This Sunday, February 23, was San Diego FC’s first MLS match.

I’m not sure anyone knew what to expect with the inception of this team. The team was untested, bar a couple of pre-season friendlies.

As I drove up to LA Galaxy’s stadium, I tried to temper my expectations. San Diego FC is a brand new team and is viewed by many as long shots. The odds are stacked against them, while LA Galaxy is the reigning champions. What can we expect from San Diego FC?

I pulled into the parking lot, and the chaos of the stadium distracted me from my racing thoughts. Over two hours before kickoff, the parking lot was packed with thousands of fans.

I rolled down my windows and was greeted with that smokey barbeque smell and the buzzing of excited soccer enthusiasts on the opening weekend of the MLS season. I parked, and as I got out of the car, I was shocked at how many San Diego jerseys I saw around Dignity Health Sports Park. 

I made my way towards the entrance, and as I found my seat, I noticed the away fans section was packed. Both teams warmed up on the field, and the pre-match festivities began. LA Galaxy presented their MLS Cup with a ceremony narrated by David Beckham.

The cup was passed down onto the field, with different LA heroes taking turns walking with the giant shiny trophy. Riqui Puig was the last in line, placing it on a stand as the fireworks went off and photographers swarmed him. Two military helicopters flew over, and the LA fan’s tifo read “BUILT BY LEGENDS, FUELED BY GLORY.” I felt my nerves act up again, worried that the hundreds of San Diego fans were going to be disappointed after making the two-hour-plus journey.

The Game Begins

The match kicked off, and immediately, all worries were assuaged. In the first 20 minutes, San Diego FC dominated the possession with creative plays on the right flank from Loffelsend. The right-back overlapped his runs with midfielder Luca De La Torre and launched crosses into the box with great potential.

LA Galaxy’s counterattacks were stopped by defensive midfielder Anibal Godoy. Anyone who made it past Godoy was closed down by Christopher McVey or Paddy McNair. San Diego’s center-back duo looked like giants. McVey at 6-foot-4 and McNair at 6-foot-2. They played with incredible chemistry as if they could read each other’s thoughts. In fact, the whole defensive line seemed to be in perfect sync. When one full back, more often Loffelsend, would make forward runs, the other would join the two centre-backs to cover the backline, shifting the teams fluid formation from a 4-3-3 to a 3-4-3. 

20 Minutes in, San Diego FC has 70% of the Possession

San Diego FC’s confidence built as the first half went on. Their attacking press was high, and goalkeeper CJ dos Santos hovered at the halfway line. I wondered if the team “fueled by glory” was the same team getting out-classed and outmuscled by San Diego. I looked down at the fans and saw those in LA Galaxy jerseys growing increasingly frustrated. The San Diego fans could barely stay in their seats. 

With 5 minutes remaining in the half, goalkeeper dos Santos was finally tested after a set piece from LA Galaxy. He confidently punched the ball away to defend the cross from the free kick. LA fans sensed a glimmer of hope before San Diego took the ball and re-launched their attack. After an unsuccessful corner for San Diego, LA Galaxy took possession and attempted to counterattack. San Diego’s defense looked slow, and the LA fans started to get loud. The defense eventually closed down the LA Galaxy attackers, and the referee blew his whistle to signal the end of the first half. 

Scoreless At the Start of the Second Half

I got up with the crowd to walk around the stadium during the break. LA fans were quiet, while fans who journeyed from San Diego were talking excitedly with each other. I overheard one fan talk about how impressed he was. I was impressed as well. Not only did SDFC not concede, but they dominated the first half. There was hope that the attack would be more successful at putting the ball in the net in the second half and that the defense would remain strong and coordinated.

The second half started, and LA Galaxy had possession. For a second, I wondered if this half will look different, but San Diego FC quickly regained possession and launched a shot on goal, which LA Galaxy’s Micovic saved. He rolled the ball to his defender, who slipped, and Hirving “Chucky” Lozano gladly collected it.

Lozano quickly crossed the ball to Anders Dreyer, who made history scoring San Diego FC’s first ever MLS goal. I could barely contain my excitement—San Diego FC, the new expansion team, was leading in the 52nd minute against the reigning MLS Cup champions. 

Second Half continues (1-0)

The flags of the LA Galaxy fans were slanting down, and their supporters were visibly upset. The San Diego FC fans were jumping, and their energy could be felt around the stadium. I was reminded again about the fanfare in the beginning and how excited the LA Galaxy fans were to see the MLS Cup their team won last year.

Thinking about it now, there must have been a lot of pride for our city’s new team by fans. Adding to my excitement, LA Galaxy’s defense made nearly the same mistake, and San Diego FC nearly scored again. The San Diego fans seemed like they would combust at any moment. 

At around the 66th minute, head coach Mikey Varas substituted midfielder Luca De La Torre for midfielder Onni Valakari and left-back Franco Negri for right-back William Kumado. Kumado moved into the right-back position, and Loeffelsend moved to Franco Negri’s spot on the left. Varas’ change brought fresh legs to the field and gave more opportunity for attacks on the left side of the field. In the 74th minute, after San Diego FC’s relentless energy and high press, “Chucky” Lozano tried to shoot a long shot into the goal, but it was just a little high. 

LA Galaxy tried to build an attack, but even with the substitutions, San Diego FC’s defense was too coordinated, and LA was caught in the offside trap. Mikey Varas made another substitution, replacing Anibal Godoy with Alejandro Alvarado Jr.. LA Galaxy also took the chance to rotate their players. 

LA Galaxy Fights to Score against San Diego FC

With new energy, LA Galaxy made several shots on target. San Diego FC’s goalkeeper confidently stopped all of them, much to the dismay of the Galaxy fans.

Mikey Varas replaced “Chucky” with Tomas Angel and Loeffelsend with Ian Pilcher, bringing fresh legs to San Diego’s attack and defense. As they came onto the field, the referee indicated that there was going to be 5 minutes of extra time that might have felt like a lot more for the San Diego fans.

However, after relentless attempts from LA Galaxy, San Diego FC won the ball back. Anders Dreyer launches the ball to Tomas Angel, who held onto it for what seemed like forever. Out of nowhere, Dreyer positioned himself perfectly, and Angel crossed the ball to his teammate.

Dreyer shot the ball, which hit the post, and for a split second, it seemed that he missed. Instead, the ball bounced into the goal, and the San Diego FC fan section exploded with cheers. Andres Dreyer secured a brace for himself and a win for San Diego FC. 

What a way to close it out for @sandiegofc.

Anders Dreyer, my goodness. pic.twitter.com/fwkO0fnXvP

— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 24, 2025

San Diego Secures the Win (2-0)

Buzzing with excitement, I hurried towards the press conference. After what felt like a marathon, I finally found myself in the locker room to hear from Head Coach Mikey Varas. When asked if he was nervous about the game today, considering LA Galaxy’s history, he calmly responded, “We focus on ourselves.” He goes on to describe that while he is proud of the team, “We can do better.”

San Diego FC’s season is just starting, and there is more work to be done. Last night was the perfect way to start the season. The fans who made the trip through the traffic were rewarded, and the team earned confidence from a statement win. Mikey Varas goes on to say, “Tonight is about celebrating, tomorrow is about resting, and Tuesday we get to work.” 

Saturday is San Diego FC’s home opener, hosting  St Louis City SC at Snapdragon Stadium, and SDFC faithful can only hope the momentum continues. 

Jenny Furrer

Jenny is a San Diego native, athlete, and local sports fanatic. She covers San Diego FC and San Diego Wave.