San Diego FC are not giving a warm welcome in their MLS home opener this weekend. The well-built expansion team and the team who already earned respect in the Western conference welcomes the LA Galaxy this Saturday at Snapdragon Stadium.
And amidst all the opponent's rich heritage, the moment is Chrome-and-Azul's. Undefeated in four in a row and with a season balancing precariously on the edge of the impossible for an expansion team, San Diego has marked this game as the time to put money where the mouth is. Galaxy is attempting to get out from the underworld itself, strangled beneath the weight of catastrophic stats and the edgy specter of the last year's MLS Cup title pinned against where they occupy the lower rung of the table.
San Diego surprises and impresses in its first season
A low-key start was expected by all, with the typical stumbles of a still-forming outfit. San Diego did the opposite. They beat LA Galaxy 2-0 immediately — through the two strikes of Anders Dreyer — and put the rest of the MLS on notice. Third in the West with 24 points and with performances already ahead of all preseason expectations, the team are flying out the gates.
Coach Mikey Varas did a great job in creating a well-balanced team. The star players do not do it alone. Dreyer (6 goals, 6 assists) and Chucky Lozano (4 goals, 6 assists) are the game-changers and are supplemented constantly by Onni Valakari (3 goals, 5 assists) and American Luca de la Torre (2 goals, 1 assist).
For the city of San Diego, beating Galaxy at home would mean capturing the California spotlight this season in earnest. That first-day win was historic. Repeating it in front of their home crowd would mean a change in California soccer pecking order. And the timing couldn’t be more ideal. They are in sync, physically and mentally acclimated, and are riding high in terms of confidence level. Snapdragon Stadium will host a sellout and should be hostile to the visitors. San Diego’s roster realizes this is the special moment. Few expansion teams are in position halfway through the season to still fight for the conference lead position. And fewer still get to take on a giant in such turmoil.
Galaxy is in a crisis with no end in sight
And while San Diego is sparkling in the sunlight, the Galaxy are spluttering in the darkness. Los Angeles' California club are still reeling from their 2025 season being nothing but embarrassing. Fourteen games and still they have yet to win, ten losses and four points accrued alone. Defense remains the nagging issue: 33 goals leaked to their account so far at more than two a game. Greg Vanney's team is still yet to claim a single clean sheet in 2025.
The contrast with 2024 is stark. They conceded 50 goals in 34 games in 2024. This season in 2025, they've conceded 33 in just 14. The plummet is steep and the frustration is mounting with the team, the front bench and the fans. Volatility at the back is the new standard. Away from home, the team hasn't picked up a point in their past five games.
Not all hope is lost at Galaxy. The much-awaited comeback of Marco Reus breathed new life into the midfield. The veteran German scored his third goal and third assist in the last five games and played a significant role in the 2-2 draw over bogey team LAFC in the El Tráfico derby game. This was the first point achieved since the back-to-back defeats weeks ago and was a respite to a team that appeared lost.
But if they lose again, the Galaxy will continue to fall behind. Every game without a win, the comeback narrative diminishes. The win over the derby could get the comeback started. Or it could prove to be the breaking point with the fans, front office, and possibly the coaching staff' patience.