The San Jose Earthquakes are enjoying their best-ever start to a season, but they are sharing the spotlight as the United States prepares for a World Cup knockout match against Bosnia on Thursday in the San Francisco Bay Area. This clash marks the third of up to four World Cup games in California for the US team, carrying the hopes of millions excited about the prospect of the deepest US run in the tournament in 24 years.
Football's Growing Presence in California
For fans, players, and clubs in California, hosting World Cup matches offers a chance to demonstrate that soccer is not a niche sport but a global phenomenon. "You see it in the fans, you see it in the stadiums, the crowds, when there's goals, when there's big moments that happen, just how big the sport really is across the world," said Earthquakes midfielder Niko Tsakiris. "To bring that here and for us to get a taste of that I think is massive. Because at the end of the day, that's what it's about ... the passion and the joy that it brings people." He added, "It'll be really special for the country, most importantly for the Bay Area, to really just show, like, 'hey listen, soccer has been a thing here and it's still continuing to grow.'"
California's Soccer Infrastructure and Demographics
California boasts the most teams of any US state in national leagues, with four Major League Soccer clubs, three National Women's Soccer League teams, and five teams in the United Soccer League, plus multiple academies and university teams. The San Diego Wave top the NWSL, Orange County lead the USL West, and the San Jose Earthquakes are level on points at the top of the MLS Western Conference for the first time in 14 years. The warm year-round climate and diverse ethnic makeup—about 40 percent of the population is Latino, hailing from countries where soccer dominates—create ripe conditions for the sport to thrive.
Impact of the World Cup on Local Development
Earthquakes academy director Luchi Gonzalez, a US assistant coach at the 2022 World Cup, highlighted the area's "soccer-rich" population due to Latin American roots. Hosting six World Cup matches and the US team in the Bay Area could boost development of home-grown players, who he hopes could one day be sold to European clubs, generating vital revenue. "That's going to be a direct impact, a spark plug for the game to keep growing and the motivation to keep growing, and clubs to get better and parents to get more understanding of the game and make more sacrifices," he said of the World Cup.
Earthquakes' Turnaround and Star Power
The Earthquakes are in the midst of a turnaround under Bruce Arena, a four-time MLS coach of the year who led the US to the 2002 World Cup quarterfinals. They won nine of their first 10 games this season, an MLS record, and in January signed Germany's Timo Werner, a Champions League winner with Chelsea, who has scored four times in his seven matches since joining. "Watching (Arena) bring the Earthquakes back up to the top of the table this year, matching that with the US having the success they're having ... it's just been amazing to see," said Earthquakes president Jared Shawlee.
Inspiration for Future Fans
Ousseni Bouda, a Burkina Faso international scouted by the Earthquakes at nearby Stanford University, said the energy around the World Cup could be inspirational. "Already a lot of people love soccer here and watch soccer, but now it's going to get more fans involved," he said. "They're going to see the people in the Bay Area really love soccer." Academy coach Gonzalez feels a "calm excitement" about this World Cup, that it could be a catalyst for soccer to eventually become a top-tier sport for Americans. "The game is not our game yet in the US," he said. "But it will be our game one day."
