Every season, the start of the MLS season is full of new surprises. Old contenders falling to the bottom of the table, traditionally bad teams competing, and new teams trying to make an impact in the league.
San Diego FC was founded in 2023. The team brand was announced after that, as well as the first year the team would take the pitch. This year marks their inaugural season as a team, making them the newest team in the MLS.
The big question lingering around this team is whether they have a real shot at winning the West and making the MLS Cup. We will explore that question and its possibilities, but before we get to that, we need to find out how we got here.
Building a team from the ground up
Building a team to contend in the first year of existence is difficult with no previous youth system and no veterans to build around. This can prove to be a test for teams. An organization with a strong, organized front office can build a team properly, and that’s what San Diego has done.
The biggest impact has been made by former Danish Champion Anders Dreyer. The 26-year-old winger from Denmark has been a key acquisition by the expansion team due to his reliability.
Dreyer has started in all of San Diego’s games this year, he has participated in 44 percent of the team’s goals with six goals and five assists. Having a proven winner on this team has provided huge benefits for the team’s performance against older, more talented squads.
The biggest transfer this offseason was for 29-year-old Mexican winger, Hirving Lozano, for 12 million dollars. Despite missing three straight games in March, Lozano has been a crucial member of this team’s success.
Four Goals and four assists are what he has contributed so far, on top of his veteran presence that has helped this squad with only two players on the roster who are 30 or older.
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An Easy schedule so far
The Western Conference has a mix of teams in the current playoff spots; the traditionally solid clubs are at the bottom of the table, while new or historically poor clubs find themselves at the top of the table.
San Diego has an easy schedule going forward, this is due to playing each team in the west twice while avoiding most Eastern Conference teams.
The first win for San Diego came against the LA Galaxy, which looked like an impressive result at the time. The most impressive result from San Diego was back-to-back games against the Seattle Sounders and LAFC, in which they scored a combined six goals in those games.
Seattle and LAFC are top clubs in the MLS, one is in the Club World Cup while the either is in a qualifier for the competition.
These two victories showed that San Diego was a club to be taken seriously in the Western Conference.
Can they truly contend in the West?
When it comes to obtaining a top two seed, it is possible for San Diego to keep its spot in the standings and hope to make a solid run in the playoffs.
Obtaining the top seed will be out of the question for San Diego. The Vancouver Whitecaps are leaps and bounds the best club in the West, with a solid point gap; they are also viewed as the best club in the entire league currently.
There is only a five-point gap between San Diego and the second seed and Austin FC in eighth place. Everything can change in a heart beat for the newest club in the MLS. a top seed in the playoffs is not guaranteed as they could find themselves in the 8/9 playoff game in a matter of weeks.
No matter what the table says in the next few months, San Diego shouldn’t get too high or too low as they control their destiny.
Competing for a playoff spot should be celebrated for a team in just its first year of existence. The question that only time will tell is whether they can continue to give the best in the west a fight for the top?
Credit IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire
Recording Date 18.04.2025