By Mauricio Segura August 25, 2025
Photo: GBT Graphics
The San Jose Earthquakes have lit a fire under Levi’s Stadium, selling out 35,000 tickets for their September 13 showdown against LAFC and their shiny new megastar Son Heung-min. With a rival team greasing up the pitch and Mexican Independence Day weekend on the calendar, the Bay Area is about to throw itself an epic fiestas-informed, footy-fueled block party.
This isn’t just another home game, it’s a cultural smackdown wrapped in soccer cleats. The Earthquakes are cranking up their engine with big guns up front: the ever-electric Cristian Espinoza, the bulldozing Josef Martínez, and the crafty Cristian “Chicho” Arango. Together, they’ve already notched 27 goals this season, bringing three-timer revenge aspirations to life after wins over LAFC in both 2023 and 2024.
As if the action on the pitch wasn’t enough, Quakes has sprinkled in a carnival. Picture this: pregame Fan Fest with Pro Wrestling Revolution luchadores, expect mayhem from a Blue Demon Jr. headliner. Halftime sees rising corridos star Edgardo Nuñez serenading the crowd, while meet-and-greets with goalkeeping legend Moisés Muñoz and boxing great Erik “El Terrible” Morales add the celebrity punch. And the first 10,000 fans score a limited-edition Mexican Heritage Terremotos tee, because nothing says “I came prepared” like free swag.
Now here’s the kicker, the kickoff time has shifted. Originally set for 4:30 p.m., it’s been bumped to a more crowd-friendly 5:30 p.m. PT. Smart move, given the expected throng of fans. Thirty-five thousand tickets have already been gobbled up with three weeks to go, and the club is still gunning for a blistering attendance record that stands at 50,850 from 2019.
And speaking of Levi’s Stadium, it’s not just any old NFL field. This venue has quietly become America’s soccer hotspot. After hosting the 2024 Copa America, the Gold Cup semi, and soon the 2026 World Cup, it has as much cred as a packed stadium can hold.
Whether you're watching from the stands, the TV on MLS Season Pass, or tuning in via local radio on KSFO AM 810 in English with Ted Ramey and Joe Cannon or KZSF AM 1370 in Spanish with Carlos César Rivera and Ramiro Corrales, there’s no escaping that electric, cross-cultural buzz.
Basically, this matchup is more than a rivalry game, it’s a spectacle. Cultural pride meets goal-scoring mayhem, and each play echoes past Quakes victories as much as future bragging rights. The pitch is set, the fans are coming, and the Quakes are packing everything into this one day. If they pull it off just right, they might not just win, they could set a new attendance record while doing it.
Levi’s Stadium is primed to shake with every chant, every goal, and every beat of those corridos. This is exactly why we catch the game, the energy is real, the stakes are high, and this event looks built for history.
