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- San Francisco 49ers took over SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
- A wild picture from above the crowd shows just how out-numbered Rams fans were in their own stadium.
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When a team hosts an NFL playoff game there is an expectation that opposing fans will travel well. However, there is also an expectation that it will still be a home game for the home team.
That was not the case on Sunday during the NFC Championship game.
During the final week of the regular season, the 49ers needed to beat the Rams to make the playoffs. Los Angeles was already in, and their fanbase is not particularly passionate anyway. Thus, an insane amount of San Francisco fans flew down from the Bay to takeover SoFi Stadium.
Thus, in the week leading up to Sunday’s rematch for a trip to the Super Bowl, the Rams did everything they could to keep their home field advantage. Before the NFC Divisional Round was even played, Los Angeles tried to block San Francisco fans from buying up all of the tickets. Matthew Stafford’s wife Kelly even came up with a wild plan to to keep opposing fans out of SoFi Stadium.
Despite trying really, really hard to keep 49ers fans out, it quickly became a free for all and the efforts fell short. Leading up to the game, San Francisco fans invaded Los Angeles and were booing Rams fans out of restaurants in their own city.
It was a total takeover.
San Francisco 49ers fans have taken over Los Angeles. This makes the Rams donut shop we were at earlier look like nothing. @abc7newsbayarea pic.twitter.com/R2ZizXIt5Z
— J.R. Stone (@jrstonelive) January 29, 2022
Prior to the game, outside of SoFi Stadium, it was predominantly red.
Lots of red outside of SoFi Stadium so far today 👀 pic.twitter.com/K4D4jeQIL5
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 30, 2022
Los Angeles coaches knew that the away fans were coming and prepared as if it was an away game, even though they were playing at home.
Even though the Rams are playing at home, their coaches prepared as if they were playing a road game due to loud 49ers fans at SoFi Stadium 👀@JayGlazer | #NFLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/2P6ij3GFvz
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 30, 2022
When the game began, Rams fans appeared to be out-numbered about 3/2 inside the stadium, if not by an even greater margin. A crazy photo from the national anthem performance has gone viral and it shows just how many 49ers fans were in the stands.
O SoFi Stadium com BASTANTE torcedor dos 49ers! 🤯🔥 #FTTB pic.twitter.com/TCBxLaVtfG
— NFL Brasil (@NFLBrasil) January 30, 2022
Insane. It looked more like Levi Stadium south than SoFi Stadium. 49ers fans showed up and showed out.