Look back at classic Bay Area-LA sports rivalry moments to prepare for Bay FC vs. Angel City FC on June 22 presented by Sutter Health
If you’ve been to a sporting event between the Bay Area and LA, you’ve probably heard the “Beat LA” chant, and you might hear it again this weekend when Bay FC hosts Angel City FC at PayPal Park for the first time on June 22 at 7:00 p.m. presented by Sutter Health. After a historic win in LA on March 17, we’re ready to have our first Bay vs. LA matchup on home turf. While Bay FC prepares to make a mark on this classic California rivalry, let’s look at some legendary moments in this regional matchup that spans across many decades and sports.
San Jose Earthquakes vs. Los Angeles Galaxy
San Jose Earthquakes stun the Galaxy with two stoppage time goals to claim victory in the Cali Clásico at Stanford Stadium in 2013
The California Clásico (with name playing off the ‘El Clásico’ rivalry between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona) is one of the most storied rivalries in Major League Soccer, with 100 matches being played between the two teams. The rivalry has seen appearances from plenty of soccer icons, including global star David Beckham, U.S. Soccer legend Landon Donovan, and MLS all-time scoring leader Chris Wondolowksi.
It’s hard to pick just one moment from the series, but the Quakes’ comeback win in 2013 was one for the books. Down 2-1 at Stanford Stadium, the Earthquakes took never say die to a whole new level and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Shea Salinas scored the tying goal in the 92’, and Alan Gordon found the winning goal just one minute later in an absolutely thrilling match that became an instant MLS classic.
Click here to watch highlights of the match on Youtube.
San Jose Sharks vs. Los Angeles Kings
San Jose Sharks secure a spot in the Western Conference Semi-finals after defeating the LA Kings 4-2 in this first-ever playoff series matchup
After many years of rivalry in the Pacific Division, the San Jose Sharks and LA Kings finally met in the playoffs for the first time in 2011. After a heated back-and-forth series, San Jose looked to close the series out in Game 6 in LA but found the game tied at the end of regulation. Sharks Legend Joe Thornton found the winning goal in overtime to send the Sharks to the Western Conference Semi-finals.
Click here to watch Joe Thornton’s iconic goal.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Los Angeles Rams
Niners defeat the Rams to clinch a playoff spot in the 2021 NFL Regular Season finale
The 49ers and LA Rams have been foes in the NFL for a long time, with the intensity kicking up a notch recently as the Rams made their return to LA and both teams have found postseason success. The Niners even helped the Rams with a historic first they’d probably prefer to forget, as they handed the Rams their first loss in brand-new SoFi Stadium in LA in 2020. Many Niners fans will remember the 2021 regular season finale fondly, as the Niners clawed back from a 17-0 deficit against the Rams to steal a win in overtime and earn their spot in the playoffs.
Click here to watch highlights of the game on Youtube.
Golden State Warriors vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Warriors defeat the Lakers in the 1967 Western Division Semifinals
The Warriors and the Lakers have delivered plenty of high-octane moments throughout their decades of meetings, including some recent playoffs encounters between Stephen Curry and Lebron James. They faced each other in the playoffs for the first time ever in the 1967 Western Division Semifinals. This series saw performances from Warriors legends like Rick Barry and Nate Thurmond to complete a series sweep. Most importantly, this series marked the very first postseason meeting between two California-based professional sports teams among the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL, helping spark a rivalry that would involve many high-stakes playoff encounters over the following decades.
San Francisco Giants vs. Los Angeles Dodgers
Barry Bonds hits his record-breaking 71st home run against the Dodgers on October 5, 2001
Giants vs. Dodgers is one of the most famous rivalries in all of U.S. sports, with history between the two teams dating back to the late 1800s in New York. It’s also one of the most evenly matched, with the Giants just barely claiming more victories across the series. Much like Bay FC made history against Angel City, the Dodgers were witness to one of the Giants’ historic moments when Barry Bonds broke Mark McGwire’s all-time single-season home run record and hit his 71st home run out of the park against pitcher Chan Ho Park. Though the Dodgers would spoil the day with a win, Bonds found home runs 72 and 73 against the Dodgers and holds the MLB record to this day.
Click here to watch Barry Bonds’ home run.
Bay FC vs Angel City FC
Bay FC takes historic inaugural win in first-ever match on the road in Los Angeles
On March 17, Bay FC kicked off their inaugural season on the road against Angel City FC at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Bay FC brought the pressure immediately, and forward Asisat Oshoala scored the very first goal in club history 17 minutes into the match. The historic goal would be all Bay FC needed for the win, as they withstood a shooting frenzy from Angel City to earn their inaugural victory. Goalkeeper Lysianne Proulx announced her entry to the league with an epic ten-save performance, a record for saves in an NWSL debut.
Bay FC has another opportunity to add a chapter in this iconic rivalry as they continue their historic inaugural season. On June 22, Bay FC hosts Angel City FC at 7:00 p.m. at PayPal Park in a match celebrating Juneteenth, presented by Sutter Health, with the chance to complete a regular season sweep with a victory. Your energy and passion make the difference in creating an intimidating environment for opponents that spurs on the home team, and the crowd factor turns up to 11 whenever the Bay takes on LA. With an exciting match on deck, we need every voice in the stadium chanting, “Beat LA!”
