San Diego FC had their fair share of tough matchups during their Inaugural season.

Looking back at a few particular matchups, it’s no wonder the media pundits had them finishing bottom of the table.

SDFC’s first game was away against a defending MLS Champion. The second away game was in altitude vs. RSL. The second home game was against an MLS powerhouse that currently sits atop the Eastern Conference. The third home game was against another MLS powerhouse and a team that many are picking to win the championship this year, LAFC. The previous match was against a storied and always tough Seattle squad.

The results from the five games listed:  Four wins and a draw.

What if I told you their toughest test is yet to come: facing Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium in North Carolina?

As always, let’s get into it!

The game of soccer, on a grandeur scale, is about creating and capitalizing on opportunities.

In the two games that SDFC lost this season, there was a clear lack of the ‘capitalizing’ part. San Diego has the playmakers who create dangerous opportunities, but do they have the players who can and will put those opportunities away? I believe the answer is a strong ‘Yes’.

As confidence grows within the club as a collective unit – it will also grow within the individual players. Think about it. Some of the best youth clubs are the ones who have played together through the years. Confidence in each other and chemistry is not something anyone can measure or put into a stat, but it does wonders when it comes to getting results.

Speaking of Stats

Apart from trying to measure the immeasurable, there are some interesting stats that will help us understand the strengths and weaknesses of both teams going into this weekend. San Diego still leads the league in possession, something they are consistent at on a game-to-game basis. They will surely out-possess Charlotte (who are mid-table when it comes to possession) and dictate the pace of the game.

Charlotte currently ranks sixth out of 30 in shots allowed. Looking back through some of their games, it is noticeable that they do a good job of transitioning. Their defense is stout, and a huge part of that is the ability to get back to defend and crowd the box. When teams do that, it forces the other teams to take more shots from the outside.

Coincidentally, SDFC is currently 7^th out of 30 in total shots. This sets up well for San Diego to take advantage of Charlotte’s weakness and play to their strength. A high number of shots is definitely in the books for this match, enough to keep reigning goalkeeper of the year Kristijan Kahlina busy. Kahlina is currently the number one GK in save percentage. He’s been absolutely incredible for The Crown this season and will surely prove to be tough to beat.

This also brings us to the next point, where the two aforementioned stats (high number of shots allowed and save percentage) are related. When Charlotte allows teams to shoot from outside of the box, it almost relieves Kahlina of making a much harder, close-shot save. SDFC will need to figure out a way to get the ball into the box early and often via crosses and through balls.

An incredible stat that sets up SDFC nicely in this matchup is that they are the leader in through balls this year, by a long shot. San Diego hit 25 through balls this year, with the closest team having 16. This speaks to who they are and the playing style that Mikey Varas implemented.

Keys to the Game

As mentioned before, Charlotte is very good at transition. They press high, but they also drop fast. SDFC will need to figure out how to get in behind the defense in a quick manner by playing fast out of the back, an opposite of the game they played at Colorado. Surely, this game will be played with pace.

Where Charlotte has struggled in the past was when teams dropped their top striker into the midfield to gain and hold possession of the ball and then distribute it to the attacking wings to play wide or to an overlapping midfielder through the middle. This creates confusion within the Charlotte defense and sends guys scrambling while looking to pick up runs.

Valakari will have to be the distributor and play a big offensive role in this match. San Diego’s ability to create chances and score will be dictated by three key factors:

1. The pace of the team in the transition.
2. The quick distribution of the ball while playing out of the back to create chances.
3. Ability to be relentless in finishing their chances.

Players to Watch

Undoubtedly, the most popular name on the Charlotte side will be Wilfried Zaha. The Ivoirian striker had a storied career in England, playing for Crystal Palace, where he scored 69 goals in 369 appearances from 2015-2023. Before that, Zaha rose through the ranks of Manchester United, where he spent two years but failed to make more than two appearances.

Zaha brings experience and tremendous footwork to The Crown side, who are using their star DP like SDFC uses Chucky. He starts on the left and has the ability to create chances with the help of his great vision and passing. Zaha, who has a 19-yard average shot distance, likes to shoot from outside of the box, so being able to close him down quickly will be the challenge of the day for the San Diego defense.

Another name to look out for will be Pep Biel. The Spaniard midfielder currently leads the MLS in assists (5) and leads Charlotte with goals scored (3). He’s a shifty midfielder who is able to get into tight areas and make uncharacteristic runs that confuse the opponent’s defense. Also, his skill on the ball will be something to watch for, as he is very hard to dispossess.

Projected Lineups

San Diego will use the same lineup they used last game, but it would not be surprising if Mikey Varas made a few changes. It is possible Negri gets the bench spot and Willy gets the start. Negri has not impressed and made a crucial mistake in playing out of the back last game. Tomas Angel has made an immediate impact, and it is not crazy to think that he may get his chance to do it again on Saturday, replacing Valakari.

Charlotte will look to attack the defensive lines of San Diego in order to force turnovers after Colorado did it so well last weekend. The defense may be in a bit of a limbo in terms of injuries. Tim Ream (lung) and Nathan Byrne (neck), the two starting outside backs, have been dealing with injuries and are day-to-day. If they miss this game, Charlotte will have to rely on players who aren’t natural outside backs to fill in those roles, which is not ideal. Byrne is a special defensive player for Charlotte, so if he is missing, then it may be time for Nick Scardina, a young 23-year-old player, to step up, but the inexperience in that position may prove to be costly.

Massive Match

Undoubtedly, this is a massive match for both clubs. San Diego going into “The Fortress”, as Charlotte fans like to call Bank of America Stadium, where Charlotte is unbeaten this season, will be a huge task. Mikey Varas addressed the media after practice on Thursday and said the team is looking forward to tough matchups; they want to play the best. Charlotte will be looking to prove itself against a tough San Diego team and continue their unbeaten streak at home. The game will hang on which team can capitalize more on their chances because there will be plenty of them. Get ready for the action and the drama, this match should bring the fireworks!

If you enjoyed reading this match preview, please check out my blog by clicking here, where I cover SDFC, and follow me on Instagram (@sdfcnation) and X (@SDFC_Nation). Thanks for your support!

Dmitry Anisimov

Dmitry Anisimov is a San Diego native who played soccer up to the college level when he represented the SDSU Men’s Club Soccer team. Growing up in San Diego, Dmitry is a fan of all the home teams but he specifically couldn’t wait until San Diego got an MLS team. Once that dream became reality, Dmitry married his love for writing and the game of soccer to portray a voice of the San Diego soccer community. There is a deep-rooted love of soccer culture in San Diego and Dmitry hopes to bring it to light through his pre and post-game coverage of all things San Diego FC.