On a chilly evening at PayPal Stadium, the Earthquakes kicked off their home opener in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,000 fans, setting the stage for an early-season showdown.
In the opening 15 minutes, the Earthquakes kept the LA Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy on high alert. However, in the 18th minute, Joseph Paintsil scored his first goal with a well-placed assist from Mark Delgado.
Despite their early promise, the Earthquakes struggled to maintain momentum as passes failed to find their mark, allowing the Galaxy to exploit opportunities on the counterattack. A pivotal moment came in the 43rd minute when Paintsil initiated a swift move, setting up Dejan Joveljić for a clinical finish.
Following the halftime interval, Riqui Puig dealt a decisive blow, notching a third goal for the Galaxy in the 48th minute. Reflecting on the match, Head Coach Luchi Gonzalez lamented, “It wasn’t our night. We had the opportunity to get the next goal. Giving up that (third) goal was a killer. Sometimes you can regroup; we didn’t execute.”
Despite a late glimmer of hope with Preston Judd’s 70th-minute strike – marking his debut goal for the San Jose Earthquakes – it was too little, too late for the home team to come back.
The defeat marked the Earthquakes’ second loss of the season, yet they remain determined to bounce back, with their sights set on redemption in their upcoming fixture against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
