September 16 – The San Jose Earthquakes set a new club attendance benchmark on Saturday night, drawing 50,978 fans to Levi’s Stadium for their 4-2 defeat to LAFC. The figure surpassed the Quakes’ previous record of 50,850, set in 2019 against the LA Galaxy at Stanford Stadium.
Only a handful of Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs have seen bigger gates this season, with Atlanta United (65,520), Chicago Fire (62,358), and Columbus Crew (60,614) topping the list. Saturday’s crowd ranks among the largest anywhere in the league in 2025 and the biggest west of the Mississippi.
On the field, San Jose struggled. The defeat left them in a dangerous position and clinging on by fingertips to the final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 35 points. LAFC continued their good run of form and climbed to fifth on 44.
Former USMNT head coach and four-time MLS coach of the year Bruce Arena felt the night was less about the result and more about what the occasion meant for soccer in the region.
“I think the crowd tonight shows what a great area this is for soccer in this country,” Arena said. “It’s going to be a great venue for the World Cup, and I thank our soccer community for coming out and supporting us tonight. I wish we could have put on a better show, but I think LAFC did. Give them a lot of credit, but a crowd like this is nothing but positive for our franchise and the league.”
Midfielder Ian Harkes, son of USMNT legend John, echoed those sentiments. “It’s incredible to see. It’s my first time playing at Levi’s. Just want to say thank you to everyone that came out, and hopefully they stick with us. We still believe, and we can’t give up.”