Earthquakes Stun LAFC, End Lloris' Scoreless Streak

San Jose's Ousseni Bouda scores twice to hand Los Angeles its first loss of the season.

Apr. 20, 2026 at 2:49am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a soccer match between two teams, with the players and field fragmented into sharp, overlapping planes of color representing the Earthquakes' and LAFC's official team palettes.The Earthquakes' stunning upset over the conference-leading LAFC squad exposed the competitive balance and unpredictability of the MLS season.San Jose Today

The San Jose Earthquakes pulled off a surprise 4-1 victory over Los Angeles FC on Sunday night, ending LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris' scoreless run to start the season at 593 minutes. Ousseni Bouda scored two second-half goals for the Earthquakes, who moved into a first-place tie with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Western Conference.

Why it matters

This early-season matchup between two of the Western Conference's top teams provided an unexpected result, with the Earthquakes handing LAFC its first loss and ending Lloris' impressive shutout streak to open the campaign.

The details

Bouda's two goals in the second half were the difference-makers, as the Earthquakes came from behind to stun the heavily favored LAFC squad. San Jose's victory moves them into a tie for first place in the West, setting up an intriguing race in the early stages of the MLS season.

  • The match took place on Sunday, April 20, 2026.
  • Lloris' scoreless run to begin the season reached 593 minutes before being snapped.

The players

Ousseni Bouda

A midfielder for the San Jose Earthquakes who scored two goals in the second half to lead his team to victory.

Hugo Lloris

The goalkeeper for Los Angeles FC, whose scoreless run to start the season was ended at 593 minutes by Bouda's goals.

San Jose Earthquakes

The MLS club that pulled off the surprise 4-1 win over LAFC, moving into a first-place tie in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles FC

The heavily favored MLS club that suffered its first loss of the season at the hands of the Earthquakes.

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What they’re saying

“We knew LAFC would be a tough opponent, but our team showed a lot of fight and determination to get this result.”

— Ousseni Bouda, Midfielder, San Jose Earthquakes

What’s next

The Earthquakes will look to build on this big win when they host the Seattle Sounders next weekend, while LAFC will try to bounce back at home against the Portland Timbers.

The takeaway

San Jose's victory over the conference-leading LAFC squad demonstrates the parity and unpredictability of the MLS this season, with any team capable of pulling off a surprise result on a given night.