The MLS has been rapidly expanding since its first season in 1996. They started with 10 original teams. Nine of those 10 teams are still in the league; Tampa Bay no longer supports an MLS team as they now have a USL team.
Since then, the league has expanded to 30 teams, with new teams every few years. There have been a variations in first-year success. Most teams take a few years to figure out how to build a winning roster in the MLS, as well as finding a manager that can lead a young team and front office to early success.
San Diego FC is on pace to have one of, if not the best, first seasons we have ever seen in the league’s 28-year existence.
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What this Means for future Expansion teams
The MLS will always look to expand and grow into new markets, especially now that the USL is threatening to become a tier-one league and potentially capture big sports markets that the MLS has yet to reach.
When future teams join the MLS, they now know that they can have major success in the regular season and that there is a blueprint on how to build a roster quickly.
First off, San Diego has done an excellent job creating a youth program that provides housing and education in such a short time. There are a few MLS teams that have years or even decades on San Diego and still have yet to create a youth program that is up to par with San Diego.
They also invested in designated players properly, bringing in players that still have a prime left rather than getting veterans that are over the hill and have left their best football behind them.
Yes, San Diego is off to a hot start, and of course, they will drop quality in years to come. With a strong youth system that is just getting started with veterans who still have a lot in the tank, it has created a blueprint on how to get to a fast start and a future that will have no major dips.
What can they achieve this season?
San Diego is not just in the driver’s seat for the Western Conference top spot, but they are also ahead in the Supporters’ Shield race.
They don’t have a huge lead in the race, but they don’t have a slight advantage over two clubs that have had sustained success since they joined the league so many years ago. A Supporters shield would be big for San Diego and their supporters, but it is not the end goal.
The MLS Cup is the real prize at the end of the tunnel for San Diego and its front office.
No team has ever won the MLS Cup in just its first season as a team. Teams have gotten close and made a playoff run, but have never been a true frontrunner like this San Diego team has.
Earlier in the season, San Diego was treated like a pleasant surprise as one of the top teams in the league, and we should enjoy it while it lasts. This team has shown so far that this run will last longer than the regular season.
Only time will tell if San Diego is more than a top Western team, but a Supporters’ Shield winner and an MLS Cup contender.
Main Photo
Credit IMAGO/Icon Sportswire
Recording Date 16.08.2025