The beautiful game returns to the Bay Area’s site of the FIFA World Cup for one special game Saturday when the San Jose Earthquakes take on LAFC for the in their annual PRIME TIME matchup.
Kickoff from Levi’s Stadium is set for 4:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast globally via Apple TV (English/Spanish), as well as local radio on KSFO 810 AM (English) and La Kaliente 1370 AM (Spanish). This clash is Apple TV’s Walmart Saturday Showdown for Matchday 27.
The Quakes have returned to their winning ways and are riding a four-match unbeaten streak at the best possible time. In their most recent match, a first-half goal from All-Star center back Daniel Munie and a stellar performance in goal from Angus Gunn, including a late double save, helped San Jose hang on for a 1-0 home win over the Houston Dynamo. This result was preceded by a 3-2 road victory at San Diego that Quakes Exclusive analyst Kelly Gray dubbed “The Niko Tsakiris Show” as the 21-year-old playmaker had a hand in all three goals, including a trivela assist to Ousseni Bouda that left jaws dropping around the laegue.
San Jose will be looking to sweep the season series for the very time after storming into BMO Stadium on April 19 and dominating a star-studded LAFC by a 4-1 margin. Bouda was the star of the show with two goals, and Timo Werner scored his first ever MLS goal in this match. Tsakiris and Beau Leroux also chipped in assists in one of the most complete performances of the campaign.
LAFC enters the rematch sixth place in the Western Conference and sitting just one point behind the Quakes. While they have secured several impressive wins since the World Cup break, the Black & Gold are winless in their last five road matches in league play.
Emblematic of that streak was last Saturday when LAFC lost 3-1 at Sporting Kansas City. Still, their attack is undeniably strong, spearheaded by 2023 MLS Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga (13g/8a) and South Korean World Cup star Son Heung-min (5g/12a). French Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris started the season on an unprecedented shutout streak and has come up with many big performances in net this season.
While they will lock horns on the field Saturday, Werner and Son have quite a bit of history and a strong friendship as well. The pair played together at Tottenham Hotspur from 2024-25, winning the UEFA Europa League. Former Quakes striker Jeremy Ebobisse (2021-24) will also return to the Bay Area after his move to LAFC at the start of the 2025 season.
The second match of the Black and Blue’s current homestand is undoubtedly a six-pointer against their West Coast rivals. Can San Jose take advantage of LAFC’s recent road slide? The stars will be on the field at Levi’s Stadium on Saturday; will they align in the Quakes’ favor?
