Tuesday, December 26, 2023

San Jose Earthquakes announce their 2024 MLS schedule and celebrate their 50th anniversary

If you're a soccer fan there is a lot to look forward to next year. In addition to the Copa America games at Levi's Stadium, the San Jose Earthquakes have recently released their 2024 schedule and there are a few notable matches on there. 

One home game against LAFC will take place at Levi's Stadium with a special halftime performance from Mexican singer-songwriter El Fantasma and a Cinco de Mayo pregame festival. Their 50th Anniversary game takes place at Stanford Stadium and will feature several additional activities to celebrate the occasion. All other home games will be at PayPal Park. Check out the full release below.


EARTHQUAKES ANNOUNCE 2024 MLS SCHEDULE FOR 50TH ANNIVERSARY  

Quakes welcome Galaxy in home opener on March 2, return to Levi’s® Stadium on May 4 vs LAFC 

  

SANTA CLARA, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes unveiled their full schedule for the upcoming Major League Soccer season as they celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2024. The year kicks off with a road match at FC Dallas on Feb. 24 before the home slate begins with a matchup against their biggest rival, the LA Galaxy, on Saturday, March 2 at PayPal Park. The match marks the 99th meeting between the two teams in official competitions and the first time San Jose has hosted the Galaxy in the home opener. 

 

The Quakes return to Levi’s® Stadium for the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in Northern California on Saturday, May 4, against LAFC before heading to Stanford Stadium on Saturday, June 29, in a rematch against the Galaxy that will be part of a commemorative 50th Anniversary Weekend. Additionally, the schedule features the second year of Leagues Cup between every club from MLS and Mexico’s Liga MX. In all, San Jose plays their two Southern California rivals three times each, starting with the Galaxy for the home opener and ending with LAFC for Decision Day on Oct. 19. 

 

“The Earthquakes are proud to celebrate our 50th anniversary with a truly landmark schedule, starting with the home opener against our biggest rival at PayPal Park,” said Earthquakes President Jared Shawlee. “Between returning to Levi’s® Stadium for a full-capacity match, and our 50th Anniversary Weekend in June, this season will be filled with great matchups for our fans.” 

 

After starting the season away at Toyota Stadium versus FC Dallas on Saturday, Feb. 24 (5:30 p.m. PT), the Quakes will return to PayPal Park to play three of the next four games, headlined by the California Clasico home opener against the Galaxy on Saturday, March 2 (7:30 p.m. PT). Following the homestand, San Jose will hit the road for four of the next five games before coming back to the Bay Area for a long-awaited rematch with LAFC at Levi’s® Stadium on May 4 (4:30 p.m. PT). 

 

Last season, the Quakes won 2-1 in front of over 45,000 fans and featured a special halftime performance from Mexican singer-songwriter El Fantasma, along with a pregame festival and numerous celebrity appearances. The game day will once again be the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in Northern California, including a pregame fan festival, a halftime musical performance, and activations honoring Mexican heritage. In addition, the Quakes will open the stadium to its full capacity for this momentous match. More information about the event will be announced later. To learn about suite purchases, please click here or email Suites@49ers.com

 

“We’re excited to welcome the Earthquakes and their devoted fanbase back to Levi’s® Stadium after last year’s tremendous success,” said Al Guido, President of the San Francisco 49ers. “Levi’s® will be hosting this match, followed by Copa America in 2024, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and it's no question that the Quakes will continue to be a critical part of soccer’s growth in Northern California.” 

 

After the match at Levi’s® Stadium and a pair of road games, the Quakes play eight of 12 matches at home, with the highlight of that stretch being the annual California Clasico at Stanford Stadium on Saturday, June 29 (7:30 p.m. PT). The historic event, a staple of San Jose’s rivalry with the Galaxy, will now be elevated to another level as the club celebrates its 50th anniversary that weekend. The parade of festivities includes the return of numerous Quakes alumni from the past five decades, a countdown honoring the club’s top 50 players, and the Bay Area’s largest fireworks display. 

 

After three more home matches in early July, the Quakes take a month-long break from regular-season action for Leagues Cup, an interleague tournament between MLS and Liga MX that starts on July 26 and concludes with the final on Aug. 25. All 47 teams from the two leagues will participate, with three teams earning qualification to the 2025 Concacaf Champions League. Last year, the Quakes hosted Liga MX side Tigres UANL in a sold-out group stage match at PayPal Park. More information about the competition, including the draw for the group stage, will be announced later. 

The final stretch of the regular season entails eight games—an even four on the road and four in San Jose—culminating in the home finale at PayPal Park against Real Salt Lake on Oct. 5 (7:30 p.m. PT) and Decision Day away at LAFC’s BMO Stadium on Oct. 19 (6:00 p.m.). 

 

Single-game tickets will be available to the general public on Friday, Dec. 22, and are now available for current 2024 season ticket holders. Tickets for Levi’s® and Stanford will go on sale in January, with more information to be announced later. Fans interested in tickets for groups of 10 or more can find more information here, while those interested in purchasing 2024 season tickets can click here

 

The San Jose Earthquakes’ full 2024 regular season schedule is below: 

 

DATE 

OPPONENT 

TIME (PT) 

VENUE 

BROADCAST 

Saturday, Feb. 24 

at DAL 

5:30 PM 

Toyota Stadium 

Apple TV 

Saturday, Mar. 2 

LA 

7:30 PM 

PayPal Park 

Apple TV 

Saturday, Mar. 9 

VAN 

7:30 PM 

PayPal Park 

Apple TV 

Saturday, Mar. 16 

at SKC 

5:30 PM 

Children’s Mercy Park  

Apple TV 

Saturday, Mar. 23 

SEA 

7:30 PM 

PayPal Park 

Apple TV 

Saturday, Mar. 30 

at HOU 

5:30 PM 

Shell Energy Stadium 

Apple TV 

Saturday, Apr. 6 

at ATX 

5:30 PM 

Q2 Stadium  

Apple TV 

Saturday, Apr. 13 

COL 

7:30 PM 

PayPal Park 

Apple TV 

Sunday, Apr. 21 

at LA 

4:00 PM 

 Dignity Health Sports Park 

Apple TV/FS1 

Saturday, Apr. 27 

at NSH 

5:30 PM 

Geodis Park  

Apple TV 

Saturday, May 4 

LAFC 

4:30 PM 

Levi's® Stadium 

Apple TV 

Saturday, May 11 

at COL 

6:30 PM 

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park  

Apple TV 

Wednesday, May 15 

at POR 

7:30 PM 

Providence Park 

Apple TV 

Saturday, May 18 

ORL 

7:30 PM 

PayPal Park 

Apple TV 

Saturday, May 25 

ATX 

7:30 PM 

PayPal Park 

Apple TV 

Friday, May 31 

at NYCFC 

4:30 PM 

Yankee Stadium 

Apple TV 

Saturday, June 15 

CIN 

7:30 PM 

PayPal Park 

Apple TV 

Wednesday, June 19 

POR 

7:30 PM 

PayPal Park 

Apple TV 

Saturday, June 22 

at LAFC 

7:30 PM 

BMO Stadium 

Apple TV 

Saturday, June 29 

LA 

7:30 PM 

Stanford Stadium 

Apple TV 

Wednesday, July 3 

at STL 

5:30 PM 

CITYPARK 

Apple TV 

Sunday, July 7 

CHI 

TBD 

PayPal Park 

Apple TV 

Saturday, July 13 

SKC 

7:30 PM 

PayPal Park 

Apple TV 

Wednesday, July 17 

HOU 

7:30 PM 

PayPal Park  

Apple TV 

Saturday, July 20 

at MIN 

5:30 PM 

Allianz Field 

Apple TV 

Saturday, Aug. 24 

at RSL 

6:30 PM 

America First Field 

Apple TV 

Saturday, Aug. 31 

MIN 

7:30 PM 

PayPal Park 

Apple TV 

Saturday, Sep. 14 

at VAN 

TBD 

BC Place 

Apple TV 

Wednesday, Sep. 18 

at SEA 

7:30 PM 

Lumen Field 

Apple TV 

Saturday, Sep. 21 

STL 

7:30 PM 

PayPal Park 

Apple TV 

Saturday, Sep. 28 

at MTL 

4:30 PM 

Stadium Saputo 

Apple TV 

Wednesday, Oct. 2 

DAL 

7:30 PM 

PayPal Park 

Apple TV 

Saturday, Oct. 5 

RSL 

7:30 PM 

PayPal Park  

Apple TV 

Saturday, Oct. 19 

at LAFC 

6:00 PM 

BMO Stadium 

Apple TV 

 

*Home matches in bold 

 

About Levi's® Stadium 

Named Sports Facility of the Year for 2015 by Sports Business Journal, Levi's® Stadium is home to the San Francisco 49ers and serves as one of the world’s most technologically advanced and sustainable sports and entertainment venue. The $1.2 billion venue consists of 1.85 million square feet and 68,500 seats, including 175 luxury suites and 9,000 club seats, and was designed by HNTB and built by Turner/Devcon for the Santa Clara Stadium Authority. It is a multi-purpose facility with flexibility that has allowed it to host a wide range of events – including international soccer, college football, ice hockey, motorsports, concerts and various civic events – since opening in 2014. The venue is also expandable for major events such as 2026 FIFA World Cup, WrestleMania 31, Super Bowl 50 and the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Levi's® Stadium is owned by the Santa Clara Stadium Authority, a public joint powers authority established to provide for development and operation of Levi's® Stadium to ensure the stadium serves the goals of the City of Santa Clara. For more information, go to LevisStadium.com. 

Monday, December 25, 2023

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

We hope that you and your family have the best holidays this year!

If you feel like driving through neighborhoods to find the best decorated homes in San Jose, there is a handy website for that over here. Some of the homes have been featured on TV shows and even have light shows synced to music.

Happy Holidays! 🎄🎅



Sunday, December 24, 2023

Introducing San Jose Monopoly!

Monopoly has been running local city editions for some time now, and finally San Jose gets their own version of the famed game. This is long overdue, especially considering that San Jose has the largest Monopoly board in the world.

The entire board features local landmarks and even the money has been personalized for San Jose. Properties include San Jose State, San Pedro Square, Municipal Rose Garden, and Plaza de Cesar Chavez. Instead of railroads, you have the VTA. I also like how the game uses one of my favorite photos of Downtown San Jose towards the bottom of the board. 

The question everyone was wondering is which two locations get the coveted Boardwalk and Park Place spots--the most valuable on the board. One is the Winchester Mystery House and the other is Original Joe's. Okay, here is where the criticisms start. I get the Winchester Mystery House, it's easily one of the top attractions in San Jose. Original Joe's? It's not even originally from San Jose, the first one was in San Francisco. I like Original Joe's and it was one of my favorite restaurants growing up; however, I really think that spot belonged to Santana Row.

Second, Downtown San Jose has it's own spot but so do many locations that are within Downtown San Jose. I'm not sure how you can own Downtown without owning everything inside of it. I think it would have made more sense to put a Downtown neighborhood like SoFA on there or the SAP Center which is oddly missing.

Thirdly, there are three spots dedicated to the Santa Cruz area. Everything else is from San Jose, so those could have been the Alviso Marina, the Salt Flats, Almaden Beach, etc.

I know, it's just a game and I'm probably taking it too seriously. I'm still thrilled that it exists, caveats and all.

Now actually finding the Monopoly San Jose Edition might be a bit more difficult than you would think. It's sold out every place I checked and hopefully will be back in stock at Amazon at some point over here. I was able to get a copy right when it came out, but now it's gone. The VTA is giving away 20 copies as part of a contest in January.