LAFC vs San Jose Earthquakes: Live Score, Highlights & How to Watch Tonight’s MLS Clash

The California Clasico gets a high-stakes twist on Saturday night when Los Angeles Football Club visit the San Jose Earthquakes at Levi’s Stadium, a matchup poised to smash the Quakes’ single-game attendance record and reshape the Western Conference playoff picture. Record Crowd, Rivalry Energy • San Jose have opened the 68,000-seat upper deck at Levi’s after presales surged past the 50,000 mark, eclipsing the 2019 benchmark of 50,850 and creating the largest MLS crowd in Bay Area history. • Bruce Arena’s Quakes view LAFC as “a derby for us,” while acknowledging a large traveling contingent for Black & Gold and South Korean superstar Son Heung-Min. Playoff Pressure Cooker • LAFC (11-7-8, 41 pts) sit fifth but own a game in hand on fourth-place Seattle; a road win could vault them into a home-field slot. • San Jose (9-12-8, 35 pts) cling to ninth—the final postseason berth—and can’t afford to drop points with Houston breathing down their necks. Star Power Spotlight • Son Heung-Min has four goals in five MLS appearances since his headline-grabbing summer arrival, joining Denis Bouanga in a turbo-charged LAFC front line. • Cristian Espinoza (14 g/11 a) and rising USMNT striker Cade Cowell carry Quakes hopes, while Jamiro Monteiro’s fitness will be monitored up to kickoff. • Timothy Tillman calls Levi’s “a tough place we need to conquer,” referencing LAFC’s 0-2-1 record in Santa Clara. Key Numbers & Tactical Trends 53 — Goals for San Jose, second-best in the West, but they’ve conceded 49, most among current playoff teams. 12 — Set-piece goals for LAFC, tops in MLS; Quakes have allowed 10 from dead-ball situations. 90+3’ — Average minute of LAFC’s last-gasp equalizers this season; LA’s late-game fitness is a constant threat. Projected XIs San Jose (4-3-3): Yarbrough; Akapo, Mensah, Rodrigues, Trauco; Gruezo, Yueill, Monteiro*; Espinoza, Cowell, Ebobisse. LAFC (4-3-3): Crépeau; Hollingshead, Long, Murillo, Palacios; Tillman, Sánchez, Acosta; Bouanga, Son, Vela. *If Monteiro can’t go, Niko Tsakiris slots in. How to Watch & Kickoff Details • Date/Time: Saturday, Sept. 13 – 5:30 p.m. PT / 8:30 p.m. ET • Venue: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA • Streaming: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV Prediction Expect end-to-end football: LAFC’s speed in transition versus the Quakes’ wing overloads. If San Jose can neutralize Son’s inside-out runs and exploit LA’s high line, they’ll feed off the record crowd. Otherwise, LAFC’s firepower and late-game pedigree tip the scale. Final call: 3-2 LAFC in a Levi’s Stadium classic.