LAFC vs. San Jose Earthquakes - Fan Appreciation Night
Saturday, Oct. 19 at 6 p.m. PT
🏟: BMO Stadium - Los Angeles, CA
🎪: LAFC Fan Fest - 2-5:30 p.m. PT at Christmas Tree Lane (north side of BMO Stadium) includes the debut of LAFC HQ Outlet, featuring merch discounts and end-of-season sales!
🎟: The first 10,000 fans to enter the stadium will receive a limited-edition "10 Years of History" pennant, courtesy of DoorDash.
🌯: 50% off in-stadium concessions until 5:30 p.m. PT (except Kings Hawaiian).
🏆: Arrive early to witness a full-stadium fan mosaic, tifo display, and U.S. Open Cup title celebration, including raising the championship banner!
🛍: LAFC HQ open 12-8:30 p.m. PT
🕹: Level Up Arcade open 4-6 p.m. PT pre-game and 90 minutes after the final whistle.
After a dramatic 2-1 win over the Vancouver Whitecaps at BC Place last Sunday, LAFC next hosts the San Jose Earthquakes in both teams’ regular-season finale at BMO Stadium on Saturday.
The Black & Gold heads into MLS Decision Day 2024 with a record of 18W-8L-7D, good for second place in the Western Conference, with 61 points from 33 matches. For LAFC to earn the Western Conference’s top seed in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs, LAFC must secure a victory over San Jose by at least a two-goal margin, coupled with a Galaxy loss in Houston. The Black & Gold currently trails the Galaxy by three points in the standings.
“We didn't spend a whole lot of time this week discussing [playoff] scenarios,” head coach Steve Cherundolo told members of the media on Thursday. “I think for us, the important thing is doing what we can, and focusing on that. And obviously that is trying to win a game with a two-goal advantage. That would be our first objective.”
Decision Day will also determine the winner of the MLS Golden Boot award. Denis Bouanga, currently in second place with 19 goals, trails leader Christian Benteke (23) by four goals. Bouanga and fellow forward Cristian Olivera are expected to return from international duty in time for the San Jose match, Cherundolo said.
Saturday’s matchup marks the 20th all-time meeting between the Quakes and LAFC, with the Black & Gold holding an 11W-7L-1D record in the series. The teams last clashed in August - in the Leagues Cup Round of 16 - when LAFC earned a 4-1 win.
Quakes In Depth:
Coached by interim head coach Ian Russell, the Earthquakes are looking to play spoiler in their final regular-season match of 2024. With a record of 6W-24L-3D across 33 matches, the Quakes sit at the bottom of the Supporters’ Shield standings with 21 points—tying their all-time low (2018).
San Jose has gained one win in its last seven matches (1W-5L-1D). Its latest outing ended in a 1-0 defeat to Real Salt Lake on October 5 at PayPal Park. Amahl Pellegrino leads the team with seven goals and two assists, while Hernán López, Diego Maradona's great-nephew, has contributed six goals and two assists since joining the club in May.
The Black & Gold Can Win If:
It takes advantage of a San Jose squad that is not in its best form and which has conceded more goals than any team in the league. Simultaneously, LAFC bears the load of continuing its recent hot streak; the Black & Gold enters this match riding a five-game win streak across all competitions, having outscored opponents 11-3 during that stretch.
“It's very important to have that good feeling, that confidence we had the last couple of weeks, just to keep that continued—that momentum,” midfielder Timmy Tillman said after training on Thursday.
Winning this match, Cherundolo reiterated, takes precedence over any other teams’ results on Decision Day. “If you do your job but [other MLS teams’] results don't go your way, there's no point in making that a negative by any means, it's only positive,” Cherundolo said. “We've won a couple of games in a row now and to finish the season on a high note with a win is very important.”
San Jose Can Win If:
They score the first goal or two and alter the structure of the game. The Quakes come into this match in a spoiler role, eager to upset their California rivals and surprise a 29-team league that has already counted them out. With only two road wins this season and having conceded 43 goals away from home, however, San Jose will need to deliver one of its best performances of the season—one similar to its win over LAFC back in May—to upend their hosts.
