San Diego FC set for historic MLS inaugural match against LA Galaxy
Credit: MLS
San Diego FC is set to play its first-ever official MLS game this Sunday, February 23, against LA Galaxy in Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
SDFC played three preseason games against MLS competition before this season opener and finished with two losses and a win.
San Diego fell 3-1 to New York City FC and 3-0 to Portland Timbers but finished with a huge 6-0 win against New York Red Bulls. Head coach Mikey Varas really toggled with his lineup throughout the preseason, but the lineup used against Red Bulls seems to be the strongest.
Varas played with CJ dos Santos on the net, and a backline consisted of Japser Loffelsend, Christopher Mcvey, Paddy McNair, and Franco Negri. The midfield featured Jeppe Tverskov, Anibal Godoy, and Luca de la Torre. The frontline was an exciting and potent one featuring Anders Dreyer, Marcus Ingvarten, and Hirving Lozano.
Sunday. Sunday. Sunday.
@LAGalaxy
@dignityhealthsp
4:00 p.m.
@MLS Season Pass on @appletv
@Sports760, @redespsn
Are you ready? pic.twitter.com/2KPq5tDj3W
— San Diego FC (@sandiegofc) February 21, 2025
The midfield provided plenty of stability with both Tverskov and Godoy, who can both quickly recover the ball if needed. The front three seem to be a lock, along with the skill and speed of Dreyer and Lozano and Ingvartsen’s clinical finishing ability.
Hirving Lozano is set to be the star of this young team and has the potential to be one of the best players in MLS. “Chucky” already showcased plenty of promise in the preseason, especially in the win against Red Bulls, where he scored and provided two assists.
There are several doubts and concerns in the backline, but Andres Reyes is expected to have a starting role in this squad.
Mikey Varas has insisted on a very aggressive and offensive approach to the game centered around counter-attacking play. This has the potential to be very effective, but can also be very physically draining on any squad, which can lead to problems down the line.
It will be interesting to see Varas’ approach against Greg vanney’s side that will likely try and control possession in front of its home crowd.
LA Galaxy is the current MLS champion, and this is essentially the toughest way for SDFC to start its inception as a new club. The biggest name on the Los Angeles-based club is Marco Reus, who will be starting his first full MLS season. The German superstar is among the most technically gifted players in Major League Soccer, with his passing, dribbling, shooting, and free-kick abilities.
SDFC will need to be extremely cautious of a free-kick opportunity for Reus, as he has even scored one at Snapdragon Stadium in a friendly match against San Diego Loyal.
The Galaxy lost its top-scorer this offseason as Dejan Joveljic, who scored 21 goals last season, is now with Sporting Kansas City. The offensive responsibilities will really fall on Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil, who combined for 33 goals scored last season.
The striker set to replace Joveljic in the attack, Matheus Nascimiento, is also a very exciting option on the frontline. Matheus has had limited playing time with Brazilian team Botafogo, but at 20 years old shows plenty of potential. However, it is unclear if the young striker will immediately earn a starting role or if new signing Christian Ramirez gets an opportunity.
The Los Angeles side will be without its best player, as Riqui Puig is still recovering from an ACL injury. The Spanish playmaker was just seen at Galaxy’s training center but still has some work to do before playing in a competitive match.
Puig scored 17 goals and provided 12 assists before going down last season, and the Galaxy will dearly miss him.
This match also has a lot of cultural impact as it has the potential to be the beginning of a rivalry for both teams. There is a major San Diego Padres-Los Angeles Dodgers rivalry in baseball that has only grown as the years pass. In women’s soccer, the rivalry between San Diego Wave and Angel City FC is also an entertaining affair, with fans always seen traveling to the opposition’s stadium.
SDFC is expected to have rivalries with both LA Galaxy and LAFC, but they can only grow as they play each other throughout the years. This is San Diego’s inaugural match, but it is also the starting point of what has the potential to be an exciting rivalry in Major League Soccer.
How to watch
All San Diego FC games will be streamed on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV+.
Francisco, 28, Chula Vista/Tijuana. I have been a Padres fan all my life, did most of the series previews and recaps in the Padres’ 2016 season for EVT. Now I focus more on the local soccer scene. Tijuana Xolos, San Diego FC, San Diego Wave. I have covered Liga MX, MLS, Mexico National Team, USWNT, Copa América and European clubs like Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund.