The takeover of San Jose began at 2 am on Saturday.
Bus after bus, filled to capacity with LAFC Supporters, began a trek from LA's Union Station to Avaya Stadium. Numerous carloads joined them. And some took to the air to be there before LAFC arrived for its match with the San Jose Earthquakes.
By 8:30 am, they occupied a dirt field just outside the stadium. Some estimates had their numbers at just over 700. Others say maybe a thousand Black & Gold clad Supporters were there.
If you arrived at Avaya Stadium early, you were greeted by this:
The blackout of San Jose began hours before the opening whistle. And it lasted through the entire 90-plus minutes of the match. It was in the stands and on the pitch, where LAFC silenced the Earthquakes with a 5-0 win - the Black & Gold's largest margin of victory in Club history and the worst defeat at Avaya Stadium in Earthquakes history.
Here are the takeaways from LAFC's historic 5-0 victory over the San Jose Earthquakes:
I Like The Way You Move
This was a matchup of differing styles. All week, we talked about Matias Almeyda's man-marking approach and how LAFC would look to play through it. They more than played through it, they dominated the space on the pitch on Saturday.
The movements of the LAFC midfield were devastating to San Jose's approach. Mark-Anthony Kaye, Eduard Atuesta, and Latif Blessing were the most in sync we've seen the team all year. They were moving into open areas collectively and always making sure teammates had an outlet.
Once they got on the ball, it wasn't just about possession either. They were devastating vertically as well. It was touch-touch-forward so many times. San Jose was simply ripped apart.
And shoutout to this pass from Atuesta to assist Steven Beitashour. He had the whole stadium thinking he's going one way and then cut it back inside, right on the foot of Beita. That's just filthy:
I Challenge You To A Duel
If you're going to play a man-marking style and force the opposition into a physical battle, you'd better win your duels.
San Jose simple couldn't get close to LAFC though for much of the first half. Although the final stats have LAFC narrowly edging the Quakes in duels 55-47 by fulltime, when it was 3-0 at the half that tally was 33-21 in LAFC's favor.
Bob Bradley noted after SJ beat LAFC in preseason that his team would need to be ready for different types of matches. Some matches, they'll need to meet the level of the opposition's game to be successful.
You'd have to think LAFC took that to heart. They didn't back down for all 90 minutes.
Counterpress On Point
San Jose walks away from this match having actually bested LAFC in possession. What killed the Quakes today was when LAFC lost the ball, they were sharp in winning it back.
Look at the tackles and recoveries in the SJ half:
LAFC's shape in possession and ability to close the ball after turnovers was exceptional in this match.
Bob Bradley's system stresses these types of actions. Players need to react quickly to turnovers and be in a position to get around the ball right away. The diligence to the counterpress resulted in more than a few opportunities on goal for LAFC and even more important controlled what San Jose was able to direct back the other way.
5-Star Offense But Defense Deserves Its Due
The LAFC backline has been flying a bit under the radar this season. So I'm glad they were able to keep a clean sheet today.
Walker Zimmerman, Eddie Segura, Steven Beitashour, and Jordan Harvey dominated SJ's attackers. They stepped into the play when necessary and forced the ball backward on almost every occasion. The few times LAFC was opened up in transition, the backline shuffled and snuffed out the danger.
And Tyler Miller wasn't to be outdone as well. He made a key save on Danny Hoesen late in the match and had a few punches and collections to keep San Jose at bay. From top to bottom, it was a great performance.
Carlitos, Carlitos, CARLITOS
If this isn't MVP-worthy, I quit:
I'd actually planned to talk about his second goal - guess we'll have to save it for "Anatomy of a Goal" this week - but that finish is just so Vela.
In addition to notching his first hat trick for LAFC, Vela was sublime all over the pitch. He tracked back, he counterpressed, he was an outlet in the buildup... he had just one of those matches you marvel at. That's the performance he's been promising and the reason why when he says he can be MVP, you believe him.
Vela was unstoppable in San Jose. But after the match, he said:
"I still have more. More to come."
The rest of MLS has been put on notice.
