minute with his seventh goal—his career best. The Earthquakes pressed on, dominating possession (63.8%), completing passes at an impressive 86.3% accuracy clip, and outshooting LAFC 19 to 9. Yet, as coach Bruce Arena would later lament, dominance in the stat sheet doesn’t always translate to points on the scoreboard.
“I don’t give us that many pats on the back for being maybe in control of the game in the second half,” Arena said postgame. “The only way they decide winners in this game, from all my years being involved in it, is the scoreboard. We won all the other categories, I don’t know if we get any prizes for that. … If you’re the other team in the locker room at halftime, you basically know you’ve got the game won and can play pretty smart and conservative in the second half.”
San Jose’s final tally came late, courtesy of an own goal by LAFC’s Sergi Palencia in the 90th minute—a small consolation for a night that began with such promise. LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, the World Cup-winning veteran, made three key saves to keep the Earthquakes at bay, while Daniel De Sousa Britto recorded two stops for the home side.
The match was more than just a contest for three points. It served as a dress rehearsal for Levi’s Stadium’s transformation into a soccer venue worthy of the World Cup. Grounds crews had replaced the usual turf with 80,000 square feet of lush natural grass, a requirement for international play. While the pitch measured 70 yards wide by 110 yards long—just shy of FIFA’s standard 74 by 115 yards—stadium officials assured that seating rows would be collapsed to meet the necessary dimensions ahead of June 2026.
“The ball was moving nice and the pitch looked great,” said Earthquakes midfielder Ian Harkes, echoing the positive reviews from players and fans alike. Earthquakes president Jared Shawlee, who also serves on the Bay Area Host Committee for the World Cup, called the night “a great opportunity for the Levi’s Stadium staff to see the learnings from this match and apply them as we continue to plan for the World Cup.”
Coach Arena, a veteran of the global stage as a two-time U.S. Men’s National Team coach, offered a constructive critique: “Obviously they’ve got to make the field bigger. You can’t play a World Cup game on a field that size. Not that it was bad. It’s a great venue, a great climate and especially the months of June and July, the weather here is terrific compared to other parts of the United States. So this is an absolutely brilliant facility for the World Cup, it really is.”
For the Earthquakes, the defeat was a setback in their playoff chase. Their margin for error is razor-thin, with only a one-point lead over Real Salt Lake and four games left in the regular season. LAFC, meanwhile, moved within a point of the Seattle Sounders for fourth place in the Western Conference, keeping alive hopes of securing home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Both teams now turn their attention to crucial upcoming fixtures. LAFC will travel to face Real Salt Lake on Wednesday, September 17, while the Earthquakes host St. Louis City on Saturday, September 20. With the postseason picture tightening and World Cup preparations ramping up, the Bay Area’s soccer scene is set for an unforgettable year ahead.
Saturday’s spectacle at Levi’s Stadium was more than just a match—it was a statement about the region’s passion for the beautiful game and a tantalizing preview of the global celebration to come. The scoreboard may have favored LAFC, but the night belonged to everyone who dreams of soccer on the biggest stage.
